Ok. Dumb question. Or it seems to me to be a dumb question... but maybe I'm just dumb.
I've cut a little over a dozen stone so far, the last five or so I'm actually proud of (they ain't perfect by a long stretch, but they look pretty good to me)... But they are almost too bright. Barion oval, barion square, even a simple emerald cut in (synthetic) sapphire. The reaction from people I show them too is often: does it glow in the dark? Does it light up if I press it? Seems people are so familiar with dull, lifeless stones that a stone that even a beginner cutter can produce just looks 'wrong'. The obvious response here is that I'm showing them to the wrong people...
Seriously though, is there a secret to cutting a stone that people don't look at and immediate conclude is some sort of novelty, glow in the dark gimmick? Seems to me that people almost expect a diamond to be brilliant, but anything with color to be just a colored blob.
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2016 12:45 am Posts: 178 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Jclimactic wrote:
The obvious response here is that I'm showing them to the wrong people...
I've spent most of my adult life as a goldsmith showing bad gems to people, and only come to cutting gemstones in the last year. Ultimately this is it, the people that you show them to that can't believe how "crazy" or "glow-y and cool" they look are not going to be the people buying them (but you should absolutely take their words as a compliment). That being said, it's a great time to explain to them that this is what gemstones should look like, and most of the stones on the market are cut like garbage. Some of those people who can't believe the way it looks will change their tune and decide it's time to start buying well produced goods instead of junky ones.
Joined: Fri Jun 25, 2010 10:06 pm Posts: 2267 Location: Chapel Hill, NC / Toronto, ON
PandaP wrote:
...it's a great time to explain to them that this is what gemstones should look like, and most of the stones on the market are cut like garbage. Some of those people who can't believe the way it looks will change their tune and decide it's time to start buying well produced goods instead of junky ones.
Exactly this. It's a great marketing tool to show someone a well-cut gemstone, have them freak out, and then explain that the majority of gems out there are cut like shit. It's even more impressive if you have examples of poorly-cut stones at the same time, to show a comparison between the two.
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2016 7:39 am Posts: 228 Location: Long Island NY, USA
Hi J,
I sold the second gem I ever cut to an artist who had it set by a jeweler in Manhattan. Keep in mind, I'm a self taught faceter. My second ever stone was a mess: meets didn't meet, the girdle was all over the place, and since I didn't know any better,...I had used diamond to try and polish quartz! Didn't matter: the jeweler flipped out and gushed over how beautiful he thought the gem was. I figured that either he was used to seeing (comparatively) garbage, or that living/ working in Manhattan had given him a penchant for modern art,...and perhaps he thought the mayhem in my gem was done on purpose? ?
Custom cut gems tend to dramatically stand out amidst the others.
Thanks everyone, at least I know it's not unusual. I just have to take the time to explain to people, and show them that it's not a one off - it's not that particular stone, it's all well cut stones.
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2016 7:39 am Posts: 228 Location: Long Island NY, USA
Jclimactic wrote:
Thanks everyone, at least I know it's not unusual. I just have to take the time to explain to people, and show them that it's not a one off - it's not that particular stone, it's all well cut stones.
Or: you could also take credit for what you've created by declaring yourself a gem artist or something.
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2016 12:45 am Posts: 178 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Tygurrr-I wrote:
Jclimactic wrote:
Thanks everyone, at least I know it's not unusual. I just have to take the time to explain to people, and show them that it's not a one off - it's not that particular stone, it's all well cut stones.
Or: you could also take credit for what you've created by declaring yourself a gem artist or something.
Yeah, this for sure. Trying to blanket it in "All things you've seen are garbage and they should all be cut like this" is a bit futile. Better to explain that all things they've seen are garbage but YOU produced beautiful work that is a *snicker* cut above the rest.
Joined: Sun Aug 21, 2016 7:39 am Posts: 228 Location: Long Island NY, USA
PandaP wrote:
Tygurrr-I wrote:
Jclimactic wrote:
Thanks everyone, at least I know it's not unusual. I just have to take the time to explain to people, and show them that it's not a one off - it's not that particular stone, it's all well cut stones.
Or: you could also take credit for what you've created by declaring yourself a gem artist or something.
Yeah, this for sure. Trying to blanket it in "All things you've seen are garbage and they should all be cut like this" is a bit futile. Better to explain that all things they've seen are garbage but YOU produced beautiful work that is a *snicker* cut above the rest.
Better yet: to achieve serendipity for all of us: describe us all as "gem artists"! You are one superlative gem artist, and the rest of us are also unique gem artists, too. All of us with a different flair. In all seriousness, is that a lie? I don't think so.
Joined: Fri Mar 18, 2016 12:45 am Posts: 178 Location: Vancouver, B.C. Canada
Tygurrr-I wrote:
Better yet: to achieve serendipity for all of us: describe us all as "gem artists"! You are one superlative gem artist, and the rest of us are also unique gem artists, too. All of us with a different flair. In all seriousness, is that a lie? I don't think so.
Better yet: to achieve serendipity for all of us: describe us all as "gem artists"! You are one superlative gem artist, and the rest of us are also unique gem artists, too. All of us with a different flair. In all seriousness, is that a lie? I don't think so.
I use photo's of native cut stones -vs- modern machine cut fine gemstones. The photo's are 2 of each stone, one view is what they eye see's and one view under magnification. works every time!
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