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PROFACET ENTERS THE CONTEST: 20 YEARS OF USFG COMPETITION STONES (2006 TO 2025)

October 31, 2026 • ProFacet Computational Faceting

Computation

A quick note: I’m not a trained gemologist. No GIA diploma, no mineralogy degree, and no traditional bench apprenticeship. Just a software engineer who fell down the rabbit hole of faceting machines, geometry, and how light bounces around inside crystals.

Every year, custom gem cutters from around the world dop a piece of rough, Zero out their mast, and mail a finished gemstone in a tiny parcel to the judges of the United States Faceters Guild (USFG) Single Stone Competition. Under ten-power loupes and binocular microscopes, anonymous judges inspect every meetpoint, girdle junction, polish plane, and millimeter of width against a strict specification sheet.

What happens if we enter our own virtual cutting studio into twenty consecutive years of the contest? We gathered all 70 official USFG Single Stone Competition designs from 2006 through 2025 across the Novice, Pre-Master, Master, and Grand Master divisions, built their exact three-dimensional polyhedra, and rendered every stone using the exact same studio lighting, camera angle, and GPU path-tracing settings as our store catalog and our Fifteen Masters of the Index Gear showcase.

70-stone crown blueprint atlas across 20 years of the USFG Single Stone Competition from 2006 to 2025 — Top-down crown architecture and total facet counts of all 70 USFG Single Stone Competition cuts from 2006 through 2025 across the Novice, Pre-Master, Master, and Grand Master classes.

Look at the twenty-year blueprint atlas above and you can watch competitive faceting evolve year by year: from the three-division era of 2006 through 2015 (Novice, Pre-Master, and Master) to the launch of the four-division era in 2016 when the Grand Master class was introduced for cutters who had already conquered Master certification.

1. 2006 Usfg Competition: Octagons, Silicon Blossoms, And The 1210 Oval#

The 2006 competition opened our twenty-year run with three distinct geometric tests: Norman Lenz's Beginners Cut on a clean eight-sided octagonal outline for Novice cutters, Greg Glenn's twelve-sided Silicon Blossom for Pre-Master, and Jeff Ford's 1210 Oval in Cubic Zirconia for the Master class. Notice how Ford's 103-facet 1210 Oval uses sixteen girdle segments and a dense Barion-style pavilion fan to eliminate the dark central bow-tie shadow that plagues traditional ovals.

GPU path-traced studio render of Norman Lenz's 2006 USFG Novice Beginners Cut in Siberian amethyst — **2006 Novice: Beginners Cut by Norman Lenz in Siberian Amethyst (RI 1.54, Octagon).** A 41-facet eight-fold octagonal cut designed to teach clean level girdles and four-way crown star meets.

GPU path-traced studio render of Greg Glenn's 2006 USFG Pre-Master Silicon Blossom in Mahenge pink spinel — **2006 Pre-Master: Silicon Blossom by Greg Glenn in Pink Spinel (RI 1.72, Hexagon).** A 90-facet twelve-sided floral brilliant with alternating long and short girdle facets.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2006 USFG Master 1210 Oval in ice-blue cubic zirconia — **2006 Master: 1210 Oval by Jeff Ford in Ice-Blue Cubic Zirconia (RI 2.15, Oval).** A 103-facet sixteen-sided oval engineered with a radiant multi-tier pavilion.

2. 2007 Usfg Competition: The All-octagon Gauntlet#

In 2007, all three classes shared a regular eight-fold octagonal outline while stepping up facet density and meetpoint intricacy at each level: Quincy D. Howell's 37-facet Easy Octagon in Novice, Tom Ricks's 61-facet Gold Octagon in Pre-Master, and Wayne A. Crabtree's 81-facet Pacific Star in Master, where a sixteen-rayed pavilion star meets an eight-pointed floral crown.

GPU path-traced studio render of Quincy D. Howell's 2007 USFG Novice Easy Octagon in Madeira honey citrine — **2007 Novice: Easy Octagon by Quincy D. Howell in Honey Citrine (RI 1.54, Octagon).** A crisp 37-facet octagonal step-and-star cut built around straightforward eight-fold meetpoints.

