This is the pricing structure and terms for my gem sourcing and recutting service to be offered during the Tucson Tradeshow from 25 Jan - 4 Feb 2018. Sourcing and Cutting Fees USD 200 sourcing fee. This is a refundable amount on condition, see below. USD 350 cutting fee per finished gem up to 3 carats, and additional USD 50 per carat thereafter. For example, a gem finishing at 5.5 carats will be 350 + (5.5 - 3) * 50 = 475 USD. A gem finishing at 0.8 carats will be 350 USD. This applies to cutting from rough or recuts. If trimming is required for rough (e.g. to cut 2 or more gems from a single piece of rough), then a trimming cost of USD 30 will be charged per piece of rough. If 2 or more gems are cut from one piece of rough, each cut gem will be charged individually based on the rate above. Payment Terms All shipping, insurance fees, applicable taxes, service fees and bank charges will be borne by the client. To reserve a place, an upfront but refundable sourcing fee of USD 200 via Paypal is required. The sourcing fee will be refunded if a suitable gem cannot be found by the end of the tradeshow on 4 Feb 2018, 5pm PDT. If a client cancels, this amount will be forfeited. Clients are required to be responsive in communication to enable decision-making;if a client is unreachable via reasonable means and timeframe, this amount will be forfeited. If a suitable gem is found, full payment for the cost of the gem must be made via Paypal or bank transfer before it can be acquired from the seller. For larger amounts, a bank transfer will be more economical but will usually take a day for the bank to process. If the client makes a commitment on a gem but payment is not furnished in time, the sourcing fee will be forfeited. Due to possible timezone differences, payment must be cleared before the cut off time of 2 Feb 2018, 12pm PDT. Please be aware that sellers are under no obligations to keep a stone on hold. When the recut is complete and upon the settlement of the balance of cutting fees (see above), shipping and miscellaneous costs, the finished gem will be shipped using the client's preferred shipping method, with insurance as an option. Selection Criteria My selection principle is based on these quality factors, in this order: 1) Colour, 2) Clarity, 3) (Re)cut yield, 4) Carat. Size will be the least concern and highest priority given to the colour. For a given budget, I will select the best possible colour and clarity over size. With the exception of blue zircons, only unheated/untreated material will be selected. Shipping Registered airmail and tracked services like FedEx/UPS/DHL are available. For FedEx, the 2017 rate shipping from Singapore is published here. Note that this chart does not include the various surcharges that are destination-dependent. http://images.fedex.com/downloads/sg/rates/export_2017.pdf For insurance, the shipper's liability is based on the declared value. Material Types The types of material offered are: Garnet, Spinel, Corundum and Zircon. This is based on the Refractive Index requirement of 1.72 and above and represent the types I have focused my work on. For highly birefringent material like Zircon, they will be (RE)cut down the C-axis so that there is no double image facing up for the purpose of light performance. Cutting Style All recuts will be performed in Rounds, Squares, Ovals or Cushions. Rounds are optically ideal for light performance cuts. The style of cut (brilliant, portuguese, step or radiant) will be at the cutter's discretion based on the material and the client's preference. For ovals and cushions, the maximum aspect ratio (length / width) will be 1.2 for the purpose of light performance. Each gem will receive a custom design using advanced optical simulation software I've built to achieve the best light performance and aesthetics with the least amount of weight loss. Yield When starting from a good shaped piece, typical weight loss from recuts is in the range of 15-30%. Occasionally, the loss can be as low as 5%. For recuts, depending on the overall symmetry, placement and angles of the original facets, some of these facets may be left behind for the sake of yield as cutting away all original facets will often mean greater wastage than necessary for light performance. If some original facets are left behind, they will often be at locations that do not impact light performance or face up appearance. Why Recuts? With the prices of rough soaring in recent years and availability of quality material declining from exhausted mines, recuts often represent the best value for money. The main advantage in recutting over cutting from rough is that the colour and clarity of the material is visible in plain sight, making quality judgment a risk-free process. Old stock material that is being released to the market can also be found at prices lower than current market rate of rough. Process Before the cutting process begins, options and yield estimates will be discussed with the client. During the cutting process, photos and videos will be provided as part of the experience of receiving a custom cut gem. Disclaimer Utmost care will be taken during the handling and cutting process. However, due to the often unpredictable nature of crystals, and existing or non-visible inclusions, unintended damage or breakage can sometimes occur, though such incidences are exceedingly rare and has yet to happen. The client understands such risks and agrees to indemnify the cutter against all losses. In the event that damage/breakage occurs, the cutting fee will be waived. |