Faceting is the term used for the specific type of
gemcutting that produces facet cut
gems. Most typically, the
faceted stone is found in
rings,
pendants, and
brooches, etc., and is of the
transparent variety. The most common and well known of this type is the
58 facet Standard Cut or
American Round Brilliant, commonly used for engagement and
wedding rings, as well as in a variety of other
jewellry applications. Faceted stones of truly large proportions are also the highlight of many private as well as public
collections, including many fine specimens at the
Smithsonian.
Diamond faceting is difficult to master due to the extreme hardness of the stone, and is performed by a limited number of craftsmen using traditional methods and equipment. This is a well guarded technique, and is generally passed down through apprenticeship to an accomplished cutter.
The development of portable and affordable faceting machines has greatly contributed to the art of faceting, and has allowed the professional as well as the hobbyist and amateur to produce fine gems, with modest study and at reasonable cost. The increasing popularity and availability of numerous colored gem grade materials, available for purchase "in the rough" has made this art a popular and rewarding pursuit.
Crystallized minerals such as quartz (amethyst, rock crystal, smokey quartz, etc.), topaz, sapphire, beryl (aquamarine, emerald, etc.)and tourmaline, to name but a few of the common materials are widely available. More "exotic" materials (tanzanite, benitoite, kunzite, zircon, and many others too numerous to mention here) are also commonly available, and new materials are still being discovered.
The satisfaction of completing and viewing a new faceted stone, whether from one of the thousands of published designs, or from a design of your own is a rare joy indeed.