Hungarianachat-facet

My first aquamarine

2011-04-11T11:15:00.000-07:00

Aquamarine

It is means the color of the sea, the best colur of aquamarine is blue, if the cristals didn't got this nice colour it possible to heat, it make a little bit blue color to the stone.

In the last weekend i found in a box two old aqua. cristals, i bought them in Münich in 2007. I cut them for good size to faceting, i selected one of them and gluid to the dop.

I start tu cut with the pavilon with my 320 grit steel lap, i had to cut a lot of material from the cristal for the pavilon angles.
After i used the 1200 grit steel lap, 1200 Nu Bond lap and white cerium to polish.

The polishing was easy, the stone is same hard like the quartz variations, the cerium oxide is working good for this hardness. I needed only few second to each facet to polish.

When i finished the pavilon, i trasnfered the stone and start with the crown. I used my 600 grit steel lap to preform, i like this lap to preform, don't leave deep scratches like 320, so, after the 600 steel i used the 1200 steel and 1200 Nu Bond. The polish also the same like on the pavilon.

The rough stone was small, the finished stone more small, in the end is 5mm hexagonal.

When i took out from the cleaning fluid and i dry it a saw what is the different between the aqua and a quartz, the Ri is 1,56 for the aqua and 1,54 for the quartz but it is enough for the highest radiation. Unfortunatly on the pictures you can't see what i can in personaly, i took more than 1000 pics. from agates, few hundred from minerals, but makeing good photos from gemstones is realy dificult becouse you need to check the radiation, clean edge, good color....i have to learn more from the lighting for good results.

Latest stone

2011-04-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

An Amethyst

In the last weekend a had a little free time, i cut a nice amethyst. I found it in my amethyst box, it was pre formed by hand, little bit dark, but when i put into the light i saw it have a nice color.

A gluid to the dop, and started the cutting, first the pavilon, i like start with the pavilon, because after the re dopping is much easy.

I use my new technology, i cut the facets with 1200 steel lap, after prepolish with my 1200 Nu Bond lap and the polis is with a Cerium Oxide film lap. I put white Cerium to the film lap because the original is too weak for good shine, the white Cerium is the best quality, make polist fast and very well.

So, i cut the main pavilon facets , the angles was 43 degrees, it is good for most quartz, from 41,5 to 45 degrees can working for quartz variation.

When i finised the pavilon i redopped the stone and cut the crown, it got step facets like an emerald, pte cut and the polis was very fast, these are small laps. The table was a little bit dificult, it is a big facet, but the white Cerium is help to me.

When a clean this stone i just discover what is the real color of it, unfortunatly my camera don’t like the purple colors, the stone is much better in person.

The size is 9,5x7,7 mm.

If you want this stone send me a letter to my addresse :

hungarianachat@gmail.com

Faceting

2011-02-14T05:53:00.000-08:00

Here is the time for the top of the cutting, it is the faceting, the best style of cutting.

In the last few years i worked to design a faceting head for me, i saw many factory made machine but they are too expensive for a Hungarian cutter. So i had to made a faceting head , i have a friend whu working with CNC machines, i just made drawnings and he cut the parts for me.

Afrte i built my complett machine with axel, motor, cutting laps…ect.

In the last year i started the cutting, first i cut a peace of glass, the second was a Hungarian quartz criastal and i made more peace of glass and quartz.

That time a had a lot of problem with the polising, i didn’t know the good way for it, i tryed few material to do this but i didn’t got a nice facets.

In the end of that year we moved to an other country, i can take my faceting head only but i had to wait a lot of time untill i can built the machine again.

In the time when i waiting started read forums, bought new books for faceters, looking for any information how it is working.

Now i know what is the critical angels, Ri, witch polishing material the best of the stones, i got professional disc for prepolish…

What are under your eyes?

If you are not a cutter you see on the facetted stone the shine laps, any reflection but is not all what you mast to see.

Most the commercial stones what you can buy for few dollars come from Taiwan or India.

In these countries have thousands of workshop where the people cut million stone every mounth. In these workshop the important thing cutt stones for weight and sizes not for good optical property.

What it means?

If you hold a cutted stones in your hand and you put a peace of newspaper under the stone you can’t see the news on the paper. It is a good stone but if you can see the letters on the newspaper the stone’s angles not good, the light can going through the stone without reflection.

We are cutting all our stones with the best angles for the higher reflection.

All the stones have different RI and critical angles, we use it when we cutt a stone.

How i cut my stones?

First i select a good size of stone, i will show you a peace of amethyst during the proccess.

