Sneaky Gems.

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Finally finished a job for a client. 3 Elizabeth Creek topaz, 6 Fullerton River Garnets and 2 Lava Plains Sapphires

Garnets are quite dark but really sing in the sunlight.

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Finally, a test cut of my Grenadier Brilliant. Yellow zircon from Hartz Range. Turns out it is actually quite a complicated cut to do and even more complicated to photograph with a crappy iPhone. I have taken loads of photos under very dim lighting and under standard indoor lighting conditions. I can't seem to capture the internal image and the colour in one photo. Will definitely be one for the macro lens and mirror. Over all I am very happy with the design and the real world performance is very close to the computer predictions.

Outdoor dim lighting. Still doesn't do the pattern any justice and still to many bright patches to clearly outline the pattern. Not sure if the dispersion is making it more difficult or if the camera is just *****.
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Inside on gem cloth. Close to the real colour as I can get. Still several shades paler than what the eye captures. The internal pattern is almost completely obscured by the bright overhead lights.
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Very nice there SC - is that one of the stones from Greg?

Out of interest - what inspired the name "Grenadier brilliant"?
 
Certainly is one from Greg. I have a few big pinks to start working on soon. There's one there that has a purple zone in it but it would be a waste of material to target just that part. Not sure where the name came from. The GemRay model looked like a blast and it was the first thing that popped in my head that stuck.
 
Geordi's Visor test cut. 3.44ct ametrine. Under fluoro lighting.

Turned out well. Perfect for quartz. Shame the colours aren't richer but that's what can be expected for smaller ametrines. I will definitely be cutting this one into a big smokey one day.
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Nice clean colour split.
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Very nice there SC - there is definately something to be said for two-toned faceted stones! :Y:

Does that one have a step-cut pavilion (I'm not familiar with the design)? My experience with two-toned stones is that a brilliant or barion type pavilion causes the colours to swirl and mix. Sometimes you want the two colours cleanly seperated, other times the swirling effect looks intruiging itself.
 
Lefty. I agree some cuts blend the colours. I acctually love blended ametrines. Especially if you can hit a cut that flashes unmixed colours all around the stone. This one has a very pleasent blending but only just.

The cut is one of my own on page 3 of this thread. Its the only one i have put a gemcad illustration up for. Its very basic step cut with some corner cuts. I need to modify the cutting order though. Found it much easier to cut the first step followed by the corners first. That way the rest of the steps are faster to cut and polish.
 
3.32 carat Pyrope garnet. VS1 clarity. Medium/dark tone (just one or two shades on the darker side). Highlight Brilliant. What a pleasure to cut!! Garnets just take a polish so easily. (100,000#) Very dark in the shade. As soon as the sun hits it or even just standard indoor lighting it absolutely glows.

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Absolutely Fantastic... Out of All the Stones in Australia, That type of Garnet is my Favourite... Fullerton River or Proston Garnets... Yum... ]:D

LW.... :rainbow:
 
Huge 5.32 carat Light Pink/Purple, slightly brownish zircon. Modified Cover Stone Cut. Extremely clean leaning towards flawless. (Won't know for sure until I put it under a microscope) Once again, a very difficult colour and cut to capture with an iphone. However, did manage to capture dispersion in full morning sunlight.

Shaded indoor fluro lighting
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Indirect white LED lamp
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Full morning sun. Very orange sun rise.
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