What Is a Rough Cut Gem Stone?

A rough cut gem stone is halfway between the mine and the showroom. Once the stone is extracted from the earth with varying degrees of difficulty, it is cut to show its potential. It can be sold at this stage on the open market but most often is moved along predetermined channels of business associates. The final cut is done to preserve size and enhance its sparkle or light reflecting qualities. The cut of a stone affects price but not as much as the innate quality of the stone

Mining

With their beautiful colors and sparkle, gems have been a part of human culture for thousands of years. A rare commodity asking a high price, gemstones have been aggressively mined for centuries. Some less valued stones can be easily come by in streams or hillsides, while others require boring hundreds sometimes thousands of miles into the earth in pursuit of them. These demand a higher price because of the labor involved in their acquisition.

Rough Cut

Fresh from the mine, it is often hard to see what all the fuss is about as gems tend to look more like any other rock then a sparkling jewel. After the mine, they are processed, meaning the rough points are removed to preserve as much size as possible at the same time showing their color and clarity potential. This is the first stage of market for the gem stone.

Sales

Once rough cut the gems make their way to market, they can be purchased by jewelers, gem enthusiasts, or anyone with the cash necessary to buy a stone. Often though stones of exceptional quality are not sent to the open market as their real value wont be achieved until they have a finished cut on them. Many mining companies have relationships with gemcutters and jewelers in place to ensure there are fewer people to divide the profits amongst.

Finished Cuts

The final cut of a gem stone has several goals. Retaining the most size possible is paramount, the bigger the stone the higher the value. Second though is light reflection, the more sparkle the better. It takes years of practice and a steady hand to cut precious stones as one slip can transform a multi-million dollar stone to several stones of much lower value. There are a handful of people in the world trusted with extremely large diamonds.

Value

The value of a stone is determined from several variables. The first factor is clarity and color. The gem buyers are looking for a true color throughout as well as a clear stone. These elements allow for the most sparkle and brilliance. Muddy colors or imperfections in clarity lower the value. The next factor is size. A large imperfectly colored poor clarity stone is not valued nearly as high as a small perfect stone. Finally, consider the cut. Certain cuts are given to preserve size but cut shape is a personal preference to the consumer.