GPU path-traced studio render of Tom Ricks's 2007 USFG Pre-Master Gold Octagon in cobalt blue spinel — **2007 Pre-Master: Gold Octagon by Tom Ricks in Cobalt Spinel (RI 1.72, Octagon).** A 61-facet octagonal brilliant introducing split pavilion breaks and floating crown kites.

GPU path-traced studio render of Wayne A. Crabtree's 2007 USFG Master Pacific Star in rhodolite garnet — **2007 Master: Pacific Star by Wayne A. Crabtree in Rhodolite Garnet (RI 1.72, Octagon).** An 81-facet octagonal showpiece with sixteen-fold pavilion breaks and a layered star crown.

3. 2008 Usfg Competition: Jeff Ford's Alpha, Beta, And Gamma Brilliants#

Master cutter and competition archivist Jeff Ford authored all three designs for the 2008 contest as a graduated trilogy of sixteen-girdle round brilliants: Alpha Brilliant (57 facets in quartz) for Novice, Beta Brilliant (a 73-facet Standard Round Brilliant in cubic zirconia) for Pre-Master, and Gamma Brilliant (97 facets in corundum with split girdle facets and multi-tier pavilion checks) for Master.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2008 USFG Novice Alpha Brilliant in Rose de France amethyst — **2008 Novice: Alpha Brilliant by Jeff Ford in Rose Amethyst (RI 1.54, Round).** A 57-facet sixteen-sided round brilliant introducing Novice cutters to continuous round girdle leveling.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2008 USFG Pre-Master Beta Brilliant SRB in tanzanite-tone cubic zirconia — **2008 Pre-Master: Beta Brilliant (SRB) by Jeff Ford in Tanzanite-Tone CZ (RI 2.15, Round).** The classic 73-facet sixteen-girdle Standard Round Brilliant cut in high-dispersion cubic zirconia.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2008 USFG Master Gamma Brilliant in Ceylon blue sapphire — **2008 Master: Gamma Brilliant by Jeff Ford in Ceylon Blue Sapphire (RI 1.76, Round).** Completing Ford's 2008 trilogy with 97 facets and paired off-axis girdle segments.

4. 2009 Usfg Competition: Triangles, Jokers, And The Superpear#

The 2009 slate tested three completely different symmetries: Tom Herbst's truncated three-fold Tris de Garnet for Novice, Greg Glenn's 60-facet octagonal Joker for Pre-Master, and Robert Long and Norman Steele's famous 80-facet Superpear 96 teardrop for the Master division.

GPU path-traced studio render of Tom Herbst's 2009 USFG Novice Tris de Garnet in seafoam prasiolite quartz — **2009 Novice: Tris de Garnet by Tom Herbst in Prasiolite Quartz (RI 1.54, Triangle).** A compact 25-facet cut-corner triangle teaching three-fold apex and corner alignment.

GPU path-traced studio render of Greg Glenn's 2009 USFG Pre-Master Joker in Padparadscha sapphire — **2009 Pre-Master: Joker by Greg Glenn in Padparadscha Sapphire (RI 1.76, Octagon).** A 60-facet octagonal brilliant with alternating step and star crown facets.

GPU path-traced studio render of Robert Long and Norman Steele's 2009 USFG Master Superpear 96 in Oregon copper sunstone — **2009 Master: Superpear 96 by Long & Steele in Oregon Sunstone (RI 1.54, Shield).** An 80-facet sixteen-girdle pear cut requiring precise single-axis mirror symmetry from belly to tip.

5. 2010 Usfg Competition: Rounds, Rectangles, And Check This#

In 2010, Jeff Ford bookended the competition with NOVIMMX (a 57-facet round for Novice) and Check This (a 93-facet round checkerboard-crown brilliant in cubic zirconia for Master), while Dan Clayton's Rand's Cut Corner Rectangle #1 challenged Pre-Master entrants with an elongated rectangular outline.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2010 USFG Novice NOVIMMX in golden lemon quartz — **2010 Novice: NOVIMMX by Jeff Ford in Golden Lemon Quartz (RI 1.54, Round).** A 57-facet Roman-numeral 2010 commemorative round brilliant.

