Designer's Choice gems are faceted in the United States by Master Lapidary Douglas Turet, using one of the finest 1/10th-degree accurate faceting machines available anywhere in the world today, the Ultra Tec© Facetor. In addition to properly centered tables and culets and polished girdles, most Designer's Choice gems benefit from the precision of computer-aided designs, the accuracy of meetpoint faceting and the kinds of optimally flat finishes only possible through the use of ceramic or BATT© polishing laps and 100,000 mesh (1/4 micron particle size) Diamond polishes. This marriage of technology and technique yields levels of beauty and optical excellence rarely seen by even the finest of jewelers. Because Designer's Choice gems are so slowly and painstakingly handcrafted, one piece at a time, their availability is extremely limited. However, they are frequently available in the following gem materials, and may be custom ordered in others:

Standard Plus gems are also faceted on modern machinery, feature reasonably well-centered tables and culets, and are cut to calibrated sizes and standard shapes with "industry standard" Diamond or oxide polishes, but are cut by our partners in Sri Lanka, rather than here in the United States. The finishes on Standard Plus gems are equal to those you'll find in most retail stores, and while not cut or polished to the same exacting standards as our Designer's Choice pieces, they do feature substantially better brilliance, polish and overall symmetry than those available from most jam-peg factories. As such, they're ideally suited for setting into the gold or silver mountings offered by most jewelry findings suppliers, and represent outstanding value for the money. Standard Plus gems are usually available in most of the following gem materials: