A gem may magically transform us, but gem cutting is more than a wave of a wand. It can be a grind. Here’s one that ground away great.
Clay Zava, an award-winning gem cutter who happens to be my husband, spied a lackluster fifty-five-carat, unheated, Yellow Sapphire languishing in a dealer’s case. It was very poorly cut with a very visible inclusions in the center. After studying the stone in immersion fluid to evaluate the extent of the inclusions and any color irregularities, he considered the strategy of sawing the sapphire in two.
Starting with a cut stone as rough is tricky – there is usually a reason for its original orientation. The opportunity presented was the possibility of obtaining two eye-clean, yellow sapphires cut completely for beauty with no recutting compromises made to sacrifice brilliance for weight retention.
A risky endeavor. So, how does a Master Cutter manage that risk and unlock the biggest, finest gems from that piece of “rough?”
Two 55 carat gems; faceted yellow sapphire above and yellow quartz preform below
Instead of sawing away on the Sapphire, Clay made a preform of Yellow Quartz to study the best orientation for maximizing the Sapphire’s color. The Quartz preform was cut purposely larger than the denser Sapphire so both stones would weigh a similar 55 carats. Starting with two pieces of similar weight also assisted in predicting weight retention. Though the cut was to be uncompromised, weight retention is always a factor.
As seen in the photo at left, a vertical line was etched on the Yellow Quartz in a similar position as the inclusions in the Sapphire. Clay then sawed the Yellow Quartz in two along the etch line. Studying the shapes and weights of the two Quartz pieces gave information that he could apply to “what if” he cut the Yellow Sapphire in two along its inclusion line.
Using information he gleaned from the Yellow Quartz model, he then cut the Yellow Sapphire in two. The photo below shows the two Yellow Sapphire pieces after the cut was made. Interestingly, once in two pieces, one half of the original gem was darker than the other. Because their colors would not match, they would not cut a pair.
The halves were then oriented to achieve their best color and clarity and made into preform shapes, each with a different color and intensity. One would become a trillion, and the other formed an emerald-cut.
Zava “uncompromised” cuts unleash the greatest beauty from a gem, and are not concerned with maximizing weight or cutting to specified measurements.
Viola! Applying our Zava brand of “blood, brains and magic” we got a seventeen carat trillion and an eleven carat emerald-cut. Strong yellow, unheated, eye-clean Yellow Sapphires.
Most Sapphires are heated to deepen and purify their color and increase their internal clarity. These two Yellow Sapphires are unusual for their strong yellow color and high degree of internal clarity have was achieved without thermal enhancement, and for their superb Zava “uncompromised” cut.
The trillion eventually came to rest in a bracelet.
What’s a Master Cutter to do?
September 3, 2010
A gem may magically transform us, but gem cutting is more than a wave of a wand. It can be a grind. Here’s one that ground away great.
Clay Zava, an award-winning gem cutter who happens to be my husband, spied a lackluster fifty-five-carat, unheated, Yellow Sapphire languishing in a dealer’s case. It was very poorly cut with a very visible inclusions in the center. After studying the stone in immersion fluid to evaluate the extent of the inclusions and any color irregularities, he considered the strategy of sawing the sapphire in two.
Starting with a cut stone as rough is tricky – there is usually a reason for its original orientation. The opportunity presented was the possibility of obtaining two eye-clean, yellow sapphires cut completely for beauty with no recutting compromises made to sacrifice brilliance for weight retention.
A risky endeavor. So, how does a Master Cutter manage that risk and unlock the biggest, finest gems from that piece of “rough?”
Two 55 carat gems; faceted yellow sapphire above and yellow quartz preform below
Instead of sawing away on the Sapphire, Clay made a preform of Yellow Quartz to study the best orientation for maximizing the Sapphire’s color. The Quartz preform was cut purposely larger than the denser Sapphire so both stones would weigh a similar 55 carats. Starting with two pieces of similar weight also assisted in predicting weight retention. Though the cut was to be uncompromised, weight retention is always a factor.
Using information he gleaned from the Yellow Quartz model, he then cut the Yellow Sapphire in two. The photo below shows the two Yellow Sapphire pieces after the cut was made. Interestingly, once in two pieces, one half of the original gem was darker than the other. Because their colors would not match, they would not cut a pair.
The halves were then oriented to achieve their best color and clarity and made into preform shapes, each with a different color and intensity. One would become a trillion, and the other formed an emerald-cut.
Viola! Applying our Zava brand of “blood, brains and magic” we got a seventeen carat trillion and an eleven carat emerald-cut. Strong yellow, unheated, eye-clean Yellow Sapphires.
Most Sapphires are heated to deepen and purify their color and increase their internal clarity. These two Yellow Sapphires are unusual for their strong yellow color and high degree of internal clarity have was achieved without thermal enhancement, and for their superb Zava “uncompromised” cut.
The trillion eventually came to rest in a bracelet.