Canadian Rockhound: Producing your own Gemstones

What leads a goldsmith to decide to cut his own gemstones for inclusion in work he is producing? Why become a lapidary yourself and not leave this to the lapidaries who specialize in this sort of work? These are a couple of the questions this article will deal with.

There are many gem dealers who sell to jewellers/goldsmiths and offer a wide variety of cut gemstones at often reasonable prices. Indeed the mainstream jewellery trade relies on the supply of calibrated cut gems in the well known shapes (rounds, ovals, rectangles, squares etc.) for the bulk of the jewellery they produce and repair. Should these not offer enough choice for the goldsmith?

The type of jewellery one produces is a major factor in deciding to cut one's own gems. Those who have chosen to make jewellery as an outlet for their creativity are the most likely to be interested in pursuing this outlet for increased creativity. Producing your own gemstones opens up a whole new avenue of possibilities, not only in the shapes and types of gems one produces, but also in the finished jewellery pieces that can be created using these gems. Creativity is no longer restricted by the shapes of gems offered by the gem dealers but only by your own imagination and skills at cutting gemstones. Jewellery that you make using these gems becomes more unique standing out from other jewellery by its use of distinctive gems. This can be an advantage in having your work noticed by potential customers and dealers. Lastly there is an increase in the personal satisfaction gained in seeing a finished jewellery piece that is truly one's own creation, right from that lump of metal and the piece of rock that were used to create it.

There is a monetary advantage to cutting ones own gems as well. Once the necessary skills have been mastered, the cost of having a good supply of gem rough to cut is considerably less than having a large inventory of cut stones purchased from a gem dealer. This advantage, however, is most apparent for those who are cutting unique gems, as there is no use in trying to compete with commercially cut stones produced in countries where labour rates are much less than in Canada and the USA. These stones are best purchased from a gem dealer. The gems produced in your studio are ones that, by and large, are not available from gem dealers, or only by special order, and are the product of your own imagination, creativity and skill.

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