Summary
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.
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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