The introduction to Lisa's article reads:

"Ethical Gemstones" and "Fair Trade" are rapidly moving from buzzwords to standards in the jewelry industry.  I am routinely asked about my gems - where they come from, who mines them, how I get them, where I cut them.  

Having answers to these questions helps the people who buy and wear our work feel more confident in their choice, and more connected to the gems.  Those answers can help us promote our work and sell more. 

Lisa Elser is a professional gem cutter based in Vancouver BC.  She and her husband travel the world to source their rough material - so, Lisa is "close to the ground" when it comes to the ethical questions that have arisen in the relationship between the people who dig the rough from the ground and the people (you) who fashion the rough into finished gemstones.

Lisa is an exceptional faceter, as a visit to her website, www.lisaelser.com, immediately reveals.  You will find examples of her fine work as well as articles that will are of interest to all faceters, hobbyists and professionals. 

Lisa was recently "in the news", when it was announced that she had won current AGTA Spectrum Award award for her 14.24 ct red tourmaline.

>> To Read the Entire Article CLICK HERE

Would this be your PERFECT CHRISTMAS GIFT? 

Ultra Tec's DIGITAL ANGLE DISPLAY (DAD)

  

DAD mounted on an ULTRA TEC V2 Mast

 

 

THE DAD WILL TRANSFORM YOUR FACETING PLEASURE

 

*  The latest in digital technology - .01° repeatable accuracy

*  High reliability

*  It fits to any Ultra Tec faceting Mast, however old

*  No more squinting at numbers - no more going back to verify the setting

*  You may not be in a hurry, but it's FAST, and it's EASY.  Faceters report double speed

*  It isn't cheap, but it's GOOD!

 

 

QUOTES FROM FACETERS:

 

"...I just cut and polished a synthetic sapphire in 1/3 the time it has been taking me. I really like how easy it is to set the angle and then when I come back to polish. I know it is exactly at the same angle that I cut it at...  The DAD has really made a huge difference in my faceting.  Expensive, but I quit thinking about the money about halfway through polishing this stone. It is worth the money."

 

"...the DAD is better than any unit I ever used... [it] is accurate in repeatability at all time in the cutting procedure... The instructions are excellent and easy...[it] took about five minutes to set-up... [I] hope this helps anyone who has been sitting on the fence wondering about the DAD. It's worth every cent."

 

 "... DAD has made my faceting time more efficient and more enjoyable. I do both flat and concave faceting using the UT head and consequently do a lot of angle adjustment when moving back and forth between bases. The DAD makes this a lot quicker since it is far easier to read a digital read out than the older dial setup (the old eyes just ain't what they used to be)."

 

 

 

DAD - Order Code 1305.7R (right-side Mast), $784

            Order Code 1305.7L (left-side Mast), $784

            Paypal or Credit Card. 

 

 

DAD is self-installable, or, you can have Ultra Tec install DAD on your Mast at the factory at no additional charge, and while we're at it we adjust and calibrate the Mast in general - that's a significant savings.   

Send an email to joe@ultratec-facet.com

Joe Rubin

- ask questions - and if you choose to proceed, we'll make arrangements.

At Thanksgiving time Ultra Tec was visited by Tom Mitchell.  Tom is Ultra Tec's Rep in the Villages, in central  Florida.  Tom was in California visiting relatives during the holiday time and stopped I at the factory to "meet the gang" and tour the shop.

Tom brought samples of his faceted gems, which he was proud to show - justifiably proud - to the Ultra Tec crew.  An accomplished cutter, Tom now teaches a faceting class at the Villages Gem and Mineral Society, and, in 2013 Tom will be teaching at the William Holland School, in Georgia.

 Tom enjoyed walking through the manufacturing process - from the initial metal cutting to the final assembly and test.  Here's a picture of him with Production Manager Robert Mendoza - stopping in the machine shop to see a computer-controlled machining center in action. 

The US Faceters Guild has arranged a day of seminars - similar to last year's successful event.  There will be five sessions.

The date: Friday, February 8th 2013.  The place: Old Pueblo Lapidary Club building.  It's free - first-come first-served seating - with a preference given to USFG members.  More info needed?  Contact Roger Dery - his email address  is gemdigital@cs.com

THE PRESENTERS

8:00am - Chris Smith, GG

Chris is a 25 year veteran of the gem industry.  During his career he pioneered research into several areas of gemology, including the refinement of country-of-origin criteria for rubies, sapphires, and other gemstones, and worked extensively on the distinction between treated and non-treated gems. The first gemologist ever to have worked for both the GIA and Gübelin laboratories, he now is President of American Gemological Laboratories in New York.  Chris will discuss when and how faceters should work with or submit gems for review and/or reports.  (Chris has a lab to operate during the Tucson show, so he will need to exit promptly after the Q & A session is complete).

9:00am - Al Gilbertson, GG

Al is a Research Associate with the GIA in Carlsbad, California.  Al grew up around the lapidary business and his experience has spanned many aspects of the gem and jewelry industry.  His early years included custom gem faceting, starting at a very young age, and it ultimately propelled him into his acclaimed career with the GIA.   In his presentation, he will discuss how to integrate information between GemCad and DiamCalc software programs, and how it will benefit the faceter.  As a long-time faceter himself, he well understands the value of the programs he'll be discussing. This session will run close to 2 hours. 

11:00am - Dalan Hargrave

You may have benefitted from seeing Dalan in action before - here he is "back by popular demand".  This session will include some theory and step by step demonstration of fantasy-cutting methods.  Dalan is pre-eminent in this field of lapidary and we are blessed with his willingness to share ideas and techniques.  His presentation is always entertaining as well as highly instructive.  He will speak in the afternoon too - this earlier session being particularly good for beginners through intermediate cutters.

12:30pm lunch break

1:30pm - Michiko Huynh 

Having climbed step by step through the US Faceters Guild competition process, Michiko is now a USFG Grand Master award winning faceter (this shows Michiko's 2011 grandmaster entry - a 99+ score).  Michiko, dedicated to excellence in faceting, discusses "getting there" - how does one prepare and accomplish what is necessary for the World of faceting competition?  Michiko is ready to share what she has learned in the "front lines" of faceting competition.

3:00pm - Dalan Hargrave

Here's Dalan back for an afternoon session on Fantasy cutting at a somewhat more advanced level.  Dalan, in demonstrating his techniques, will demonstrate how  imagination and inventiveness drives the art of fantasy cutting.  This session will provide insight - it will be a resource - that can aid you in realizing your own concepts and designs.

V5 REVIEW

John Dyer's Comparison Review of the V5 to the V2 Faceting Machines.