Manufacturing process:
Raw Material:
There are various kinds of gemstones like ruby, emerald, sapphire, amethyst, citrine, aquamarine and many more. These gemstones are found in different parts of the world and are imported by the suppliers and exporters direct from the mines as rough stones. These rough stones work as raw material for further processing.
Shape and size:
These rough edged stones are further decided to convert into shapes like oval, round, square, faceted, chips, smooth etc. and size as per the requirement.
Cutting and polishing:
The skilled craftsmen in the manufacturing unit cut and polish the stone using modern machines.
Most however, are cut and polished for usage as jewelry. The two main classifications are stones cut as smooth, dome shaped stones called cabochons, and stones which are cut with a faceting machine by polishing small flat windows called facets at regular intervals at exact angles.
Stones which are opaque such as opal, turquoise, variscite, etc. are commonly cut as cabochons. These gems are designed to show the stone’s color or surface properties as in opal and star sapphires. Grinding wheels and polishing agents are used to grind, shape and polish the smooth dome shape of the stones.
Gems which are transparent are normally faceted, a method which shows the optical properties of the stone’s interior to its best advantage by maximizing reflected light which is perceived by the viewer as sparkle. There are many commonly used shapes for faceted stones. The facets must be cut at the proper angles, which varies depending on the optical properties of the gem. If the angles are too steep or too shallow, the light will pass through and not be reflected back toward the viewer. The faceting machine is used to hold the stone onto a flat lap for cutting and polishing the flat facets. Rarely, some cutters use special curved laps to cut and polish curved facets.
Jewelry Making:
Finally these gems are used for making beautiful Jewelry. There are many kinds of jewelry tools that help to connect the beads and metals for making necklaces, rings pendants, earrings etc. Silver, Gold and Platinum are mostly used for making jewelry with semi precious and precious beads.
