Santa’s Little Helpers
Santa’s Little Helpers are two meetpoint designs for holiday season earrings intended to be cut from inexpensive materials such as glass, quartz, topaz, and CZ. In spite of having over 200 facets they can be cut quickly due to their high symmetry. Both designs are elaborated double rose style cuts for faceted spheres which produce “true” spheres. All of the vertices of each design are equidistant from its center. Cutting with Christmas ornament styled patterns of facets left frosted also speeds the process by eliminating a good deal of polishing as well as fretting over precision meets all around. (Only so many days left until Christmas you know.) The effect in clear quartz is ice-like, and will also work to good effect with blue topaz. The frosted facets can also serve to facilitate the use of less than eye clean rough by concealing and minimizing the effect of inclusions and other flaws. A minimum size of about 14mm is recommended. Bigger is prettier but also heavier. Weight is a cubic function of the diameter and your significant other may not tolerate a pair of 50mms. 😉
| Santa’s Little Helper I – designed by Bob Keller bob@rockhounds.com ©1999 | |
|---|---|
| 228 facets | 96 index |
| L/W = 1.000 H/W = 1.000 | Vol./W^3 = 0.492 |
| Hemisphere A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| p | 90.00 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Cut to equal depth, set size |
| 1 | 83.73 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Cut level girdle (equator) line |
| 2 | 78.84 | 02-06-10-14-18-22-26-30-34-38-42-46- 50-54-58-62-66-70-74-78-82-86-90-94 |
Meet p,1 |
| 3 | 56.48 | 02-06-10-14-18-22-26-30-34-38-42-46- 50-54-58-62-66-70-74-78-82-86-90-94 |
Meet 1,2 |
| 4 | 53.41 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 2,3 |
| 5 | 35.82 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 3,4 |
| 6 | 32.72 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 3,4,5 |
| 7 | 11.64 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 5,6,apex (pole) |
| Hemisphere B | |||
| 1 | 83.73 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 1,2 on hemisphere A |
| 2 | 78.84 | 02-06-10-14-18-22-26-30-34-38-42-46- 50-54-58-62-66-70-74-78-82-86-90-94 |
Meet p,1 |
| 3 | 56.48 | 02-06-10-14-18-22-26-30-34-38-42-46- 50-54-58-62-66-70-74-78-82-86-90-94 |
Meet 1,2 |
| 4 | 53.41 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 2,3 |
| 5 | 35.82 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 3,4 |
| 6 | 32.72 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 3,4,5 |
| 7 | 11.64 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 5,6,apex (pole) |
Transfer when you’ve finished the first hemisphere, and repeat the course 1-7 sequence on the second hemisphere.
| Santa’s Little Helper II – designed by Bob Keller bob@rockhounds.com ©1999 | |
|---|---|
| 216 facets | 96 index |
| L/W = 1.000 H/W = 1.000 | Vol./W^3 = 0.493 |
| Hemisphere A | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| p | 90.00 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Cut to equal depth, set size |
| 1 | 87.25 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Cut level girdle (equator) line |
| 2 | 75.25 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet p,1 |
| 3 | 68.53 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 1,2 |
| 4 | 58.68 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 1,2,3 |
| 5 | 48.80 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 3,4 |
| 6 | 42.53 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 3,4,5 |
| 7 | 28.76 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 5,6 |
| 8 | 26.15 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 5,6,7 |
| 9 | 9.31 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 7,8,apex (pole) |
| Hemisphere B | |||
| 1 | 87.25 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 1,2 on hemisphere A |
| 2 | 75.25 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 1,2 on hemisphere A, 1 |
| 3 | 68.53 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 1,2 |
| 4 | 58.68 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 1,2,3 |
| 5 | 48.80 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 3,4 |
| 6 | 42.53 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 3,4,5 |
| 7 | 28.76 | 96-08-16-24-32-40-48-56-64-72-80-88 | Meet 5,6 |
| 8 | 26.15 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 5,6,7 |
| 9 | 9.31 | 04-12-20-28-36-44-52-60-68-76-84-92 | Meet 7,8,apex (pole) |
Begin by cutting a 12-sided cylindrical preform. The height of the preformed cylinder must be equal to or greater than its maximum width for you to have enough material when you get to the course 9 (pole) facets. When you cut the course 1 facets for the first hemisphere, create a level ‘girdle’ (equator) line at half the height of cylinder.
Transfer when you’ve finished the first hemisphere, and repeat the course 1-9 sequence on the second hemisphere.
If you cut some Santa’s Little Helpers of your own, be sure and let me know what you’ve cut and how you made out.