The Chubby Princess Peridot

Here we have the Peridot preform on a white background

Here is a nice close up of the pavilion being cut.

Here is a top down shot of the crown being cut.

Here is the finished gemstone ready for its new home.

There is something extra special about turning a raw piece of the Earth into a polished masterpiece—especially when the stone carries a personal connection.

Recently, my dad handed me a parcel of rough Arizona peridot. Looking at those raw green stones, I knew I wanted to do something fun with them, so I decided to bring all of you along for the ride!

The Followers’ Choice 📱

Before touching the lapidary wheel, I preformed a few of the best pieces from the parcel removing as many inclusions as i could. Instead of deciding on my own, I turned to Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to let my community make the calls:

1. The Stone Selection: You guys voted on which rough piece had the most potential.

2. The Design Duel: Next came the battle between two custom designs.

The crowd spoke, and the "Chubby Princess" ( Design Available In the Design Vault) cut emerged as the clear winner! With the design locked in, it was time to hit the Machine.

On the Wheel: The Cutting Sequence 💎

Sometimes a stone gives you a hard time with cleavage planes or thermal sensitivity, but this peridot was an absolute dream to work with from start to finish. Everything went smoothly across the entire grinding and polishing progression:

• 250 Grit: Shaping and roughing out the main geometry.

• 500 Grit: Refining the facets and smoothing out the prep work.

• 8k Grit: Pre-polishing to bring out crisp facet junctions.

• 60k Polish: Achieving a liquid-like mirror shine.

The Finished Gem & Birefringence Magic ✨

The final result turned out stunning, but it also showcases one of peridot’s most famous optical features: strong birefringence (double refraction).

If you look closely at the photos, you’ll notice distinct facet doubling. Light splits so strongly as it travels through the crystal that looking into the interior gives off a soft, almost blurry, dreamy depth. It’s a classic hallmark of high-quality peridot and makes the stone look alive from every angle.

Full Circle 🎁

Now that the facet polish is bright and the "Chubby Princess" cut is officially complete, this stone is heading right back to where it started.

I’m gifting the finished gem back to my dad as a thank-you for passing down the rough parcel in the first place. Thanks to everyone who voted and helped shape this project!