Australian Facetors' Guild Limited

In Part D Free Form is defined as any not laminated  and polished on all faces but not machine faceted and not covered by Groups 1,2 and 4 to 14. 

This definition catches all conceivable types of form that are not covered elsewhere and which do not include machine faceted forms.  For example a Free Form can include a stone which has been faceted by hand holding a dop stick.

Purpose

I feel Section 39B should catch all types of machine related faceting cuts that are not represented in other Sections and Groups in the rules.  This will allow for future innovations, which if popular enough may warrant creation of a separate Group.

Section Name.

I feel Section 39B should be named "Freeform Faceting Cuts" to distinguish it from Group 3 "Free Form", the difference in spelling "Free Form" vs "Freeform" is not enough and :Freeform Cuts" may lead to confusion in common usage, or among novices.

Definition

Adopting the same definition methodology as that used in Group 3 will cater for future innovations which do not fit into Groups 1 to 14 (e.g. which would be a Group 3 Free Form but for the stone including machines faceted faces.  

This should allow the rules to cover the field of lapidary other than lapidary in Groups 15 to 38.

I am also not sure why the material has to be transparent within the meaning in the rules, a degree of fuzziness should be allowed.

The definition of Freeform Cuts is wholly subsumed by Groups 10 and 11, and those group definitions would need modification to exclude Freeform Cuts in Section 39B.

Lamination

I'm not sure if there is a need to prohibit laminated material if we exclude stones fitting into Groups 1 to 17 from this section.

Restriction to set cuts

The picture of a freeform in Paul's submission is of a stone cut to follow the outline of the rough from which it was cut.  Setting an asymmetric design and calling it a Freeform Cut sort of defeats the point of having a freeform cut.  In Group 3, entrants are not restricted to a set shape.  

We can deal with the issues of judges being able to judge a faceted freeform by requiring the entrants to submit a photo of the rough on the dop stick with the photo oriented down the centre axis of the dop and requiring the entrant to submit a hand or computer drawn diagram (e.g. using Gemcad or similar) with the stone, the diagram not to include cutting instructions or any feature which would identify the entrant.

Proposed section 39B

I propose the following as Section 39B.

"Definition of Freeform Faceting Cut: A stone cut from a single piece of Natural or Man-Made lapidary material (as defined in D2 and D11.1r), on which  a number of flat or curved surfaces have been cut and polished using some type of dedicated faceting machine and which does not fit into any of Groups 1 to 17, and sections 39A, 39C and 39D.  The  Competition Committee may restrict the lapidary material to any combination of transparent, translucent  material or opaque material, or specify the degree of translucency of the material. 

The Competition Committee may require a set cut, allow entrants to cut according to the shape of the rough or allow a combination of these methods.  

If the Competition Committee allows entrants to submit stones cut to  the shape of the rough from which they are cut, or which do not conform to any design specified in the competition schedule, the stone must be accompanied by the following.

1. A  photograph of the rough on the dop stick taken looking parallel to the axis of the dop with the stone between the camera and dop.

2. Accurate hand or computer drawn (for example using Gemcad or similar) faceting diagrams with no cutting instructions or features which would identify the entrant.

If competition schedule allows  entrants to follow the outline of the rough three marks for Aesthetic Appeal will be allocated for how well the outline matched the outline of the rough and the practicality of the cut for jewellery.  If the lapidary material is opaque, all marks for Aesthetic Appeal will be allocated towards these judging features in lieu of how well the stone reflects light."