How to Facet Citrine Gemstone – From Rough to Brilliant

Citrine is one of those gemstones that immediately capture your attention with their warm, golden glow and natural brilliance. Its color ranges from soft yellow to deep honey or even orange, often reminding people of sunlight trapped inside a crystal.

In this two-part video series, I take you behind the scenes of my gemstone faceting process — where I facet citrine from its raw, uncut form into a brilliant, polished gem. You’ll see every stage of the journey: evaluating the rough, deciding how to orient it, cutting and polishing each facet, and finally revealing the stone’s full inner light.

This project shows how much transformation can happen when craftsmanship, patience, and creativity meet the natural beauty of citrine.

Episode 1 – Choosing the Gemstone

In the first episode, I take you right up to my workbench, revealing the full collection of gemstones I’m currently exploring and planning to facet.

Among them are the deep, shifting hues of iolite, which can show incolor, grey, and blue tones all in the same stone, the rich blues of sapphire, the bright, sunny tones of yellow citrine, the fiery, vibrant shades of orange sunfire citrine, the sparkling clarity of topaz, and the unique bi-color beauty of ametrine.

Each stone has its own character and challenges, and I explain why I chose to focus on one particular citrine for this project

Each stone has its own charm, color tone, and cutting challenge, but the one that caught my eye most was the 15.35-carat yellow citrine. Its rich golden hue and transparency made it the perfect candidate for a new faceting project.

Instead of following a traditional faceting diagram, I decided to facet citrine freely, guided only by its natural shape and light reflection. This method allows the stone’s internal structure and color zones to dictate how it should be cut, ensuring the final design enhances both brilliance and depth.

It’s a more artistic and intuitive way to work — where precision meets creativity, and the gemstone itself almost “tells” you how it wants to be shaped.

Watch Episode 1 below:

Episode 2 – The Faceting Process

The second episode walks through the complete process of how I facet citrine, from the very first cut to the final mirror-like polish. This stage is where patience and precision truly matter.

Every movement, every adjustment of the machine, and every degree on the protractor changes how the light will travel through the stone.

Using my JMbpkduHs faceting machine <– Amazon affiliate link 🙂  I start by aligning the citrine carefully to find the best orientation for both color and clarity. Once the angles are set, the slow and methodical process begins — cutting each facet to balance the symmetry and maximize brilliance.

Water is used throughout to cool the stone and prevent dust, ensuring a smooth and flawless surface.

After several hours of focused work, the transformation is complete. The once rough 15.35-carat citrine is now a 7.15-carat faceted gemstone, radiating with a deep golden hue and perfect symmetry.

Each facet catches and reflects the light differently, creating a sparkle that feels almost alive — the true reward for anyone who takes the time to facet citrine by hand.

Watch Episode 2 below:

The Final Result

The finished citrine demonstrates that even a seemingly ordinary piece of quartz can transform into a stunning gemstone when you take the time to facet citrine carefully and precisely. Every facet has been aligned and polished to create a well-proportioned, symmetrical gem that captures and reflects light beautifully, revealing its inner brilliance and warm, golden hues.

For anyone fascinated by the art of gemstone cutting, the precision of macro photography, or the joy of uncovering nature’s hidden beauty, this project is a perfect example of what patience, skill, and creativity can achieve.

To see more faceting projects, detailed gemstone photography, and step-by-step tutorials, check out my YouTube channel, where I regularly share videos on gemstone faceting and macro photography.