Production

Managing the gem cutting process

Once extracted from the mine, the rough sapphire material is first sorted, and specimens found appropriate for further adaptation are cleaned and then sent to the lapidary in Israel. The workshop manager's first task is to plan the method of polishing for each and every stone, in order to make the most of each piece of precious material, and obtain the best gemstones from this procedure

Pre-form (Rough Cutting)

After deciding on the method of polishing, the stone is roughly cut and sawn, providing the stone with its general shape prior to fine polishing.

Setting the stone on the dop

After the rough cutting, the craftsman first glues the stone onto the work stick, called the dop, enabling a firm grip throughout the process. The process uses an optical-mechanical method for cold and hot pasting, ensuring maximum accuracy in centering the stone, and as a result enables the most accurate and symmetrical cutting.

Cutting and Polishing (Step-1)

After being set upon the dop, the stone is polished using modern polishing machinery with which the crown shape â the upper visible part of the stone - is created. Usually the stone is cut according to industry standard sizes, although you may request a special cutting method in order to create a certain effect.

Cutting and polishing the opposite side of the stone (Step-2)

At this point the craftsman decides on the cutting method (either diamond cut, step cut, flower cut or even rose cut) depending on which effect they want to create

Removing the stone and re-setting using 'reversing machine'

In order to cut the other side of the stone - the 'pavilion', one must remove and reset it on the 'dop'. Symmetrical re-setting is of major importance in order to create perfect cutting. This procedure was specially developed by high-tech engineers, in order to enable maximum symmetrical cutting and so ensuring perfect polishing.

Quality assurance

After completing the polishing process, the lapidary manager checks the stone in order to ensure its perfect cutting. Then the craftsman removes the stone from the 'dop' using a non-mechanical method to prevent damaging the stone. The RDA lapidary uses high-tech Israeli machinery for cutting and polishing in order to achieve maximum yield

Cleaning, sorting and storing

Upon completion of the process the stone is cleaned and catalogued, and then stored in the safe until shipped to the client