GPU path-traced studio render of Dan Clayton's 2010 USFG Pre-Master Rand's Cut Corner Rectangle #1 in blush rose quartz — **2010 Pre-Master: Rand's Cut Corner Rect #1 by Dan Clayton in Rose Quartz (RI 1.54, Rectangle).** A 53-facet cut-corner rectangular cushion with Barion pavilion steps.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2010 USFG Master Check This in champagne gold cubic zirconia — **2010 Master: Check This by Jeff Ford in Champagne CZ (RI 2.15, Round).** A 93-facet round brilliant crowned with an interlocking ring of diamond-shaped checker facets.

6. 2011 Usfg Competition: Hexagons And Wolkonsky's Mini-barion#

The 2011 competition paired two six-fold hexagonal brilliants (Jeff Ford's 36-facet Aphex in Novice and Charles W. Covill's 55-facet Hexa Brilliant #5 in Pre-Master) with European master Alexandre Wolkonsky's 85-facet Mini Cushion Barion Square for the Master class.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2011 USFG Novice Aphex in smoky mandarin quartz — **2011 Novice: Aphex by Jeff Ford in Mandarin Quartz (RI 1.54, Hexagon).** A 36-facet hexagonal brilliant with a six-rayed pavilion and crisp six-sided table.

GPU path-traced studio render of Charles W. Covill's 2011 USFG Pre-Master Hexa Brilliant #5 in mandarin spessartine — **2011 Pre-Master: Hexa Brilliant #5 by Charles W. Covill in Spessartine Garnet (RI 1.72, Hexagon).** A 55-facet six-fold star cut with split pavilion mains.

GPU path-traced studio render of Alexandre Wolkonsky's 2011 USFG Master Mini Cushion Barion Square in Montana teal sapphire — **2011 Master: Mini Cushion Barion Square by Alexandre Wolkonsky in Teal Sapphire (RI 1.76, Square).** An 85-facet sixteen-girdle cushion requiring delicate Barion crescent control.

7. 2012 Usfg Competition: Botanical Crowns And Chevron Hexagons#

In 2012, Novice cutters tackled the 65-facet cut-corner square USFG-1, Pre-Master cutters faceted Michiko Huynh's twelve-fold floral Amaryllis 1, and Master cutters took on Charles Moon and Roscoe Clark's 73-facet CHEVHEXCZ in cubic zirconia, where V-shaped chevron facets frame a radiant six-pointed star.

GPU path-traced studio render of the 2012 USFG Novice USFG-1 in Siberian amethyst — **2012 Novice: USFG-1 by the USFG Committee in Siberian Amethyst (RI 1.54, Square).** A 65-facet cut-corner square teaching multi-tier pavilion step-downs.

GPU path-traced studio render of Michiko Huynh's 2012 USFG Pre-Master Amaryllis 1 in Madeira honey citrine — **2012 Pre-Master: Amaryllis 1 by Michiko Huynh in Honey Citrine (RI 1.54, Round).** A 64-facet twelve-sided floral brilliant with a six-petal amaryllis blossom on the crown.

GPU path-traced studio render of Charles Moon and Roscoe Clark's 2012 USFG Master CHEVHEXCZ in lavender cubic zirconia — **2012 Master: CHEVHEXCZ by Moon & Clark in Lavender CZ (RI 2.15, Hexagon).** A 73-facet hexagonal showstopper engineered for cubic zirconia with steep chevron crown facets.

8. 2013 Usfg Competition: The Asscher Suite (novice, Pre-master, And Dpc Ash-er)#

Step-cut squares are famous among competition judges because wide, flat step facets leave nowhere to hide a scratch or a slightly off-level girdle. In 2013, the USFG dedicated the entire competition to three progressively more intricate variations of the Asscher cut: Novice Ash-er (49 facets), Premaster Ash-er (65 facets), and Dale P. Carriere and Jeff Ford's DPC Ash-er (73 facets).

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2013 USFG Novice Ash-er in Rose de France amethyst — **2013 Novice: Novice Ash-er by Jeff Ford in Rose Amethyst (RI 1.54, Square).** A 49-facet cut-corner Asscher square with classic windmill crown corners.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2013 USFG Pre-Master Ash-er in emerald-green cubic zirconia — **2013 Pre-Master: Premaster Ash-er by Jeff Ford in Emerald-Green CZ (RI 2.15, Square).** A 65-facet Asscher variant adding split pavilion main rays under terraced crown steps.

