cut-gemstone
About
This skill provides guidance for cutting gemstones using cabochon and faceting techniques. It covers rough assessment, orientation for optimal color/yield, dopping, cutting angles, and crown/pavilion geometry for brilliant cuts. Use it when planning gemstone cutting orientation, setting up lapidary equipment, or selecting the appropriate cutting approach for a material.
Quick Install
Claude Code
Recommendednpx skills add pjt222/agent-almanac -a claude-code/plugin add https://github.com/pjt222/agent-almanacgit clone https://github.com/pjt222/agent-almanac.git ~/.claude/skills/cut-gemstoneCopy and paste this command in Claude Code to install this skill
Documentation
切寶石
以凸面與刻面之法由原料切寶,含原察、定向、黏、磨、刻面之幾。
用時
- 有原寶石材欲切為成凸面或刻面石
- 為色、產、光象劃切向
- 首次設凸面機或刻面機
- 欲知標準亮切之冠與亭角
- 為材擇合切法
入
- 必要:原寶石(已識——參
identify-gemstone) - 必要:切法決:凸面或刻面
- 必要:目標形與約尺
- 可選:含金剛鋸之修鋸
- 可選:含 80/220/600/1200/3000 目輪之凸面機(為凸面)
- 可選:含索齒、桅、盤集之刻面機(為刻面)
- 可選:黏蠟或環氧、黏杆、酒精燈
- 可選:標準定尺之樣(橢、圓、marquise)
法
第一步:原察與安察
切前察原料。
Rough Assessment Checklist:
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Factor | Assessment |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Species | Identified? (MANDATORY before cutting) |
| | Toxic dust risk? (check below) |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Fractures | Internal fractures that limit yield? |
| | Will the stone break during cutting? |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Colour zones | Where is the best colour concentrated? |
| | Can the cut centre the colour? |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Inclusions | Large inclusions that should be cut away?|
| | Silk for star stones? (orient for star) |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Size and shape | What finished shapes fit this rough? |
| | Calibrated size possible? |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
| Yield estimate | Approximate finished weight as % of rough|
| | Typical: 25-40% for faceting |
| | Typical: 40-60% for cabochons |
+--------------------+------------------------------------------+
SAFETY — TOXIC DUST MATERIALS:
These minerals produce hazardous dust when cut. Use wet cutting ONLY,
ensure ventilation, and wear an appropriate respirator:
- Chrysotile (asbestos serpentine) — NEVER cut dry
- Malachite — copper carbonate dust is toxic
- Cinnabar — mercury sulfide, extremely toxic
- Orpiment/Realgar — arsenic compounds
- Chrysocolla — copper silicate, moderate risk
- Tiger's eye (fibrous) — fine silica fibers
ALL stone cutting produces silica dust. Always use water cooling
and never grind or cut dry without a dust extraction system.
- 確種識(若疑,先運
identify-gemstone) - 察毒塵險——某材需特防
- 於強透光察斷裂
- 映色區與夾之位
- 估原可產何成形
得: 有文之原察,種確、裂映、色區識,切劃已成。
敗則: 若原多裂,考可穩否(多孔材以環氧浸)或產是否過低。某原不如售或換為標本。
第二步:定向劃
為色與象決最切向。
Orientation Principles by Stone Type:
PLEOCHROIC STONES (tourmaline, sapphire, tanzanite, iolite):
- Orient the table perpendicular to the crystal axis showing
the best face-up colour
- Tourmaline: the c-axis often shows dark/opaque colour —
orient the table to view the a/b axis colour
- Sapphire: slight pleochroism — orient for deepest blue face-up
- Tanzanite: trichroic — blue/violet axis preferred for table
STAR STONES (star ruby, star sapphire):
- Silk (rutile needles) must be parallel to the base
- Cut as cabochon with the dome centred over the silk
- The star appears at 90 degrees to the silk orientation
CAT'S EYE STONES (chrysoberyl cat's eye, tiger's eye):
- Fibrous inclusions must run perpendicular to the length
of an elongated cabochon
- The eye appears as a bright line across the shortest dimension
COLOUR-ZONED MATERIAL (sapphire, ametrine, watermelon tourmaline):
- Position colour zones so they are not visible face-up
- Or feature them intentionally (ametrine, watermelon tourmaline)
- 定石多色否——以二色鏡由多向觀
- 象石(星、貓眼)識夾式而相向
- 色區材,決隱或特顯
- 以鋁筆於原標向
- 於所擇向劃台位與深以最產
得: 標原石示台向、向、約界。切劃優化色顯與產。
敗則: 若最色向與最產衝,按優先決:色質幾皆增值甚於克拉。疑則向色。
第三步:凸面切
於凸面機形石為凸頂。
Cabochon Cutting Sequence:
EQUIPMENT SETUP:
- Cabbing machine with water drip on all wheels
- Wheel sequence: 80, 220, 600, 1200, 3000 (or 1200 + polish)
- Dop sticks and dop wax (or cyanoacrylate adhesive)
- Safety glasses — MANDATORY
- Avoid loose clothing, tie back long hair
STEP-BY-STEP:
