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Why custom cut gems?
Customization. Do you want a pair of 6 mm rhodolite garnet earrings in a round period rose cut? Do you have an engagement ring that could use a matching pendant? Is your birthstone peridot, but you can't find anything in a period cut? Do you know exactly what you want, but just can't find it anywhere? Or do you have ideas about what you want and would like to discuss possible options? By doing custom work, I can give the customer exactly what he or she desires, not just what happens to be in a display window.
Quality. Many colored gemstones on the market today are mass-produced overseas in sweatshops to poor quality standards using primitive equipment. When polish hard stones, I use diamond dust substantially finer than the usual commercial standards, resulting in a finer polish. Facets on many commercial stones do not meet well at all, while I examine each facet individually under magnification to ensure excellent meets and polish. Worse, most commercial cutters strive for creating as high a yield as possible, and are willing to use sub-optimal facet angles. This results in a larger, but less brilliant "windowed" or "fish-eye" stone that can appear lifeless. I will only cut stones to optimal angles for maximum brilliance, sparkle and fire.
Originality. Walk into any jewelry store, and you'll likely see only a handful of cuts that the market considers commercially viable. While I certainly can make stones using these cuts, I have access to books and Internet sources of literally thousands of original designs. I have sophisticated CAD software that allows me to modify existing designs or create new designs, and I can use this to see stone cuts in three dimensions and simulate light rays traveling through them. This allows me to fine tune designs for optimal brilliance before I begin cutting an actual stone, and I can show a client what to expect before the stone is ever cut.
Period authenticity. If you've spent considerable money on fabric and much time researching, and have slaved countless hours over a sewing machine to produce exquisite, historically accurate garb, wouldn't you like to complete your wardrobe with jewelry that incorporates gemstones made with the same level of research, craftsmanship and artistry? I enjoy researching period gemstone cuts, including viewing existing period stones, and I have cut recreations of these designs. Custom cutting can provide reproductions of period designs that cannot be purchased in any store.
What stones can you cut?
I can cut nearly any gemstone, with the exception of diamond. I obtain high quality rough stones from several dealers, and can obtain a wide selection of stones at good prices.
What about the price?
I price stones based on the cost of the rough (which I pass on without markup), the labor for cutting, and, if requested, the cost of the setting (also passed on without markup), all of which I itemize for the customer. Labor costs start at $50 and increases based on the complexity of the design, the size of the stone, and the ease of working the material. My work can never compete on price alone with overseas sweatshops, but when one factors in quality and customization, my work is certainly competitive. I generally will not cut small accent stones or beads due to heavy overseas competition.
Where do I get your loose stones set?
At this time, I do not have the equipment or skills to create my own settings for my stones. I can provide references for SCA and modern jewelers who have set stones that I have cut, or you can use any jeweler of your choosing. Alternately, I do have a source for commercial settings in 14k gold (yellow or white) and sterling silver, and I can set stones in them.
I have rough stones. Can you cut them?
Generally, yes. I'd be happy to examine any stones that you'd have. However, while rough gemstones are rare, high quality gem rough free from substantial inclusions and cracks, and of good color and clarity is substantially more rare. In general, most tourist attractions that allow people to "mine for gems" end up yielding poor quality or low value stones.
Do you use synthetic or simulated stones?
Yes, but only if specified by the customer. I only purchase rough stones from reputable dealers, and I will never knowingly pass off a synthetic stone as natural. When price makes natural stones unaffordable, synthetics or simulated stones are the only alternative. For example, I can acquire synthetic sapphire, ruby and emerald that is chemically identical to natural sapphire, ruby and emerald, and has the same physical and optical properties.
Who are you?
I am Lord Ryan Murdoch Mackenzie, C.S.O., C.W. I hail from the Shire of Grey Gargoyles, Middle Kingdom. (Chicago, IL) I have been a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism since 1996, and apprenticed in 2001 to Master Jean Paul Pierrepont. In the modern world, I have been a member of the US Faceters Guild.
How do I order?
First, contact me at an SCA event, or via E-mail or telephone to discuss your order. I will then likely need to check with dealers for pricing of the gem rough and, if you desire, a setting. Once we agree on a design, size, price, and approximate timeline for the project, I generally will require half the cost down initially, with the other half due on delivery. I accept cash in person, check, money order, or credit card through PayPal.