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 beginner and experienced faceters alike.

This course is so much more than just “how to facet.” John includes vital information on how to value rough, saving you time, money and frustration when you buy rough that you’ll never sell because you overpaid. You’ll also learn basic Gemcad (and if you know Gemcad John is more than happy to teach more advanced concepts). This course is highly recommended by Kathryn Martyn, our club’s secretary and webmaster who attended the boot camp in 2009 and plans to attend this year as well.

The course includes all of the following

• Faceting Machine Orientation
• Rough evaluation
• Rough Evaluation Lab
• Gemstone orientation
• Cold Dopping Methods & Tools
• Hot Dopping Methods & Tools
• Orientation & Cold Dopping Lab
• Hot Dopping Methods & Tools Lab
• Beginning Cutting & Polishing Sequencing
• Advanced Polishing & Repair Cutting
• Beginning Cutting & Polishing Lab
• Intermediate Cutting & Polishing Lab
• Training the Eye to See (Quality Control)
• Beginning Design & Geometry Planning
• Advanced Geometry & Design
• Beginning Design & Geometry Planning Lab
• Basic Gem Photography
• The Well Fed Artist (Getting Paid)

Complete details are found at GemStoneArtist.com

John has several videos posted on YouTube as well, including the cutting sequence when he faceted Oregon’s largest flawless red sunstone

Related posts:

1. Faceting Design Contest

The Columbia-Willamette Faceters’ Guild in conjunction with the Rice Northwest Museum offer a number of educational programs promoting the art of gem faceting. following are class descriptions and details.

Beginning Gemstone Faceting

This class introduces the theory and techniques of faceting gemstones. During the course, students will facet one or two gemstones with material and equipment provided by the Columbia-Willamette Faceters’ Guild. Students will gain sufficient knowledge and techniques to continue faceting on their own.

Winter 2009 Classes

All classes are held Saturday afternoons from 1:00 – 5:00 PM at the Rice Museum and run five weeks.
Where: Rice Northwest Museum
When: Saturday 1 – 5 PM
Cost: $135.00

Classes fill fast so please submit your request as soon as you can to be guaranteed a seat. For more information or to register, contact the Rice Northwest Museum at (503) 647-2418 or visit the Rice Northwest Museum Website

If there’s something you’d like to learn about faceting, just ask. We’ll find out for you or point you in the right direction.

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