Saxon's Going In!

Father and son are at it again, this time Saxon is learning to cut colored rough.

Saxon’s last learning session saw him cutting and polishing a piece of potch. Having graduated from that lesson, we now move on to the tips, tricks and skills needed to cut a lovely piece of colored gem opal.

Saxon’s Beginnings

When you first begin rubbing opal on a wheel, it takes a long time for your fingers to be able to hold the stone in a flowing motion with ease. Don’t be too hard on yourself and become frustrated as this is something that comes more naturally with practice. Saxon is doing very well to control the stone with all of his fingers. We have all been there, wearing away our fingerprints on the wheels — control is key!

Practice Makes Perfect

Some key points to remember when cutting a gem.

1. Looking straight down over the top of your gem while cutting, this is of the utmost importance.
2. Using the right dopstick is vital to the gem-cutting process. If it’s too big for the gem and the wax is coming up around the edges, it will make cutting the gem properly problematic. Saxon has chosen the smallest dopstick from the pile and this is the right choice for this gem.
3. Be careful not to favor one side of the gem while cutting, this will leave you with a wonky gem that will cost you in the carats to adjust.
4. Every opal field is very different in the opal they produce and they all cut quite differently too. The biggest challenge is to know how and why each opal is cut the way it is.

How did he go?

Saxon has the makings of a great opal cutter, his potential shines through in his approach and critical thinking behind each gem cut. He seems very happy with the result and I have to agree, he has done a fantastic job! There are improvements that can be made and Saxon identified them right away, that is what will make him an exceptional cutter (if or when he chooses to be).

The final gem is a 1.53ct Crystal Opal, worth US$350.00 — which will reside in Saxon’s Collection.