When i have a good size of stone i dopping it with black wax to a dop stick, it is holding the stones in the head.

Firt i heat the stone a little bit, untill it is 100 celsium degrees, it help to the best contact betwees the ston and the dop.

I use my torch for melting the wax. When the wax and the dop are cold i put it to the head.

I put the coarse lap to the axel of the machin, setting the firs angle on the head it will be 0, i cut the girdle first, it is the time to cutt the size also . Setting the right hight for the stones, it must to tuch the lap. I lift up the stone, turn on the machime and start to cut.

I use the index wheel ont he head for the shape of the stone. When i finised the stone all around i change the lap, comming a fine grit and the prepolish lap and the polishing.

All works with water, it need for the stone, keep it cold and wash all the small piece of stone from the lap.

Next step the first pavilon facet, the pavilon is the down side of the stones, thc crown is the up side wit the biggest facet it is the table.

I set the right angle ont he head, set the hight and start vitt he fine lap, if i need i use the coarse lap. With the fine lap a can make a good meetpoint the facets, but i leave place for the prepolish, it can move the facets.

Next is the prepolish and the polish, for the polishing i use special laps, i don’t need powder for it, this microfilms included the polishing material, i have 3 different kind for different stones.

If i finised the pavilon i trasfer teh stone to an other dop, i use my dop sand for it.

After the wax is cold i strat to cut the crown the proccess is same when i cutt the pavilon.

When i finised i use my torch again to take off the stone from the dop and i put the stone into the acetone, it can remove all the wax from teh stone. I use paper towel to the final cleaning and i can see the perfect stone!

SPHERE CUTTING

2010-09-17T03:35:00.000-07:00

Somethin interesting, spheres.

If you visit any mineral show or shop you will see lot of sheres and stone balls, these are two bifferent things.

I make sheres, my technic only for it, the balls coming from China.

In Hungary we are only 5 person who can make sheres, the main reason is we need few special tools for it.

What are these?

Cutting machine what enough good for cutt big stones
and heve a guide for paralel cutting

We also need an other machune with vertical axel for the steel cup what we use for sending. I use SiC powder 400-800-1000 grit.

Gutting:

First we select a good peace of stone, i will enough size for a sphere, i make 4cm of diameter shares only.

So, the stones must be biggr than 4cm to any way.

First cut a silmpe lap clost to the side of the stone pay attention you leave enough material for the paralel cut.

Next cut the paralel with the firs cut, if you cut 4cm of sphere you need 4,2mm of cube , when you finish with the paralel cut tunt the stone 90 degrees to the lap and cut the next sides all around the stone.

Now you have a nice cube, all side is 4.2x4,2cm Next cuts the corners, cut all of them off, pay attention, keep the size well, if you cut too much from one side you mast send a lot of time, and your shere will be little than 4cm,

After the work.

Next step the rough sending with a 80 drit of diamond wheel, all small corner must go out, in the end it you have a pre formed sphere.

For the fine sending you have two way:

One: Use steel cup with SiC, this way very long for a nice form it will be 2-3 hours!

The other way use diamond coated drills or cup, you can buy these in ready for use in the internet, the work with these tolls less than 20 min.

When you finish the fine sending you have a smooth surface sphere, you need only the polish.

I have for the polish two aluminium cau with felt inside, i use Cerium Oxide for polish, usually 5-8 min. enough for the mirror surface all around the sphere.

KICSIT MÁS.

2010-09-11T06:22:00.000-07:00

SOME OTHER

I cut stones more than 10 years ago, in the bigining i did only flat stones, when the quality was enough good i start go to the mineral shows in Hungary and to Europe.

My stones have a uniqe colors, mostly all stones includ 3-4 different color. I had lot of buyer dut it was not enough, the time is changing, lot of people looking for uniqe things and jewelleries. I stared cutting oval, round and freeform cabochons, i sold a lot from these without setting.

Most people looking for ready for use jewellery, i must to thinking about how can i do this kind of jewells.

First i looking for silver settings in Hungary, i did not find nothing , it is difficult in Hungary.

After i met a student, she learn makeing silver jewelleries, she gave me ideas how can i make silver settings for my stones.

I bought tools for this work, saw, hammer, torch, files and more special tools.

I bought also silver sheet and wire, soldering silver and flux.

How can we make setting for an opal?

The opal is a sensitive stone, we need to safe it .

So, we cut a long, thin peace of silver sheet, the size like the opal side, a little bit more, after the soldering we will fileing it.

Take your opal to the tabble, make a frame from the silver seet like the opal form, use plier if you need, when it is ready the next step the soldering.