1. SLAB: Cut a slab 5-8mm thick through the best area
2. TEMPLATE: Mark the desired outline (oval, round, etc.)
using a template and aluminum pencil
3. TRIM: Remove excess material on the trim saw or 80-grit wheel
Cut close to the line but leave 1-2mm margin
4. DOP: Attach the slab to a dop stick with dop wax
Heat the wax, press the stone flat-side down, centre it
5. SHAPE (80 grit): Grind to the template outline
Work all the way around, maintaining symmetry
6. DOME (220 grit): Shape the dome profile
Standard dome height = ~1/3 of the stone's width
Keep the dome symmetrical — check from all angles
7. SMOOTH (600 grit): Remove 220-grit scratches
Work systematically, keeping even pressure
8. PRE-POLISH (1200 grit): Remove 600-grit scratches
The surface should feel smooth to the fingernail
9. FLAT BOTTOM: Remove the stone from the dop, re-dop
face-down, and grind the bottom flat on 220 → 600 grit
10. POLISH: See polish-gemstone skill for final finishing
- 設凸面機於諸輪有水流
- 戴安鏡——無例
- 切板標樣界
- 牢黏石——磨時鬆石危
- 於 80 目磨至形,220 成頂,600 與 1200 平
- 守頂曲一致——不勻頂拋後顯「平點」
得: 均頂凸面石備終拋,界勻、頂高勻、1200 目無餘跡。
敗則: 若頂有平點或不對稱,返 220 目重形。寧損微材勿拋不勻頂。若磨時脫黏,慎重黏而繼——先察石無損。
第四步:刻面
以刻面機切精幾面。
Standard Round Brilliant Angles (quartz-family, RI ~1.54):
+------------------+-------+--------+
| Facet | Angle | Index |
+------------------+-------+--------+
| Crown main | 42° | 96-index: 3,9,15,21,27,33,39,45 |
| Crown break | 25° | (bisect mains) |
| Crown star | 15° | (bisect breaks toward table) |
| Table | 0° | flat |
| Pavilion main | 43° | 96-index: 3,9,15,21,27,33,39,45 |
| Pavilion break | Use GemCad or published diagrams |
+------------------+-------+--------+
Standard Round Brilliant Angles (corundum, RI ~1.76):
+------------------+-------+
| Facet | Angle |
+------------------+-------+
| Crown main | 37° |
| Pavilion main | 41° |
+------------------+-------+
CRITICAL: Pavilion angles determine brilliance.
- Too shallow → light leaks through bottom ("windowing")
- Too steep → dark extinction zones
- Correct angle → total internal reflection (brilliance)
- 擇目形與材 RI 之發刻面圖
- 備原:平亭側(尖底將向下)
- 黏石——圓石用錐黏,他用平黏
- 粗盤(600 目金剛)先以發角切亭面
- 諸亭面會於精點(「culet meet」)
- 轉至錐黏(或用轉具)以切冠
- 切冠主、續破、後星,終立台
- 每層先拋後拋(盤與膏擇參
polish-gemstone)
得: 刻面石有精會、勻面、佳對稱、合材 RI 之正角。
敗則: 若會偏,角或索設微誤。重察發圖。「追會」(調一面以修他)積誤——大誤宜重切層。小會誤為初學者常而不顯影響亮。
第五步:切後察
終拋前察切石。
- 洗石徹
- 察對稱:上觀(界)、側(比)、透台(會精)
- 凸面:驗頂勻、察平點、確界勻
- 刻面:於 10x 放大察會,察切段餘劃
- 量終尺與重
- 若發缺,返宜切步再拋
得: 全切石合對稱、會、表備之質準,備拋。
敗則: 若發大缺(對稱劣、會敗、比誤),即重切時比拋敗石再切效。記錯為下石
驗
- 切前已識種而察毒塵險
- 通始終戴安具(眼護、塵濺控)
- 諸磨切水冷啟
- 向劃以最色或象
- 凸面頂對稱無平點(凸面徑)
- 面會聚於點無偏(刻面徑)
- 終尺已量記
- 石無切段劃備拋
陷
- 切未識石:某材產毒塵(孔雀、朱砂、溫石棉)。切前皆識。皆用水冷。
- 略向劃:切多色石無向以色可生暗或偏色成石,正向則美。
- 乾磨:乾磨產矽塵(慢性害)而過熱石(熱震可裂)。諸輪盤宜續流水。
- 跳目:由 220 至 1200 留深劃,拋後顯。每目須全除前目之劃。
- 黏敗:黏不足致石磨時移或飛。足蠟、石暖(非冷)、黏冷透再磨。
參
identify-gemstone— 切前需種識polish-gemstone— 切後續步,含盤擇、膏擇、終飾
GitHub Repository
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