In 2002, the United States Faceters Guild (USFG) selected Jeff Graham’s Utopia as the Masters Division design for their Single Stone Competition. This large Barion pear cut is recommended for experienced faceters. [Reading time: 1 min]
Utopia gem design diagram

Utopia gem design by Jeff Graham © 2001.

You can find cutting instructions for the Utopia here.

An Elegant Barion Pear

There’s a real lack of high-performance Barion pear designs available to cutters. Originally, I created this design because, sometimes, there’s no substitute for a large Barion Pear. It seems I occasionally have rough that just needs this type of design.

Utopia gem design - citrine

Utopia, 13.3 cts, 18.3 x 13.5 x 11.5 mm, cut from a flawless Brazilian citrine by Jeff Graham. (Note: in 2002, the USFG required topaz for the competition stones).

The Utopia makes a very elegant pear. However, it’s not for novice faceters. I added two degrees to the pavilion tiers to cut this in quartz. It makes a nice stone. Of course, if you’re cutting for a competition, read the required cutting and materials specifications before starting.

Cutting Remarks

I recommend you cut the Utopia on the larger side, at least 8 mm wide. Larger is better because of the very small angle changes on the pavilion mains (P23, P24). On a small stone, you can omit those facets and adjust the others to meet.

Utopia gem design - bottom view

Utopia, girdle and pavilion view.

In refractive indices 1.62 to 1.76 (84.3%), cut it with no changes. I recommend a light to medium-colored material.

The pavilion point may need tweaking in on a very large stone. There’s an extremely minute chisel point (P19) that won’t be apparent in most stones. Cut pavilion to center point.

Enjoy cutting your own Utopia.

Utopia - array

Random – Cosine – ISO

Detailed faceting instructions by Jeff Graham available at The Rock Peddler