Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 24, 2010

Question:

How do you get that perfect mirror shine on your focal gemstones?

Answer:

As I am not sure which type of stone you mean, cabochon or faceted, I’ll give a general answer for cabochons. The reason this has to be ‘general’ is because the lapidary world is a huge venue and a lot of the polishing techniques used really depend on both the hardness and the make-up of the stone. For example, some softer stones are worked all the way to the polish stage and then we use Zam for the final polish, while some other materials receive their final polish from the use of either cerium oxide or Lindi ‘A’ on a leather pad (glued to a flat lap), and on agates we use a very fine diamond paste on a felt lap (using a regular silicone spray as the extending fluid). I have to credit my husband for the gorgeous polish he gets on the cabs I use, which has come from a LOT of experimenting (and you should see the bucket of, “well, that didn’t work”, which is future fodder for our tumblers).

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 10, 2010

Question:

Sometimes the holes in gemstones are too small and I would like to make them larger.  I tried a hand reamer but that did not work.  Should I use a drill press or something else?

Answer:

There are two basic ways that the holes in most purchased, gemstone beads have been drilled. If you look at your hand reamer bit you will notice that it is graduated as are the drill bits used by manufacturers. A bead is either drilled from one side to the other, so the hole is bigger on one end that it is on the other; or it is drilled from both sides, which may not line up, so although the bead looks like it has a good sized hole all the way through, inside the hole is smaller and may not be aligned straight across the bead!

Using a hand reamer on softer materials like pearls, malachite, fluorite, etc will work better if you ream under water and use a continuous in and out motion. The diamond reamer used is actually grinding the material away, which collects on the reamer and needs to be flushed, both off of the reamer and out of the bead. The water also acts as a cooling agent and a lubricant for both the bit and the material.

On harder materials (agates, quartz, etc) you may find that using a press for a dremel or a flex shaft will work. Again, always work with the bead underwater at slow speeds, in and out, and use quality diamond bits. Be sure to wear safety glasses to avoid accidents if the bead should shatter. (Further discussion can be found here:  http://wire-sculpture.com/jewelry-making-blog/647/drilling-holes-in-gemstones/#comments )

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
February 05, 2010

Question:

I have some gem stones that the pavilion isn’t ‘right on’. Either the sides or the ends aren’t equal, one is longer than the other. Is there any thing that can be done to correct this, like having them recut?

Answer:

‘Mine-cut’ or ‘practice’ are usually the reasons for badly cut gemstones. Two things can make these stones usable in wire jewelry creations. 1. We work in wire so if the stone is large enough we can make a frame to fit the stone. 2. If the value of the stone is worth the cost of having it cut again, do an Internet search for ‘gemstone repair’; for a less expensive venture, visit your local rock & mineral club as they will more than likely have a lapidary who facets and may be willing to help you. Remember that when a gemstone is re-cut or repaired, you will loose quite a bit of the carat weight and probably quite a bit of the original size.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Daily Wire Jewelry Making Tip
December 17, 2009

Question:

I would love to purchase some faceted gemstones to let into rings and bracelets.  I am not looking for CZs, but true semi-precious gemstones. Any ideas?

Answer:

Wire-Sculpture does have a large selection of faceted, semi-precious gemstones, topaz included, that are available at our lovely gemstones page! I know this for a fact, because I hand picked about every single one of them! We also have cabochons available in a variety of gemstones, and some of these are faceted as well.

Answer contributed by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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Faceted Gemstone Terms

By: Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

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