Give Away

A Gem of an Opportunity: The Stone Number 289 Giveaway!

Have you ever wanted to own a piece of wearable art that carries the literal signature of a master craftsman? Well, dust off your digital magnifying glass, because The Lapidary Office is about to make one person’s jewelry box much more regal.

We are thrilled to announce the giveaway of Stone Number 289, a breathtaking 4ct Amethyst that is as vibrant as it is rare.

The Prize: More Than Just a Stone

This isn’t your run-of-the-mill crystal. Stone Number 289 is a masterfully faceted 4-carat Amethyst, boasting violet hues and a mysterious glow. But the sparkle doesn’t stop there.

The winner will also receive an exclusive Artist Certification Card, personally signed by Ian Perry of The Lapidary Office. This card serves as your proof of provenance, confirming that your gem was handled and vetted by one of the best in the business. It’s the ultimate "golden ticket" for any gemstone collector.

Your Mission: The Digital Scavenger Hunt

We aren’t just handing this beauty over—you’ve got to earn it! To enter, you’ll need to participate in our Digital Scavenger Hunt. It’s part mystery, part social media deep-dive, and 100% worth the effort.

Here is how you get started:

• The Clues: Detailed instructions for the scavenger hunt are hidden within our recent posts on social media.

• The Platforms: You will need to check both our Facebook and Instagram pages to piece together the full set of rules and requirements.

• The Goal: Follow the trail, complete the tasks, and you’ll be officially entered to win Stone Number 289.

How to Find Us

Not sure where to find our socials? Don't worry, we’ve made the first step easy for you.

Simply scroll to the bottom of this website (yes, the very bottom!). In the footer, you will find direct links to our official Facebook and Instagram pages. Click those icons, hit follow, and start hunting for those scavenger hunt instructions!

Pro Tip: Keep a close eye on our Stories! Ian might just drop a hint or two to help you navigate the hunt more quickly.

Are you ready to claim your piece of lapidary history?

Good luck to all our fellow gem enthusiasts. We can't wait to see who brings this stunning 4ct Amethyst home!

Faceting Color Change YAG

The Lavender Ghost: Mastering Color-Change Nd:YAG

If you’ve spent any time in the faceting world lately, you’ve likely seen the mesmerizing "Lavender Ghost"—Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG). While it’s technically a synthetic crystal grown for industrial lasers, its dramatic color shift from a cool lilac to a vibrant bubblegum pink to a bright white under different light has made it a darling for gem cutters.

However, Nd:YAG isn’t just a "synthetic garnet." It’s a bit of a diva on the lap. If you treat it like a standard garnet, you might find yourself staring at a jagged mess of facet edges. Here is the lowdown on how to handle this material without losing your mind—or your yield.

The Pre-Polish Pitfall: Managing the "30-Degree Chip"

The most frustrating quirk of Nd:YAG happens right when you think you’re in the home stretch. During the pre-polish phase (specifically at the 3k and 8k grit stages), the material is prone to micro-chipping along the facet edges.

• The Problem: Facet edges with angles of 30° or steeper are particularly vulnerable. At these angles, the grit seems to "grab" the crystal lattice, causing tiny flakes to pop off right at the meet points particularly for girdle edges as they are typicaly more than 30 degrees apart.

• The Fix: Directional cutting is your best friend. If you notice chipping starting to form, reverse the direction of the lap or change the direction the lap meets the stone so that it runs along the edge it is chiping instead of against it. Nd:YAG has subtle internal stresses from the growth process; often, simply cutting "with the grain" rather than against it solves the chipping issue instantly.

Safety First: Don't Let the Dust Out

Working with doped synthetics requires a higher level of hygiene than your average quartz. Neodymium and Yttrium aren't things you want to ingest or track into your living room.

• Rough-In: Always use plenty of water during the roughing phases. This keeps the dust suppressed and prevents it from becoming airborne.

• Containment: Clean your machine, your dops, and your hands thoroughly before leaving your workspace. Treat the slurry as potentially toxic. A dedicated "splash guard" protocol will ensure that no Nd:YAG residue hitches a ride on your clothes or into your common areas.

The "Buttery Dream" Finish

If you’ve struggled through the pre-polish, take heart: the final polish on Nd:YAG is one of the most satisfying experiences in faceting.

• The Secret Sauce: Use 60k diamond grit with a light oil lubricant.

• The Result: It polishes like a "buttery dream." The oil provides enough lubrication to prevent the stone from grabbing the lap, resulting in a mirror-like finish that makes the color-change pop.