GPU path-traced studio render of Dale Carriere and Jeff Ford's 2013 USFG Master DPC Ash-er in canary yellow cubic zirconia — **2013 Master: DPC Ash-er by Carriere & Ford in Canary Yellow CZ (RI 2.15, Square).** A 73-facet high-index Asscher combining deep step terraces with a brilliant culet star.

9. 2014 Usfg Competition: The Year Of Hearts#

If 2013 was the year of the Asscher square, 2014 was the year of the heart: Jeff Graham's Simple Heart (44 facets with a cleft top lobe) for Novice, Robert W. Strickland's three-fold Tri-Heart (67 facets) for Pre-Master, and Strickland's 97-facet Heart of Nines for Master, which demands nine separate girdle tiers and razor-sharp cleft facets.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Graham's 2014 USFG Novice Simple Heart in seafoam prasiolite quartz — **2014 Novice: Simple Heart by Jeff R. Graham in Prasiolite Quartz (RI 1.54, Shield).** A 44-facet eleven-girdle heart cut introducing single-mirror cleft preforming.

GPU path-traced studio render of Robert Strickland's 2014 USFG Pre-Master Tri-Heart in mint Merelani garnet — **2014 Pre-Master: Tri-Heart by Robert W. Strickland in Mint Garnet (RI 1.72, Triangle).** A clever 67-facet three-fold cushioned trilliant that echoes a trio of interlocking hearts.

GPU path-traced studio render of Robert Strickland's 2014 USFG Master Heart of Nines in Burmese ruby — **2014 Master: Heart of Nines by Robert W. Strickland in Burmese Ruby (RI 1.76, Shield).** A virtuoso 97-facet seventeen-girdle heart with an intricate multi-tier pavilion fan.

10. 2015 Usfg Competition: Sundials, Omni Cushions, And Tumbuka Fulu#

The final year of the three-division era featured Jeffrey Hunt's 61-facet round Sundial in Novice, Robert Strickland's 89-facet OMNI Square Cushion in Pre-Master, and Jeffrey Hunt and David Dawson's 85-facet Tumbuka Fulu (named after the Tumbuka word for tortoise) in Master, whose arched hexagonal dome resembles a carved tortoise shell.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeffrey Hunt's 2015 USFG Novice Sundial in Oregon copper sunstone — **2015 Novice: Sundial by Jeffrey Hunt in Oregon Sunstone (RI 1.54, Round).** A 61-facet sixteen-girdle round cut with radiating sundial spokes on the pavilion.

GPU path-traced studio render of Robert Strickland's 2015 USFG Pre-Master OMNI Square Cushion in golden lemon quartz — **2015 Pre-Master: OMNI Square Cushion by Robert W. Strickland in Lemon Quartz (RI 1.54, Square).** An 89-facet sixteen-sided cushion built on a centerpoint OMNI preform.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeffrey Hunt and David Dawson's 2015 USFG Master Tumbuka Fulu in Swiss blue topaz — **2015 Master: Tumbuka Fulu by Hunt & Dawson in Swiss Blue Topaz (RI 1.61, Shield).** An 85-facet tortoise-shell shield cut with twelve girdle facets and a sculpted polygonal dome.

11. 2016 Usfg Competition: Debut Of The Grand Master Class And Fairy Wand#

In 2016, the USFG expanded the competition to four divisions by inaugurating the Grand Master class. Arya Akhavan contributed both the Novice cut (Treforze, a 25-facet Triforce-inspired triangle) and the Master cut (Event Horizon, an 82-facet cushioned trilliant), Michiko Huynh's famous Beginner Barion Oval (Quake311) anchored Pre-Master, and Edith Strout's 145-facet, 24-girdle Fairy Wand in cubic zirconia set a dazzling standard for the first Grand Master trophy.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2016 USFG Novice Treforze in blush rose quartz — **2016 Novice: Treforze by Arya Akhavan in Rose Quartz (RI 1.54, Triangle).** A 25-facet triangle framing an inscribed three-triangle emblem inside the table.

