Should we define what a Master Facetor is?

[FlashGP]

In the post "Faceting" Swirley asks what defines a Master Facetor?  The conversation that follows begs the question -

"Should there be a new class of competition under the judging rules open only to people who have achieved pre defined competancies.    For example people who have achieved a score of 98 or more in three Gemborees or natiomal competitions in a 4 year period?

Should there be some other quantative requirement to be recognised in the AFG as a Master?  Should there be two paths to admission to the ranks of Master.

I note the USFG has a qualification of master and I was a bit suprised at who was not on the list last time I looked.

[Ghost]

Guilds started out as trade associations.   Only Masters could be guild members.  Only Masters could have Apprentices.   Once Indentured, a Master usually had to keep the Apprentice until trained to at least Journeyman status.   After an appropriate time a Journeyman could apply to the guild to become a Master, and usually had to submit a Masterpiece so that Guild Masters could judge if his work was a sufficient standard to allow him to become a Master.
The long period of Apprenticeship and Journeymanship before attaining Master status was to protect the quality of the trade members work and their exclusive trade rights.   This is no longer applicable in this day and age of global cut price/throat trade.
There are no longer Apprentice Facetors nor Journeymen Facetors, so, do we need Masters?   Within our hobby orientated environment do we even need to call ourselves a Guild?
Just a couple of stupid questions to keep the conversation going.
Regards,   Ghost.

[Aussie Sapphire]

I think there should be a defined status of Master for two reasons:


a) so people have something to aspire to once they have got the basics of faceting under control and can cut well to a commercial standard.  This would be another level to work towards for those who have the desire.


b) it gives other people (eg potential customers) some objective definition to see that this cutter has been judged to be skilled at a superior level.


The actual definition can be argued about but I think the concept has value.


Just my 2c worth.  And speaking as someone who does NOT cut but who has seen lots of different levels of skill and lots of different ways to describe that.


cheers
Leah

[FlashGP]

Leah, i agree.

The Master, Journeyman, Apprentice system effectively died out between the start of the 20th centuary and the 1950s.  It no longer applies when Government or other organisations train people to do the job. 

In any event the de-skilling of the workforce brought on by mechanisation means that true masters are probably not commercial and it is up to bespoke artisans and hobbiests to keep the traditional Master skills alive if there are any as such.

if we had a Master qualification that meant something, perhaps it might translate to better rates for cutting due to people recognisingthe skill of a Master Facetor as it tells people the Facetor has reached a predefined standard and quality of work.

[swirly]

thanks for all the good comments.

[journeyman]

A Master cutter is not someone that has past a set of competition features on a few gemstones, but someone that has years or experience in every aspect of faceting, be able to impart knowledge about gemstone characteristics- gemmology, best cutting angles, orientation, polishing, grading, re-cutting, etc. etc. etc. We're all Journeymen till we can achieve all this in my opinion.


Paul

[FlashGP]

I agree that a certain depth of knowledge is an important requirement for any qualification, just as there are minimum requirements for judges. 

We need to define the standard needed before the title can be conferred on a candidate.  But consistently cutting to a high standard should  be one criteria.

Even then the learning does not stop.

Regards
Gordon