Course curriculum

  • 1

    Faceting Foundations 1 : Introduction and Setup - 2 Hours

    • Introduction

    • Tools

    • Loupe and Posture

    • Machine Modifications

    • Balancing the Handpiece: Left to Right

    • Balancing the Handpiece: Front to Back

    • Using the Handpiece
  • 2

    Faceting Foundations 1 : Round Brilliant - 6 Hours

    • Preforming

    • Dopping

    • Cutting the Crown Part 1

    • Cutting the Crown Part 2

    • Polishing Theory

    • Polishing Mechanics

    • Polishing Crown Part 1

    • Reattaching a Lost Stone

    • Polishing the Crown Part 2

    • Transferring the Stone

    • Cutting the Pavilion

    • Polishing the Pavilion

    • Cleaning the Finished Stone

Faceting Fundamentals Course Set

This first block of four courses teaches you all the essential skills you need to competently facet a stone: Understanding all the aspects of the handpiece machine, understanding how to manipulate the geometry of facets through the handpiece plate and cheater, polishing theory, wax dopping, glue transfers, and much more. These four courses and the designs that are cut in them serve as the foundation upon which the rest of the courses are built.

  • Faceting Foundations 1

    Discover all the essential information you need to get started as a gemcutter before beginning your first cutting project: the round brilliant.

  • Faceting Foundations 2

    Begin your second cutting project, the square step cut, while also learning more advanced foundational cutting techniques.

  • Hand Preforming

    Learn the traditional techniques for making the perfect hand-shaped outlines to prepare yourself for ovals, cushions, and fancy shapes.

  • Mastering the Mixed Cut

    Add to the techniques you've already learned during your next two projects, the oval and cushion mixed cuts, and complete your foundational training.