GPU path-traced studio render of Michiko Huynh's 2016 USFG Pre-Master Beginner Barion Oval in lavender tanzanite spinel — **2016 Pre-Master: Beginner Barion Oval (Quake311) by Michiko Huynh in Spinel (RI 1.72, Oval).** A 73-facet twelve-sided Barion oval celebrated for its bright, bow-tie-free center.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2016 USFG Master Event Horizon in smoky mandarin quartz — **2016 Master: Event Horizon by Arya Akhavan in Mandarin Quartz (RI 1.54, Triangle).** An 82-facet fifteen-girdle cushioned triangle with a swirling vortex pavilion.

GPU path-traced studio render of Edith Strout's 2016 USFG Grand-Master Fairy Wand in cobalt cubic zirconia — **2016 Grand Master: Fairy Wand by Edith Strout in Cobalt CZ (RI 2.15, Round).** The inaugural Grand Master cut: 145 facets and 24 girdle segments arranged in a radiant eight-fold star.

12. 2017 Usfg Competition: Encore Of The Classics And Shining Beauty#

To mark the 2017 contest, the committee revisited three beloved historical competition cuts alongside a classic Fred Van Sant and Ralph Mathewson oval: Jeff Ford's Aphex in Novice, Charles Covill's Hexa Brilliant #5 in Pre-Master, Mathewson and Van Sant's 77-facet Shining Beauty in Master, and Ford's 103-facet 1210 Oval elevated to the Grand Master division.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2017 USFG Novice Aphex in Siberian amethyst — **2017 Novice: Aphex by Jeff Ford in Siberian Amethyst (RI 1.54, Hexagon).** The 36-facet six-fold hexagonal classic returning as the 2017 Novice test.

GPU path-traced studio render of Charles W. Covill's 2017 USFG Pre-Master Hexa Brilliant #5 in Mahenge pink spinel — **2017 Pre-Master: Hexa Brilliant #5 by Charles W. Covill in Pink Spinel (RI 1.72, Hexagon).** Fifty-five facets of crisp six-rayed star geometry.

GPU path-traced studio render of Ralph Mathewson and Fred Van Sant's 2017 USFG Master Shining Beauty in Imperial sherry topaz — **2017 Master: Shining Beauty by Mathewson & Van Sant in Imperial Topaz (RI 1.61, Oval).** A 77-facet ten-girdle oval with split pavilion star rays.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Ford's 2017 USFG Grand-Master 1210 Oval in ice-blue cubic zirconia — **2017 Grand Master: 1210 Oval by Jeff Ford in Ice-Blue CZ (RI 2.15, Oval).** The 103-facet sixteen-girdle oval classic returning for the Grand Master division.

13. 2018 Usfg Competition: Yggdrasil, Trottola, Winter's Grasp, And Kiev Triangle#

The 2018 lineup brought together three contemporary designers and a legendary Ukrainian-inspired trilliant: Arya Akhavan's 41-facet cushioned square Yggdrasil (Novice) and 103-facet rectangular cushion Winter's Grasp (Master), Marco Voltolini's 45-facet pinwheel square Trottola (Pre-Master), and Jerry Newman's 139-facet Kiev Triangle (Grand Master), whose 21 girdle segments and cascading pavilion steps turn low-index quartz into a sheet of metallic-bright reflections.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2018 USFG Novice Yggdrasil in cobalt blue spinel — **2018 Novice: Yggdrasil by Arya Akhavan in Cobalt Spinel (RI 1.72, Square).** A 41-facet eight-girdle cushion square with a bold Maltese cross crown.

GPU path-traced studio render of Marco Voltolini's 2018 USFG Pre-Master Trottola in royal violet sapphire — **2018 Pre-Master: Trottola by Marco Voltolini in Violet Sapphire (RI 1.76, Square).** Named after the Italian spinning top, a 45-facet cut-corner square.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2018 USFG Master Winter's Grasp in tanzanite-tone cubic zirconia — **2018 Master: Winter's Grasp by Arya Akhavan in Tanzanite-Tone CZ (RI 2.15, Rectangle).** A 103-facet sixteen-girdle rectangular cushion packed with frost-like micro-facets.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jerry Newman's 2018 USFG Grand-Master Kiev Triangle in Madeira honey citrine — **2018 Grand Master: Kiev Triangle by Jerry Newman in Honey Citrine (RI 1.54, Triangle).** A 139-facet, 21-girdle cushioned triangle with extraordinary light return in quartz.

