Chrysopras gemstone carving poject
step by step

Time 3 to 6 hours depending your skills, work speed and organization. Weight Dimensions Carving technique as instructed by gemstone carver Markus Herrmann and realized in his workshop in Idar-Oberstein. Carving and photos of the educational project by Hubert Heldner.

	01	The rough Chrysopras has been sliced and a center hole was drilled.		02	Thikness about 1.5 cm.
	03	A large silicon carbide wheel served to shape		04	a rough preform,
	05	and to separate front and back petals.		06	The individual petals are roughly modulated.
	07	The next step is done on a large diamond wheel		08	as demonstrated by Katerina Kestemont.
	09	Here the petals are ground deeper		10	and the separation between high and low petals is accentuated.
	11	I start grinding diagonally between the petal to create the over lapping of them.		12	The shape of the petals is not defined yet.
	13	With a narrow diamond wheel the separation between the petals is ground deeper.		14	The flower gets some life. The texture of the coarse diamond wheel can easily be seen.
	15	Also the back side is carved, taking into account the overall thikness of the flower.		16	The next step requires small diamond coated tools with a finer grit.
	17	At least 3 different shapes are used to schape the surface and the separation between the petals.		18	The flower still looks bulky.
	19	I proceed with a rounded and quite wide grinding tool.		20	The surface and also the shape of the petals is defined.
	21	Nicely seen here the shape of the petals.		22	This is still a coarse grinding step and the tool leaves a rough surface.
	23	Ondulating the petals carefully from the front and backside.		24	And then working on the final thikness
	25	of the petals.		26	Working with a very thin diamond blade the separation between the petals is carved to its final depth.
	27	I start grinding with silicium carbide wheels which are fashioned into exactly the same shapes as the diamond tools.		28	Smoothing the surface first with roundes shapes, and then with narrower and sharper silicon carbide wheels.
	29	At least 2 different smoothing grits are used (400 and 600 mesh)		30	All carving traces have to disappear on the front and back side.
	31	The shape has been ground to a thikness where it becomes translucent. Good material without cracks is required.		32	The chrysopras flower is ready to undergo the fine grinding (1200 mesh) and final polishing step.
	33	This is the reward for several hours of work.		34	The finished chrysopras gemstone carving.

The history of gemstone carving
Idar-Oberstein the city of gemstone carvers.