Appreciate the Beauty of Imperfection

• I was a Marine for 20 years. Since retiring, I have had many trials with transitioning, PTSD, my body failing, and all the complications you can imagine coming along with those trials. After two years of struggling to find something to keep me engaged, I randomly saw a YouTube video by Matt Chambers faceting stones. I binged watched all of his videos. I tuned into Steve Moriarty and Bopie Gems and was hooked. I can do that! My beautiful wife, Gosia, got me the tools I needed to pursue this for Christmas 2024. She has always been supportive to keep me healthy both mentally and physically. The lesson here is that everyone needs to find something that keeps purpose and passion and creativity in this life. More importantly, we need love and someone to share with. For the next 17 years, I will share my journey with you.

Basically, it is very difficult, precise, mathematical, and requires a ton of patience. But the result is always worth it. And more than in any other trade, the tools really matter as much as the skill of the artisan. The Ultratec V5 is like the Air Jordan of faceting machines. It takes a lot of the guesswork out of faceting. Gearloose has premium pastes and laps that cut and polish at a pro level. This isn’t my full time job. So I can’t invest in that equipment yet (about $7k for all of it). But I have lots of fun customizing the gear that I have (Vevor and stock parts from Amazon). Digital angle finders are critical. Every facet is like a hand on a clock if a clock had 96 hands. Unless you are doing a “fantasy“ cut, facets are symmetrical like a clock face. Each angle and index (usually 96 indexes) cuts a different facet. And facets build on one another! So, you cut a facet that is supposed to be a triangle and comes out like a square. You doubt yourself. Cut more. Mistake. The next set of facets you cut turn that first one into the triangle you desired. You have to envision 3 dimensionally. Cut with 600 grit. Pre-polish with 3,000 grit diamond paste on a tin lap. Final Polish with 60k diamond grit tin lap. That is the typical method, with some exceptions due to the Mohs hardness of the stone you are cutting. If you use diamond on fluorite, which is soft, then it will scratch it to hell. If you use Cerium Oxide to polish a ruby, then cloudy and no effect. I will stop the class now and move on to pictures.