Gem cutting, or lapidary, turns dull rough rock into stones that blaze with light: you grind, shape, and polish, and in faceting you cut precise angles so the stone returns light to the eye.

It's a precise, absorbing craft with a magical reveal at the polishing stage.

The honest reality is that a faceting machine (or even a good cabbing setup) is a real investment, it's wet and messy work needing dedicated space, and faceting in particular has a steep, exacting learning curve.