Gemstone Cutting
At Artisan Atelier we offer a high quality gemstone lapidary service (gemstone cutting and polishing). All our lapidaries are experts in precious stone work and practice in both calibrated and non calibrated sizes. Our craftsmen specialise in a variety of different cuts including round brilliant, fancy cuts, cabochons, stars and cat's eyes and carvings.
All our lapidary is executed using the latest cutting technology. All our craftsmen possess the knowledge and talent to unlock the beauty of a gemstone, through a perfect cut and with minimal wastage. Once we have created your desired gemstone shape polishing will create a mirror-like finish on your gemstones.
In addition to faceting and polishing rough gemstones, we can also re-facet and re-polish damaged stones.
The Lapidary Process:
1. Sawing: After choosing the rough, sawing will commence. A precise rotating blade (kerf) cuts the rough down to the desired size.
2. Grinding: The gemstone is roughly shaped into the desired cut using a grinding wheel coated with diamond powder or silicon carbide.
3. Sanding: The gemstone is sanded to remove scratches.
4. Lapping: Involves different processes for the desired outcome. The gemstone is ultimately shaped at this point, possibly into a cabochon (cabbing), a faceted stone (faceting), a tumbled piece (tumbling) or a carving.
5. Polishing: Using a finishing agent (usually a metal oxide) combined with different surfaces (metal/wood for example) the gemstone is polished to ascertain its ultimate luster.
