VT would also have to revise his usual strategy due to the size.
#Kunzite crystal series#
The stone is the fifth in a series of six cut designs that fall under VT’s “World Heritage” project. The “Fragility of the Eternal” design is based on the stained glass window of the iconic Notre Dame cathedral in Paris. No journey can be completed without knowing the destination, and so rather than playing it safe and opting for a simple design, the artist, VT, chose a truly challenging facet pattern of his own design that incorporated 914 facets. Prior to the start of the process came the design element. Since the rough was oversized, some of the routine cutting accessories such as dops and transfer holders, as well as the cutting tactics, had to be adapted for the job. Although a wide crack was visible at one end and about 30% of the opposite end contained numerous inclusions, the removal of both sections still left more than 1.5 kg of relatively clean rough after 20 hours of wire sawing (the safest method under the circumstances). The untreated crystal (figure 1) originated from Kunar Province in Afghanistan. This was author VT’s aim as he prepared to work on a piece of rough spodumene that weighed 2,950 g. This is further magnified when the rough is exceptionally large and the cutter’s goal is to produce the largest faceted kunzite in the world. Spodumene is known to challenge even the most experienced cutter owing to its high fragility, perfect cleavage planes, and unpredictability in different cutting directions.
Different gem materials have their particular quirks that must be considered when planning the various steps required to reach the ultimate goal of obtaining the most aesthetic stone while usually also optimizing weight yield. Lapidary, the art of colored stone fashioning, is an art that requires a keen eye, talent, and great patience. The pronounced pleochroism of the rough spodumene crystal weighing 2,950 grams, seen here in two orientations, was one of the properties that had to be considered during fashioning. Comprehensive CAD/CAM For Jewelry Certificateįigure 1.
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