In Part 3, we continued to talk about the process to prepare a gemstone for cutting. As you can tell, much of the work associated with cutting a gem actually takes place before the first facet is created! However, we're finally ready to begin the actual act of gem cutting.

Here is our apatite. We've removed the stone, newly-affixed to the brass dop that will hold it firmly in place during the faceting process. It has been inserted into the spindle of the faceting machine.

There are many different makers of faceting machines, and all operate in a slightly different manner (some differ radically in the method of
operation), so I will not go into the specifics of how the the machine is setup. Rather, let's talk about the general principles behind all faceting machines. The faceting machine doesn't do any of the gem cutting work for you. It is simply a precision-built piece of equipment that holds a gemstone in exactly the right position, so that a facet can be placed right where it is needed. Almost all faceting machines consist of two major components:
1) An assembly to hold the stone and adjust its angle, height, and rotation about its central axis, and
2) a motor drive assembly to spin the laps that will grind the facets into place (and later the polishing laps that ultimately bring out the gem's brilliance).

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