Use your torch, soldering silver and the flux, put a little flux the ends of the sheet, to the flux a small peace of soldering silver. Start the heating with the torch, when is enough hot first the soldering silver will dessolve and fill the place between the sheet sides.

If it is good you will see a little dump on the frame.

Next we need to cut the buttom of the setting, this is also from the sheet. Put the frame to the sheet and mark it around the frame with pencil is a needle. After it, cut around the mark, left the mark on the small peace.

Use the file for smmothing the edge. Ok, put a small flux to the frame , only to that edge what will meet the buttom and put it to the buttom.

Set the position and start the soldering with the torch and the soldering silver. Put the soldering silver to the corner of the buttom and the frame.

When you heating it will run into one another.

The next step the rasping, use small file for this work, clean all the edge around the setting. If you work good the setting will be cleasn, smooth and bright. We need a small ring to the setting, you can buy finished „jump ring” or make it from the silver wire, you can use a special plier or a peace of hard steel wire for it.

Put the ring clost to the setting to the good position , add small flux to the ring and the setting , add soldering silver and heat it. This is a difficult work, the ring can burn away before join with the setting, you need experience for it.

If you finished all the soldering sand the setting with emery paper, i use 800 grit paper for this work, pay attention to the edge, around the ring, the surface must be smmoth and clean.

If it is ready you can polishing it with felt and polishing wax.

When you finis hall the work the settign will shining like a mirror, all the surface around the setting must be the same.

When you have lot of experience you can make lot of form, oval, round, freeform, and many more.

Cabochon

2010-08-25T00:44:00.000-07:00

What is the cabochon?

In India many years ago the cutters cut lot of sapphire from there, the form was the same what they found in the river but well polished by hend. We call it Free form cabochons. They made lot of silver things with these sapphire for the Maharadsas..After the cutters had best toosl for cutting and they make nice stones, half side round half side flat like in this time.

Now you can buy very good tolls for cutting, like concave diamond wheel ( 1. photo) But many cutter use cabbing machines with 6 or 8 cutting wheel.

How can you cut cabochon? Firt you need a stone slab, if yoi have cutting machine you can cut, if not, you can buy. You need template with round and oval form, these are same size like the stone settings , after you finish your stone you can put the stone to the settings and the jewellery is ready.

2. photo

Next step, make marks to the slad with pencil or aluminium stick, they are semi waterproof. ( 2. Photo)Now you can cut it with a thin cutting disc. If it is ready gluing the stone to dte dop stick with lapidary wax.( 3 photo) Next step sending the oval with 80 grit diamond wheel, i use a Diamond Pacific wheel for it.

3. phot

If the oval is calibrated cut the top, first 45 degres to the side and afrte finish the arc.

I use after it a 80 grit dics an othet type of diamond disc from Diamond Pacific, it is a NOVA wheel

this is soft, i can push the stone into the wheel, this give me a perfect form, i start it with 220 grit and after 600 and 1200 grit.

The last step the polishing on felt lap.

On the last photo: Hungarian agate cabochon.

Flat stones

2010-08-14T03:25:00.000-07:00

FLAT SURFACE

In the first time i made only flat stones, usually from Hungarian agates.

It is not too dificult work if you have pofessionat tools, but in Hungary you can't buy nothing for cutting.
On the factory made cutting machines you have a small things for keeping the stones, afret the cutting you got a smooth surface. On my machine i don't have it, i keep my stones with my hands, ( i sill have all my fingers :-) ) mostly i got a nice surface to my stones but sometimes i have stairs on the stones.

After the cut i use this technic:

I use for sending 400 gtir of SiC powder on steel lap, i am doing it untill the surface is perfectly flat, without craks, the next is 800 grit of SiC by hend for pre polish , next step is a 800grit of diamond soft flat lap in an electric motor with 2890RPM the result is better pre polish i get lightly mirror surface, lot of cutter call it polished stone but i use Cerium Oxide for polishing on felt lap.

My best work was with this technic 450pcs. of agates in a month.

The biggining

2010-08-14T02:41:00.000-07:00

So, i just start to write my firts blog about minerals, gemstones, cutting and technic for cutting.

Who i am? I'm Janos Zsebe, i cut stones 10 years ago, my teacher was Istvan Ecsedi , he cut stones more than 30 years ago. He geve me lot of information how can i cut and polish stones.

In the first years i built few machine for cutting and polishing, these are working well also in this time.

In my blog in the first time you will read my last years, how i did my stones and after i will write my new stones included cabochons, spheres, tumbled stones and faceting too.