• The Rescue: If you have minor stubborn chipping left over from your 8k stage, don't panic. If you are patient, a 60k oil polish can actually "shave" down those micro-chips, smoothing out the edges until the meets are crisp and perfect.

Summary Table: Nd:YAG Cutting Strategy

Phase Tool/Grit Lubricant Pro Tip Roughing 260 - 600 Grit Water Keep it wet to suppress toxic dust.Pre-Polish3k - 8k Grit Water or oil Watch the 30°+ edges. Change cutting direction if chipping occurs. Final Polish 60k Grit Oil Be patient; it can buff out pre-polish micro-chips.

Nd:YAG is a rewarding challenge. Once you understand its "directional" personality and respect its chemistry, you'll end up with a precision-cut masterpiece that looks like it was plucked from a sci-fi nebula.

Kenyan Color Change Garnets!

The Chameleon's Embrace: Unveiling The Lapidary Office's Masterpiece in Kenyan Color Change Garnets

In the world of gemstones, some pieces simply whisper beauty, while others sing an anthem of rarity and craftsmanship. Today, we're diving deep into the latter with an exquisite suite of Kenyan Color Change Garnets, brought to life through the great skill of The Lapidary Office. These aren't just stones; they are a vibrant testament to nature's artistry, elevated by human ingenuity.

Where Earth Meets Art: The Kenyan Color Change Garnet

Imagine a gem that holds two souls within its facets. Under the bright, crisp light of day, it presents a sophisticated teal-leaning blue-green-yellow-orange – a color reminiscent of deep ocean currents or lush forest canopies. But as evening descends and the warm glow of incandescent light bathes it, this same gem transforms, revealing a rich, mesmerizing raspberry red or a purplish-pink. This dramatic shift is the hallmark of a true color change garnet, a phenomenon so captivating it has earned these stones the moniker "chameleons of the gem world."

Kenya, particularly the Taita Taveta region, is renowned for producing some of the finest examples of these rare garnets. Their exceptional clarity and intense color saturation make them highly sought after by collectors and connoisseurs alike. But even the most beautiful rough material requires a visionary hand to unlock its full potential.

The Lapidary Office: Architects of Light and Form

This is where the magic of The Lapidary Office truly shines. Known for their innovative approach and meticulous precision, they didn't just cut these 2.43 carats of Kenyan Color Change Garnets; they sculpted them into a narrative of light and form. Forget standard, mass-produced cuts; this suite is a celebration of bespoke artistry.

Let's explore the unique cutting styles that make this collection so extraordinary:

• Buff Top Cuts: Imagine the serene, unbroken surface of a perfectly polished lake, yet beneath, a world of complex facets. That's the essence of a buff top. The smooth, domed crown allows light to penetrate deeply, creating a captivating "pool of color" effect that seems to glow from within. It’s a sophisticated play on light, offering a gentle, yet profound brilliance.

• Custom Mixed Cuts: These are the true signatures of The Lapidary Office's creativity. Each stone's unique silhouette is carefully planned to maximize the inherent beauty of the rough, balancing light return with the stone's natural character. They're unconventional, artistic, and designed to make a statement.

• Standard Round Brilliant (SRB) Cut: No suite would be complete without a nod to tradition, and the SRB cut provides that perfect counterpoint. Its precisely angled facets are designed for maximum sparkle and fire, offering a lively, high-frequency dance of light that beautifully complements the deeper glow of the buff tops and the unique charm of the custom cuts.

The synergy of these diverse cutting styles within the 2.43-carat suite is what elevates it from a collection of individual stones to a cohesive work of art. The contrast between the sleek, organic curves of the buff tops and the sharp, geometric precision of the SRB, all harmonized by the custom mixed cuts, creates a dynamic visual experience. It’s a testament to the lapidary's ability to understand each gem's potential and translate it into a stunning physical form.

More Than Just a Gem, It's an Experience

Owning a piece from this collection isn't just about possessing a beautiful gemstone; it's about appreciating the journey from earth to exquisite adornment. It's about the rare geological conditions that formed these color-changing marvels, and the human dedication and artistry of The Lapidary Office that unlocked their ultimate brilliance.

This suite of Kenyan Color Change Garnets, with its mesmerizing chameleon-like qualities and its diverse, masterful cuts, stands as a beacon of exceptional gemological and lapidary achievement. It's a conversation starter, a collector's dream, and a designer's muse.

What do you find most fascinating about color change gems or custom lapidary work? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Faceting Opal

From the Desert to the Bench: Faceting a 2025 Tucson Opal

There is a specific kind of tension that comes with faceting Ethiopian opal. Unlike sapphire or topaz, opal is a living stone—it carries water within its structure, and if you rush the process, the stone will let you know.