14. 2019 Usfg Competition: Retro Triangles, Five-fold Stars, And Prince Of Portugal#

In 2019, the competition celebrated three-fold, five-fold, and eight-fold symmetry before culminating in a 117-facet antique cushion: Robert H. Long's 25-facet Small Tri Retro (Revised) in Novice, Jim Perkins's 65-facet Kim's New Year's Star in Pre-Master, Robert Strickland's 80-gear, 86-facet Five Star Cut in Master, and Ernie Hawes's 117-facet Prince of Portugal in Grand Master.

GPU path-traced studio render of Robert H. Long's 2019 USFG Novice Small Tri Retro in Rose de France amethyst — **2019 Novice: Small Tri Retro by Robert H. Long in Rose Amethyst (RI 1.54, Triangle).** A 25-facet five-girdle triangular modification with steep retro-reflector pavilion facets.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jim Perkins's 2019 USFG Pre-Master Kim's New Year's Star in champagne gold cubic zirconia — **2019 Pre-Master: Kim's New Year's Star by Jim Perkins in Champagne CZ (RI 2.15, Octagon).** A 65-facet octagonal star cut that projects an eight-pointed star under the table.

GPU path-traced studio render of Robert W. Strickland's 2019 USFG Master Five Star Cut in rhodolite garnet — **2019 Master: Five Star Cut by Robert W. Strickland in Rhodolite Garnet (RI 1.72, Pentagon).** Cut on an 80-tooth index gear with 86 facets and five-fold star symmetry.

GPU path-traced studio render of Ernie Hawes's 2019 USFG Grand-Master Prince of Portugal in lagoon Paraiba tourmaline — **2019 Grand Master: Prince of Portugal by Ernie Hawes in Lagoon Topaz / Tourmaline (RI 1.61, Square).** A 117-facet, 20-girdle Portuguese-style cushion square.

15. 2020 Usfg Competition: Hexagons, Omni Eggs, And Barion Hearts#

The 2020 contest moved from two hexagonal quartz cuts (Arya Akhavan's 28-facet Mirage in Novice and Jim Perkins's 61-facet Fancy Hexagonal Brilliant in Pre-Master) to Robert Strickland's 87-facet OMNI Egg Brilliant in Master and Shifter55's 106-facet Barion Heart - Transplant in Grand Master, where a sixteen-girdle heart outline wraps around a deep Barion crescent pavilion.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2020 USFG Novice Mirage in seafoam prasiolite quartz — **2020 Novice: Mirage by Arya Akhavan in Prasiolite Quartz (RI 1.54, Hexagon).** A clean 28-facet hexagonal cut with a tilted three-fold optical illusion across the crown.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jim Perkins's 2020 USFG Pre-Master Fancy Hexagonal Brilliant in Oregon copper sunstone — **2020 Pre-Master: Fancy Hexagonal Brilliant by Jim Perkins in Oregon Sunstone (RI 1.54, Hexagon).** A 61-facet twelve-girdle truncated hexagon.

GPU path-traced studio render of Robert W. Strickland's 2020 USFG Master OMNI Egg Brilliant in golden yellow sapphire — **2020 Master: OMNI Egg Brilliant by Robert W. Strickland in Golden Sapphire (RI 1.76, Oval).** An 87-facet sixteen-girdle asymmetrical egg oval built on an OMNI preform.

GPU path-traced studio render of Shifter55's 2020 USFG Grand-Master Barion Heart Transplant in lavender cubic zirconia — **2020 Grand Master: Barion Heart - Transplant by Shifter55 in Lavender CZ (RI 2.15, Shield).** A 106-facet sixteen-girdle heart cut with a complex cleft and Barion pavilion.

16. 2021 Usfg Competition: Gazebo Emeralds, Old Mine Cushions, And Round Tables#

In 2021, Dennis Anderson's 55-facet twelve-sided Simple Round Brilliant Alternative opened Novice, Jim Perkins's 61-facet Gazebo Square Emerald Cut tested Pre-Master step-cut control, Steve and Nancy Attaway's 89-facet NMFG Attaway Old Mine brought antique cushion charm to Master, and Wayne Emery's 109-facet Cut Corner Barion Cushion with Round Table challenged Grand Master cutters with twenty girdle facets and a circular table framed inside a rectangular cushion.

