Lucile - An Exploration of Lapidary Craft
Gemstone Cutting, Consumer Research, & Jewelry Design
Design Objective
As I began learning lapidary craft, I realized how much of an impact it has on jewelry design. I also realized how little most people know about it. I decided to create a jewelry collection inspired by the history and craft of gemstone cutting that would demonstrate the importance of a good gemcutter and showcase some unique cutting styles.
Terms to Know
Lapidary
Relating to stones/gems and the work involved in engraving, cutting, or polishing.
Brilliant Cut
A design with triangle or kite shaped facets.
Step Cut
A design with parallel facets.
Mixed Cut
A design that combines brilliant and step cutting styles.
Anatomy of a Gemstone
Primary Stakeholders
Target Consumer
Lucile is a collection for upper middle class women looking to emulate an upper class aesthetic. When it comes to jewelry, she would rather buy a few more expensive items that are versatile than several cheaper ones that are outfit or occasion specific. That said, she isn’t going to invest in anything so basic it fades into the background. She wants pieces that are eye catching and interesting without being over designed.
I chose to work with Leslie and Lela because they are both driven, successful women with discerning taste. They are vocal about what they do and do not like and were able to provide valuable insights throughout the design process.
Master Faceter
I met Ray through the Greater Cincinnati Lapidary and Faceting Society (GCLFS). He is a master faceter who has been cutting stones for decades and was an invaluable mentor throughout this project. I worked with him to decide which cuts to include and what materials to execute them in. He also assisted me in cutting the stones and taught me a lot about the craft itself. He was a fantastic mentor and I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with him.
Aesthetic Direction: Simple Luxury
The aesthetic direction for this collection was informed by interviews with both Leslie and Lela as well as trend research. Simple Luxury is sleek and elegant, it is eye catching and interesting without being over designed.
Showcasing Lapidary Through Gem Designs
Ray and I chose two cuts to showcase the history of lapidary, two as an example of how much impact a gemcutter can make, and two unique modern cuts.
Gem Cut Studio
Before cutting a stone, you need a facet diagram. These can be found online, in lapidary journals, or you can create your own. Here you can see me using Gem Cut Studio to design and refine one of the mixed cut keystones.
Historical Gemstone Cuts
Rose Cut
The Rose cut is one of the oldest styles of faceted stone. It originated during the 16th century and was popular during the Georgian and Victorian eras. Unlike most modern styles, it has a flat back and no table. This gives it a much subtler, almost dream like sparkle.
Peruzzi Cut
The Peruzzi cut was introduced in Venice during the early 1700s and is widely recognized as one of the first ever brilliant style cuts. It was an improvement on the earlier Mazarin cut and a precursor to Old Mine cuts. Since we did not cut these stones by hand the old fashioned way, it is a modernized version of the traditional cut.
Gemcutter Influence
Mixed Cuts
These two stones are cut from the exact same material in the exact same shape, but have different facet placements. This serves as an example of how much impact a gemcutter has on the overall appearance of a gemstone.
Why are they so different?
Tilt Performance is the analysis of a gem’s optical properties as it rotates along the X and Y axis. This can be used to understand what is causing variation in the gem’s appearance.
The white line represents the gem’s brightness as it rotates. The orange line represents Windowing - areas where light passes straight through the body of the gem instead of being reflected. Windowing causes gems to look watery or transparent and subtracts from their brightness.
Gem A doesn’t have as much brightness as Gem B, but it has less dramatic windowing - causing the stone to have a more saturated and consistent color.
A good gemcutter will optimize the cuts they use to get the best possible brilliance and color from a gem. Designers who consider this during the design stage can work with the gemcutter to create settings that best showcase the gem and elevate the overall design.
Modern Gemstone Cuts
Lone Star Cut
The Lone Star cut was designed in the early 1970s and is the official state gemstone cut of Texas. It uses incredibly precise cuts to create the optical illusion of a 5 pointed star clearly visible in the pavilion.
Panache Cut
The Panache cut was also designed in the 1970s and features a fan at the point of the crown, which deviates from the otherwise step cut style. With the rising popularity of kite shaped stones, this unique style was a natural decision to include.
Cutting the Stones
To cut a piece of gemstone rough, it is first attached to a lapidary dop which is then inserted into the arm of a faceting machine. In this case we used a Fac-ette Gem Master II. Then, the arm is set to the desired angle and rotation, and the stone is lowered onto a wet, rotating lapidary disc that grinds it down. Using the pressure meter for precision, each facet is cut to an equal depth before the arm is set to the next angle. Once the entire stone has been cut, the lapidary disc is replaced with one of a higher grit and the whole process is repeated.
Designing the Jewelry
With all the stones selected, the next step became designing jewelry to show them off. During this stage of the project, feedback from Lela, Leslie, and a few other members of my target market was incredibly helpful in narrowing down the collection. Initial designs were sketched in Adobe Photoshop and finals were rendered in Adobe Illustrator.
Rose Cut Earrings
Peruzzi Cut Ring
Mixed Cut Rings
Lone Star Cut Necklace
Panache Cut Earrings
Final Collection
