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How to Facet a Stone

Gemstone faceting requires minimal skill, but maximum patience and precision. Faceting, or cutting angled faces on a stone's surface to achieve brilliance, basically involves attaching a natural or synthetic crystal to a special dowel or "dopstick" and placing the stick at the proper angle with the stone touching the lapwheel on the faceting machine. Height, angle and index are the key elements in faceting gemstones. Height refers to the depth of the facets, angle refers to the plane or slant at which facets are cut, and index refers to the placement of facets around the stone. Gemstones are ideally cut first from the top, or "crown," and then from the bottom, or "pavilion."

Things You'll Need

Dopstick
Dop wax
Faceting machine
Rough gemstone

Instructions

- 1
  Attach a rough gemstone using dop wax as an adhesive. You will need to melt the dop wax to soften it. Immediately apply the hot dop wax into the end of the dopstick and place the gemstone appropriately before the wax hardens. You can also use super glue or the "cold dopping" method; however, traditional epoxies are more difficult to remove from the gemstone.
- 2
  Attach the opposite end of the dopstick to the faceting machine's mast. Adjust the machine's quill and protractor for appropriate height and angle, usually 90 degrees. In other words, the dopstick should be placed so as to resemble a right triangle between the stick, wheel and mast.
- 3
  Set the machine trigger to the appropriate notch on the index wheel for each faceting step. Then systematically lower the dopstick so the stone touches the lapwheel. Shape first the top, or "crown," and then re-adjust the stone so that you can shape the bottom, or "pavilion." Then proceed with the smaller facets between the crown and pavilion. Rotate the dopstick as you shape the perimeter of the stone.
- 4
  Remove the finished stone from the dopstick by heating the dop wax or glue. Polish your gemstone with the appropriate type of polishing substance.

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