Win Faceting Trophy

July 30, 2010

The Portland Regional Gem & Mineral Show is September 17 – 19, 2010. Exhibitors need to register their intent to exhibit by filling out the “Exhibit Application” for as many categories as they wish then sending it to Lamar Tilgner (address below). Accolades and the awe of your peers are to be had!

Columbia Willamette Faceters Guild sponsors the Al Gerding Memorial Faceting Trophy each year.

Applications should be sent to : Lamar Tilgner, 200 SE Olvera Ave, Gresham, OR 97080

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Faceting Design Contest

May 7, 2010

Gemology Project

Gemology Project Faceting Design Contest

Enter the Gemology Project’s faceting design contest by August 1, 2010 to win great prizes and help other faceters by creating an online database of designs.

First prize, for contributor of most useful Design Collection

Receive an “All You Need Kit” containing:

  • 1 BATTWING Lap
  • One 3,000 Diastik
  • One 60K Diatsik
  • Three BATTSTIKS, 1 each CeO, AlOx, and Chromium Oxide

(Retail value: $258.00)

Second prize, for most popular Individual Design

You’ll receive a Professional Polishing Kit, containing:

  • One BA5T lap
  • Your choice of a 60K OR 100K Diastik

(Retail value: $205.00)

Check out the Gemology Project’s Faceting Design pages to see stones cut from the various designs

The Gemology Project is “a non-profit gemstone and gem science wiki-style database” about gemstones and gemology (gemmology). Every month a gemstone and a piece of gemstone identification equipment is featured.

Don’t need the prize? Donate it to your local faceting club!

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Gemstone Designs April Facets

May 4, 2010 Gem Designs

Every month in Facets we publish one or more gemstone designs. The April 2010 issue includes SpinWheel 3 by Jerry Bartlemay, March 2010, inspired by Wind Wheel by Charles Covill and Checkboard Oval OMNI Version by John Bailey, 2008.
We’d love to hear your experience cutting one or both of these designs. Post them here, [...]

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Faceting Gemstones for Fun and Profit

May 4, 2010 Learn Faceting

Yes, it is possible to make a living from your gemstone faceting and no one has done this faster than John Bailey of GemstoneArtist.com. This year, 2010, Bailey will hold ONE boot-camp-style Faceting class.
July 8 – 13, with over 60 hours of classroom instruction in a close, friendly environment. This course is perfect for the [...]

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Fac-Ette for Sale

May 4, 2010 Tools - Equipment

Seattle Fac-Ette for Sale
The Columbia Willamette Faceters’ Guild has a Seattle Fac-Ette for sale (as of May 4, 2010). This machine is in excellent condition, having been recently refurbished by Bob Grove.
This package deal includes three used laaps (180, 600 and 1200 grit) and an acrylic master lap. Also included are a transfer jig, [...]

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Dopping Tips – Cleaning Epoxy Mess

January 16, 2010 Misc Tips

Clean-up of Messy Epoxy Tubes and Mixing Surfaces
by Glenn Ruminson (FACETS Mar 2005)
I got tired of getting my fingers gummed up from leaking epoxy and hardener tubes. I avoid the mess by slipping a 2″ by 3″ polyethylene bag over the bottom end of the tube — all the mess stays inside the bag.
This is [...]

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Software for Faceters

January 14, 2010 Tools - Equipment

There are a few software programs of use to faceters. The first that comes to mind is GemCad, developed by Robert Strickland. According to GemCad.com, “Gemcad is a computer-aided design (CAD) program for faceted gemstones. It runs under Windows 95 or later on PC compatibles with screen resolution of at least 800 x 600.” [...]

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Dopping with Epoxy

January 14, 2010 How To

By Dick Walker. Published in FACETS, January 2005
The time-tested method of dopping with hot wax seems to have gone the way of the Dodo bird for most people. I still use hot wax on occasion when I am in a hurry or perhaps someone else is in a hurry. Now I favor the use of epoxy, the [...]

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Faceting Forums

January 14, 2010 Faceting Friends

Resources abound on the web, and forums are great for getting together while staying at home. Here are a few faceting forums I’ve found. Let us know if you know of others and we’ll add them. (Note, links open in new window)

USFG Faceters List Very active lis. Current topics: Who do you buy rough from, [...]

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Overview Gemological Equipment

January 14, 2010 Gemology

With the dizzying array of equipment available, Your Gemologist has a nice write-up explaining a bit about what many of the various gemstone identification tools do and why they do it. This equipment is used by both gemologists and faceters.
What equipment do you use? Did you teach yourself?

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