SPHENES
for Wayne and Jack

Stone "A" is the larger stone that was in the better tray but is slightly thinner. It weights in at 41.25 carats and measures 36.6 mm from tip to tip, 19.2 mm wide and 6.9 mm thick. Wayne's first pick of cut stones.

Stone "B" is the smaller stone that was in the least expensive tray but is slightly thicker. It weights in at 33.06 carats and measures 28.4 mm from tip to tip, 15.4 mm wide and 7.8 mm thick. Jack's first pick of cut stones.


Photos Before Cutting



Windowing

Before the stones are cut up to make faceted stones, the surfaces are ground and polished to facilitate seeing inside the stones. The facetor can now determine if the stone is worth faceting and where the better areas of stone would be to obtain the best quality cut gemstones possible.


WINDOWS
Stone "A" Stone "B"



Sawing

Both sphenes were marked to be cut with a thin blade diamond saw.
The lines and shapes were a result of examining the stone for best
yield and quality inspite of the many inclusions.


Preforming The cut out piece of stone is then preformed.
Bad inclusions and imperfections are removed
in the process while shaping the stone for best
qualiity and yield.



Faceting
A flat dop having a diameter smaller than the proposed girdle
is glued to the proposed table of the stone using SUPER GLUE. The dop with stone is then set in its port on the faceting machine.


Shaping the stone
on diamond disk
Examine

Final Polish
Transfer jig
Closeup

Dop for pavilion
Mix "EPOXY 330"
Apply and dry


Sphene "A1" is now faceted and finished
Sphene "A1" weights in at 1.67 carats