Hi everyone! I have quite a few faceted stones like spinels, garnets or sapphires that are windowed or chipped and I’d like to have them groomed. I’m looking for a cutter in the US who could revive them. Thank you for your recommendations!
Olga,
Welcome to the forum! Hopefully the resident gem cutters here will respond to you. In the interim, please take a look at the Business Directory:
Depending on where you live, there may be someone in or near your location.
Another suggestion would be to find a local gem/mineral/rock hound club. The members are usually very resourceful with knowing people in the business.
Cheers!
Troy
You may want to look for cutters who work with precision diamond tools, since that’s what’s typically used for recutting and polishing faceted stones like spinel, garnet, or sapphire. This page gives a good overview of the types of blades used in lapidary work: https://ukam.com/diamond-lapidary-blades/. It could help you when discussing options with a cutter in the US.
Where are you located in the US? I’m in SW Ohio but have very capable friends who are cutters all over the country. Take a look at the Usfg site. You will have a great resource for finding what you need. They also have a Facebook group.
Nice link but not exactly for gem cutting. More for slab cutting and cabachon cutting. Gem cutting requires very very flat laps. Cutting laps can be steel with impregnation of diamond. Aluminum with the same. Some cutters use zinc and copper laps charged with diamond along with other metal types and mixtures of metal charged with diamond. Polishing is done basically the same way with finer diamond grit.
The products on this page are more for sawing rocks and minerals
Right, Precision faceting relies on laps (zinc, copper, or charged with fine diamond grit) rather than saw blades. My intention in sharing that link was to highlight how different diamond blade/bond types compare, since many of us move between slabbing, cabbing, and faceting. Understanding both sides helps when troubleshooting or choosing the right sequence of tools. For faceting, laps are the standard, but broader knowledge of blade wear and bond behavior can still be valuable to cutters.
I’m happy to be a resource if you’d like to connect—feel free to reach me through www.stlgems.com.
In my experience, it’s not always worthwhile to have every stone recut or reconditioned, since the costs often outweigh the potential benefit. The degree of wear or damage really dictates whether recutting makes sense, or whether the stone might be better suited as rough for a new design.
It’s important to work with someone who can assess the potential market value of the material before making that decision. We collaborate with trusted cutters both abroad and domestically, and can recommend the right partner depending on the scope of the project.
If we can be of help, please don’t hesitate to reach out.