Today, I’m taking a look back at a journey that began nearly a year ago at the 2025 Tucson Gem & Mineral Show. I walked away with several high-quality pieces of rough Ethiopian opal, but they didn't head straight to the lapidary wheel. Instead, they took a nine-month detour.

The Art of the "Arizona Cure"

Ethiopian opals are typically hydrophane, meaning they are porous and can absorb water. This makes them beautiful, but it also means they are prone to "crazing" (internal cracking) if the moisture levels change too rapidly.

To ensure these stones would last a lifetime in a piece of jewelry, I put them through a rigorous stabilization process:

• The Climate: I kept the rough in the naturally arid environment of Arizona.

• The Timeline: A full 9 months of drying.

• The Result: By allowing the stones to reach equilibrium with the dry desert air before cutting, I can be confident that the finished gems are stable, seasoned, and structurally sound.

Why the Cushion Cut?

When it came time to select a shape for these stabilized pieces, the Cushion Cut was the clear winner. While many opals are left as cabochons, faceting a cushion shape into a high-translucency opal creates a "hall of mirrors" effect.

The pillowy, softened corners of the cushion cut provide a vintage feel, while the facets allow light to penetrate the stone and bounce off the internal "color play" structures. In a cabochon, the color rolls; in a faceted cushion, the color pops.

The Cutting Process

Faceting opal requires a delicate touch. Because the material is softer than many other gemstones, I use a high-grit lap and plenty of water to keep the stone cool.

1. Orienting the Fire: I spent hours looking through the translucent rough to find the "bars" of color. With a cushion cut, you want those flashes of neon green and sunset orange to be visible from every angle.

2. Cutting the Pavillion: I established the bottom facets first to create the "bowl" that reflects light back to the eye.

3. The Final Polish: This is where the magic happens. After nine months of waiting and hours of precision cutting, the polish brings out that glass-like translucency we worked so hard to preserve.

The Finished Masterpiece

The result of this year-long journey is a suite of gems that are as stable as they are spectacular. Sourced in 2025 and finally finished in 2026, these opals represent the patience required in the world of lapidary arts. They aren't just stones; they are a piece of the Arizona desert, refined and ready to shine.

Christmas dots!

Every lapidary artist knows that color is the soul of a gemstone, but it takes a special kind of vision to let the calendar dictate the cut. This week, we are spotlighting a stunning new project by Ian Perry of The Lapidary Office that captures the spirit of the season in a way that is both traditional and technically daring.

Ian has just completed a fascinating suite featuring two pairs of gemstones that immediately evoke the warmth and joy of the holidays: Arizona Peridot and Rhodolite Garnet.

The Christmas Connection

At first glance, the inspiration is unmistakable. The vibrant, electric apple-green of the Peridot paired with the deep, raspberry-red of the Rhodolite Garnet is the quintessential Christmas palette.

However, Ian didn't just rely on color matching. He leaned into the texture of the season. Think of the contrast between a glittering ornament and a velvet ribbon, or the sparkle of snow against smooth evergreen needles. To capture this tactile contrast, Ian employed a "mixed media" approach to his cutting: Faceting and Cabbing.

The Stones & The Cuts

1. Arizona Peridot (The Green)

Arizona Peridot is famous for its intense, grassy saturation. For this pair, a simpler pavilion design was chosen to highlight the cabbed crown

2. Rhodolite Garnet (The Red)

Rhodolite is a pyrope-almandine garnet known for its lush, rose-red to purple-red hues. Here is where the twist comes in. they were cut to the exact angles that the peridot was with but a sharper hip on the cabbed crown. This compensates for the difference in ri with the same angles.

The Arrangement

The brilliance of this design lies in the arrangement. By pairing the sharp, geometric light return of the faceted Arizona Peridot with the smooth, liquid luster of the cabbed Rhodolite, the set feels balanced rather than busy.

It is a difficult feat to mix cutting styles in a single suite—the eye is often confused by the difference in light performance. But guided by the Christmas theme, it works perfectly. It represents the harmony of opposites that defines the holiday aesthetic: bright lights and dark nights, sharp cold and warm fires.

Final Thoughts

This latest work from The Lapidary Office is a reminder that gem cutting is not just about maximizing yield or following a diagram—it's about storytelling. Ian Perry has taken two classic materials and, through a clever application of lapidary techniques, turned them into a wearable celebration of December.

Check out more of Ian Perry’s work at The Lapidary Office to see how he continues to push the boundaries of traditional gem cutting.

