GemDiagram Docs

Cutting Assistant: Following the Sequence

Cutting Assistant walks you through each tier in order, showing the angles, distances, and facet count for the current tier.

Tier view

For each tier, you see:

  • Tier name: e.g., "Pavilion mains", "Crown breaks".
  • Angle: The facet tilt angle in degrees.
  • Distance: The facet-plane offset from the center (controls facet size).
  • Cone angle: The half-angle of the imaginary cone the tier forms (calculated from angle and distance).
  • Facet count: How many facets are in this tier (e.g., "8 facets").
  • Progress: How many you've cut so far (e.g., "3 of 8").

Below the tier summary, a gear diagram shows the 96-index positions. Positions you've already cut are marked; the next position to cut is highlighted.

Cutting a facet

For each facet in the tier:

  1. Check the angle and distance on the tier summary (you've already set these in the Developer or loaded them from the design file).
  2. Position your stone on the dop (the cutting stick) to align the next index position.
  3. Cut the facet on the lapidary wheel, using the angle and distance as your guide.
  4. Mark it done by clicking the checkbox or tapping the next facet button in Cutting Assistant.

Cutting Assistant then shows the next facet to cut.

Tier-by-tier order

The standard order is:

  1. Girdle: Set the blank and outline.
  2. Pavilion (steep to shallow): Pavilion mains first, then breaks, then culet.
  3. Crown (shallow to steep): Crown mains, then breaks, then star, then table.

But your machine or technique might use a different order (e.g., some cutters do the table first to establish the center reference). Use Cutting Assistant's order as a guide, but follow your machine's best practice if it differs.

Visual feedback

The gear diagram updates as you mark facets done — it fills in with color to show your progress, giving you a visual sense of how many facets remain in the current tier.

Moving to the next tier

Once you've marked all facets in a tier as done, click Next Tier to move to the next one. Cutting Assistant automatically shows the next tier in the cutting sequence.

See Cutting Assistant: At the Machine for practical tips while you're actively cutting.