Every gem cutter knows the anticipation of waiting for a client's green light. Instead of sitting on my hands, I decided to break in my "new-to-me" Ultra Tec V5 faceting machine with a piece of bright red garnet from my personal stock. From digital blueprints to a fiery final polish, here is what I learned from my first test run—and a stark reminder of why you can never truly outsmart an internal crack.

In gem cutting, shortcuts always come back to haunt you. When a hidden inclusion and stubborn cleavage planes threatened to ruin a beautiful 6-carat Tucson find, a quick pivot turned a lapidary disaster into a custom, frosted-edge masterpiece. Here’s how I worked with the stone to turn a major problem into a stunning design opportunity.

A lot of gem cutters look at a cloudy, heavily included Montana sapphire and cast it aside as "unloved." But with the right orientation, you can skip the furnace, beat the inclusion flash, and turn that silk into a dreamy, velvety glow. Here is how I faceted a stone most cutters wouldn’t touch.

Cutting sunstone is a high-stakes game of outsmarting cleavage planes, twinning illusions, and unforgiving keels. Discover how a risky, rule-breaking lap sequence and a clever dual-zone 60k BAT lap hack managed to protect sharp pavilion meeting points on this temperamental, beautiful feldspar.

Win a custom pair of 3mm Color-Change YAG Earrings from The Lapidary Office! Check out our latest giveaway checklist, hunt for clues across our social media platforms, and enter before the 200-spot limit fills up. Live drawing on June 25th!

They call Samarium YAG the "Neon Ghost" for a reason, but this particular piece turned out to be more of a poltergeist.

Between a pre-polish phase that left deep, inexplicable gouges and a mysterious "Oort cloud" of tiny dots suspended in the crystal lattice, this wasn't your average faceting project. Dive into how I bypassed the traditional rules of polishing to save the stone, and my theory on why this lab-grown marvel looks like it’s holding a miniature galaxy inside.

Uranium glass is the "spicy" darling of the faceting world—mesmerizing under UV light, but a literal heartbreak on the bench. I recently went toe-to-toe with a few pieces that seemed determined to chip at every stage, turning a standard polish into a high-stakes technical rescue. From the frustration of diamond-induced micro-flaking to the saving grace of Cerium Oxide and a last-minute design pivot to save the keel, here is the reality of chasing a perfect finish on a material that bites back.

Inclusions are usually the enemy, but in this 2.13 ct Aquamarine, they are the main event. Discover the technical "oops" of polishing tube-filled Beryl with 60k grit, the hexagonal design that honors the stone’s natural roots, and the 10-minute ultrasonic hack that saved the "frozen rain" effect from a muddy disaster.

The Soul of the Mazatzals: Why I Keep Cutting Four Peaks Amethyst

There is a specific kind of magic that happens when you press a piece of Arizona rough against a spinning lap. It isn’t just about the friction or the water; it’s about uncovering a story that’s been buried in the Mazatzal Mountains for millions of years. For me, Four Peaks Amethyst isn’t just another gemstone—it’s the stone that taught me how to truly see.

While many commercial cutters hunt for uniform, "clean" material, the true beauty of Four Peaks lies in its complexity. From the striking multi-shade color zoning that challenges your orientation skills to the tiny "birthmarks" or inclusions that prove its earthly origin, every crystal demands a conversation. You don't just cut this amethyst; you negotiate with it.

"Starting my journey with a stone that requires such careful orientation was like diving into the deep end of the pool. But it taught me to respect the rough."

In this post, I’m pulling back the curtain on my dop station to share why these "imperfect" stones produce some of the most radiant results in the world. We’ll dive into:

• The Art of Color Blending: How to handle two or three distinct shades in a single piece of rough.

• Embracing Inclusions: Why a "flawless" stone isn't always the most beautiful one.

• The Full Circle: A look back at the very first masterpiece I ever pulled from the wheel.

Ready to add a masterpiece to your collection? We’re giving away Stone Number 289—a stunning 4ct Amethyst—complete with an Artist Certification Card hand-signed by Ian Perry. But this isn't your average giveaway; you’ll need to put your detective skills to the test in our Digital Scavenger Hunt. Head to the footer of our site for the social links to start your search!

"Mastering Nd:YAG is a rite of passage for the modern faceter, but this color-shifting synthetic is as temperamental as it is beautiful. From the dreaded '30-degree chip' at 8k grit to the essential safety protocols for handling its potentially toxic dust, cutting this laser material requires more than just standard technique—it requires a strategy.

In this guide, we dive into the 'directional' secrets of pre-polishing and why a 60k oil finish is the 'buttery dream' that can save even the most stubborn meets. If you're ready to turn industrial crystal into a precision-cut masterpiece, here is everything you need to know about the quirks of Neodymium-doped YAG."

From Rough to Radiance: The Year-Long Journey of the 2025 Tucson Opals

"Most gemstones go from the market to the wheel in a matter of days—but Ethiopian opal demands a different kind of patience. Discover the story behind our latest collection, sourced at the 2025 Tucson Gem Show and seasoned for nine months in the Arizona desert before a single facet was cut. From the importance of 'the cure' to the technical challenge of the cushion cut, we’re taking you behind the bench to see how time and climate transform translucent rough into stable, fire-filled masterpieces."

It isn't just about red and green—it's about the texture. Step inside the shop to see how Ian Perry is redefining holiday jewelry by mixing faceted pavilions with cabbed crowns into a suite of Peridot and Garnet for a design that feels just like Christmas.

Taming the Pink Beast: How to Facet Kunzite Without the Heartbreak Ready to tackle the "Evening Stone"? Faceting Kunzite is notoriously difficult due to cleavage planes that behave like a stack of straws, threatening to fall apart at any moment. Learn why placing your table just off the C-axis and cutting slowly are the secrets to mastering this temperamental gem.

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.