Anyone Faceted Synthetic Rutile Gem rough? Any Advice.

[Tinminer]

Have been accumulation gemstone bits for many years. Getting back to doing some faceting.

I have some Synthetic Rutile pieces that have been in the box for about 10yrs and intend to have a go at some of it.
[1x18gm and 1x78gm]

The 18gm  is a cone  cross section from a boule. 10mmDiam(XY) one end 20mmDiam other end and 20mm long(Z).
So some fine saw cutting to get a few pieces from it. OR 1 piece about 15mm round brilliant?


Any advice on how to orient it for faceting? [ if X and  Y across the boule and Z through the core ]

[RoughCreations]

Hi Tinminer,
you have posed some interesting questions, both for the rutile and for the AgateMaster platten in another thread (replacing platten bearings generally), I am very interested in both topics. I saw a faceted synth rutile on Instagram recently and was very impressed, enough that I might make it the first synthetic material I will facet.
Can't add much to the thread though unfortunately, but this is enlightening:

[RoughCreations]

Based on the information in the video, my approach would be to go for the 15mm round brilliant as you would get the least amount of facet doubling in that orientation (down the z-axis). I would probably pick a design other than a SRB that has a tall crown to maximise the already amazing dispersion of rutile. The design must suit an RI of 2.61+ though...

RC

[Tinminer]

Hi RoughCreations,
thanks for the interest and that video which has some info on which way to attack a piece of Rutile.
I got interested in this material about 50yrs ago when as a young fellow on a country farm, we had rock collectors visiting to find quartz and topaz on the old tinmining sites along the creek down the back paddock. I recall one of these fellows displaying some of his work, and there was a piece of rutile in his collection. my memory was it blazing colour from every reflection, so i kept the memory and decided one day..... Guess that days getting close 

This material has excellent optical properties, so i'd want to make sure I take advantage of them when i cut it.

Trying to get my head around Birefringence.
Is it a good thing or bad when faceting ?
Some reading say splitting the light into 2 rays could minimize the brilliance... so for max fire  the less the better?
Not something i considered in the past cutting various quartz types and topaz and small sapphire.
usually orientation to get the best size from these smaller pieces and to remove and surface flaws.

the vid says orienting the Rutile on the main axis will minimize it and on the cross axis will take maximize it.
Maximum brilliance would sounds like the go, as its attraction will be that rainbow fire from every reflection? I wonder if ray splitting wouldnt give additional reflection as well or would that direct light out of the cullet instead of back up? Maybe need to run simulation on one of those faceting apps if they allow changing these properties to get the effects?
Ahhh so many things to keep the grey matter active....😁

 
 

[Tinminer]

thanks RC,
I was in the middle of the last reply when you posted , so,
your suggestion sounds like the best option, yes.

And with the size shape of rough i can trim some pieces off with 4" saw , so might have some trimmed off small pieces that would optimize size on other axis and could see what happens.

[Tinminer]

Hi RC,

Found this link, has a series of photos on his process as he cut it. I think it agrees with what we discuss for orientation?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Shinypreciousgems/comments/zvg97w/the_worlds_largest_synthetic_rutile_teaching_post/

[RoughCreations]

Hi RC,

Found this link, has a series of photos on his process as he cut it. I think it agrees with what we discuss for orientation?

https://www.reddit.com/r/Shinypreciousgems/comments/zvg97w/the_worlds_largest_synthetic_rutile_teaching_post/

Interesting. He ended up going for yield, but will have a fuzzy looking stone with that orientation.