Stripes and Blades - AmetrineStripes and Blades - Ametrine

Stripes and Blades: Guest Designers, Online Faceting Designs and Diagrams


Gem cutter Daniel Starr gave his “Stripes and Blades” gem design to the faceting community. Here, he describes his design and gives advice for cutting it.

1 Minute Read

HomeLearning CenterJewelry and LapidaryGemstone Faceting Diagrams and Technical Cutting InformationStripes and Blades: Guest Designers, Online Faceting Designs and Diagrams
Gem cutter Daniel Starr was kind enough to give his "Stripes and Blades" gem design to the faceting community. Here, he describes his design and gives advice for cutting it.
Stripes and Blades gem design
Stripes and Blades gem design by Daniel Starr © 2006.

You can find cutting instructions for Stripes and Blades here.

Inspiration

Stripes and Blades - Ametrine
Stripes and Blades, 5.06 cts, 11.1 x 7.5 mm, cut from ametrine by Daniel Starr.

(Note: Some of you may notice some similarity between Daniel's design and Jeff Graham's "Mirage" designs. Daniel cut some of them and liked them, so he was inspired to create his "Stripes and Blades" design. "Mirage" designs create illusions of facets in finished gems from reflections. See Jeff Graham's Additions #9 and #10 faceting design books).

I've been puttering around trying to learn GemCad. I couldn't sleep one night, and Jeff's advice to me to "Think outside the box!" kept ringing in my mind.

How could I make a square (or mostly square) design that hadn't already been done? And how to make it easy to cut? Well, here's my first solution. It's a bit unusual, but I hope you all enjoy it.

Cutting Remarks

This is an easy design to cut, as long as you can get the crown spiral set correctly. Any error in the spiral may be magnified when cutting the stripes (or chevrons).

Cut the stripes the same way you cut C1 and C2 to establish the girdle. Also, the stripes almost require that the stone be fairly large. Otherwise, they may tend to become too thin.

Cut and polish the table before C10. Then, you can polish C10 to meet the table corners.

Be careful about trying to lengthen your finished C10 facets. If you adjust C10 much above 18°, you could adversely affect the stone's brightness.

Detailed faceting instructions by Jeff Graham available at The Rock Peddler


Jeff R. Graham

The late Jeff Graham was a prolific faceter, creator of many original faceting designs, and the author of several highly-regarded instructional faceting books such as Gram Faceting Designs.

Latest Articles

More Articles
Classic Engagement Ring StonesPastel purple sapphire</a>, 1.08 cts, 5.8 mm, round cut, Sri Lanka. © <a href=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/guest-designers-online-faceting-designs-diagrams-stripes-and-blades/"https://www.thegemtrader.com/">The Gem Trader</a>. Used with permission." src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="responsive" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%"/>

Classic Engagement Ring Stones

Emerald, ruby, sapphire, and diamond are the most popular choices for classic engagement ring stones. Learn more about these traditional...
Read More
Broken Bangle — The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature: Book Review

Broken Bangle — The Blunder-Besmirched History of Jade Nomenclature: Book Review

Is fei cui a better term for "pyroxene jade" than jadeite? Jeffery Bergman reviews Broken Bangle, a new book on...
Read More
Cuprite Value, Price, and Jewelry InformationJoel E. Arem</a>, PhD, FGA. Used with permission." src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="responsive" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%"/>

Cuprite Value, Price, and Jewelry Information

One of the rarest of all facetable gems, cut cuprites can show magnificent deep red color. However, these beautiful stones...
Read More
Gemstone Radiation TreatmentPhoto courtesy of <a href=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/guest-designers-online-faceting-designs-diagrams-stripes-and-blades/"https://www.liveauctioneers.com/">liveauctioneers.com and <a href=https://www.gemsociety.org/article/guest-designers-online-faceting-designs-diagrams-stripes-and-blades/"https://www.liveauctioneers.com/auctioneer/1081/eros-auctions-inc/">Eros Auctions, Inc</a>." src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" decoding="async" data-nimg="responsive" style="position:absolute;top:0;left:0;bottom:0;right:0;box-sizing:border-box;padding:0;border:none;margin:auto;display:block;width:0;height:0;min-width:100%;max-width:100%;min-height:100%;max-height:100%;object-fit:cover;object-position:50% 50%"/>

Gemstone Radiation Treatment

Gemstone radiation is a common but little understood technique for altering colors. Learn how it works and what gems usually...
Read More

Never Stop Learning

When you join the IGS community, you get trusted diamond & gemstone information when you need it.

Become a Member

Get Gemology Insights

Get started with the International Gem Society’s free guide to gemstone identification. Join our weekly newsletter & get a free copy of the Gem ID Checklist!