Kunzite a Faceting journey

The Pink Challenge: Why Faceting Kunzite Tests Your Patience (and Your Nerves)

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If you are a lapidary artist, you know the specific thrill of putting a new piece of rough on the dop. You analyze the color, the clarity, and the shape. But when that rough is Kunzite, that thrill is often accompanied by a distinct sense of dread.

Beautiful, glowing, and affectionately known as the "evening stone" for its tendency to fade in sunlight, Kunzite is a gem that demands respect. Why? Because cutting it feels less like working with stone and more like trying to facet a bundle of raw spaghetti.

The "Stack of Straws" Nightmare

Kunzite (the pink variety of Spodumene) is notorious in the faceting world for its perfect cleavage. While many stones have cleavage planes, Kunzite’s are particularly unforgiving.

Imagine holding a handful of drinking straws tightly in your fist. If you try to cut across them, they hold their shape. But if you try to slice parallel to them, or apply pressure from the wrong angle, the straws simply separate and fall away from each other.

This is exactly how Kunzite behaves.

• The Structure: Its crystal structure is essentially long, parallel fibers.

• The Risk: As you grind and polish, the vibration and heat can cause the stone to split cleanly apart along these planes.

• The Result: You might be polishing a nearly finished pavilion when—pop—a huge flake separates, ruining your meet points and shrinking your stone in an instant.

The Secret to Success: Tilt the C-Axis

So, how do you keep this temperamental beauty from falling apart on the lap? The secret lies in orientation.

Standard wisdom in faceting often dictates placing the table (the flat top of the gem) perpendicular to the C-axis (the long axis of the crystal) to maximize yield or color. With Kunzite, however, placing the table directly perpendicular to the cleavage planes is asking for trouble. It exposes those "straw openings" directly to the polishing force.

The "Just Off" Technique

Experienced cutters have found a sweet spot: Place the table just off the C-axis.

By tilting the stone slightly so the table is not perfectly parallel to the C-axis, you are essentially cutting across the "straws" at a slight angle rather than straight down into them. This slight bias locks the fibers together more securely, reducing the chance of the surface peeling or pitting during polishing.

Speed Kills: The Art of Going Slow

Once you have your orientation correct, the second rule of Kunzite club is: Slow down.

Kunzite is heat sensitive and vibration sensitive.

• Use a fine grit: Avoid aggressive coarse laps that create heavy vibration.

• Cool water: Keep a steady drip of water to prevent heat buildup (thermal shock will crack it instantly).

• Polishing: When it's time to polish, slow your lap speed way down. High-speed friction generates heat and drags on those cleavage planes.

Conclusion: The Reward is Worth the Risk

Cutting Kunzite is not for the faint of heart. It requires a gentle hand, a strategic setup, and infinite patience. But when you finally pull that stone off the dop, and you see that electric, violet-pink glow without a single cleavage fracture? That is a badge of honor every faceter should wear proudly.

Precision Faceted Montana Sapphire #279

A Deep Dive into Greenish Yellow: Faceting a Montana Sapphire Hexagon

It all begins with an idea. Every rough gemstone holds the potential for a spectacular finished jewel, and my most recent client piece was no exception. I had the pleasure of working with a beautiful Montana Sapphire, a gem known for its unique, often greenish yellow hues and ethical, North American origin.

The client's vision was clear: a modern, geometric shape that would truly set their piece apart. We chose the hexagon cut, a shape that is gaining popularity for its contemporary look and the way its straight lines and numerous facets brilliantly handle light.

The Challenge of the Hexagon

Faceting a complex geometric shape like a hexagon is both an art and a technical challenge. Montana sapphires are known for their beautiful color zoning, which means the rough crystal's color may not be uniform. The cutting process must be precise to:

1. Maximize Color: Orient the stone to showcase the most attractive color saturation in its greenish yellow tones.

2. Ensure Symmetry: Achieving six perfectly equal sides and crisp, meeting facets is paramount for a professional finish.

3. Optimize Brilliance: The angles must be calculated precisely to ensure light reflects back to the viewer, bringing the stone to life.

The Transformation

Starting with the initial 'dop' stage, where the stone is secured for cutting, to the final polishing of the table, every step was focused on perfection. The hexagon shape, with its six primary sides, allowed me to create a mesmerizing 'kaleidoscope' effect where the light breaks up and flashes across the crown and pavilion.

The resulting sapphire is a stunning, greenish yellow gem that is both classic and distinctly modern, ready to be set into a unique piece of jewelry. Seeing a natural wonder from the Earth transformed by precision into a wearable work of art is always the most rewarding part of my job.

Do you have a unique stone or a specific shape in mind for your next custom piece? Contact me to start the discussion about transforming your idea into a treasured heirloom.