GPU path-traced studio render of Dennis Anderson's 2021 USFG Novice Simple Round Brilliant Alternative in golden lemon quartz — **2021 Novice: Simple Round Brilliant Alt by Dennis Anderson in Lemon Quartz (RI 1.54, Round).** A 55-facet twelve-sided round brilliant that simplifies girdle leveling for first-time competitors.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jim Perkins's 2021 USFG Pre-Master Gazebo Square Emerald Cut in mandarin spessartine — **2021 Pre-Master: Gazebo Square Emerald by Jim Perkins in Spessartine Garnet (RI 1.72, Square).** A 61-facet cut-corner square emerald with a peaked gazebo crown.

GPU path-traced studio render of Steve and Nancy Attaway's 2021 USFG Master NMFG Attaway Old Mine in rubellite pink tourmaline — **2021 Master: NMFG Attaway Old Mine by Steve & Nancy Attaway in Pink Topaz / Tourmaline (RI 1.61, Square).** An 89-facet cushion square inspired by nineteenth-century Old Mine brilliants.

GPU path-traced studio render of Wayne Emery's 2021 USFG Grand-Master Cut Corner Barion Cushion in blush rose quartz — **2021 Grand Master: Cut Corner Barion Cushion by Wayne Emery in Rose Quartz (RI 1.54, Rectangle).** A 109-facet, 20-girdle rectangular cushion crowned by a perfectly circular table.

17. 2022 Usfg Competition: Narcolepsy, Improved Utopia, And Luna's Glow#

The 2022 competition showcased three standout cuts by Arya Akhavan alongside the Novice Six Ray Brilliant Star: Narcolepsy (a 65-facet split-main square cushion in corundum) for Pre-Master, Improved Utopia (a 92-facet meetpoint modernization of Jeff Graham's 2002 Master shield cut) for Master, and Luna's Glow (a 132-facet twelve-fold domed round with a 5-degree apex table instead of a flat 0-degree table) for Grand Master.

GPU path-traced studio render of the 2022 USFG Novice Six Ray Brilliant Star in smoky mandarin quartz — **2022 Novice: Six Ray Brilliant Star in Mandarin Quartz (RI 1.54, Hexagon).** A 43-facet six-fold hexagonal star cut with straightforward pavilion and crown meetpoints.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2022 USFG Pre-Master Narcolepsy in Ceylon blue sapphire — **2022 Pre-Master: Narcolepsy by Arya Akhavan in Ceylon Blue Sapphire (RI 1.76, Square).** A 65-facet twelve-girdle cushion square with split off-axis pavilion rays.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan and Jeff Graham's 2022 USFG Master Improved Utopia in emerald-green cubic zirconia — **2022 Master: Improved Utopia by Akhavan & Graham in Emerald-Green CZ (RI 2.15, Shield).** A 92-facet sixteen-girdle shield drop refining Graham's 2002 Master cut for modern meetpoint precision.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2022 USFG Grand-Master Luna's Glow in Siberian amethyst — **2022 Grand Master: Luna's Glow by Arya Akhavan in Siberian Amethyst (RI 1.54, Round).** A 132-facet twelve-fold round whose crown rises in concentric rings to a 5-degree domed apex.

18. 2023 Usfg Competition: Rbc-157, Brilliant Emeralds, Montana Madness, And Polaris#

In 2023, Novice cutters faceted Richard B. Conley's 49-facet octagonal PC 21.266 RBC-157 in cubic zirconia, Pre-Master cutters tackled the 51-facet cut-corner rectangular Brilliant Emerald, Master cutters cut Arya Akhavan's 91-facet twelve-girdle Montana Madness in sapphire, and Grand Master competitors faced Dennis Durham's 161-facet PC 21.208 Polaris, one of the highest-facet-count designs ever selected for the competition.

GPU path-traced studio render of Richard B. Conley's 2023 USFG Novice PC 21.266 RBC-157 in canary yellow cubic zirconia — **2023 Novice: PC 21.266 RBC-157 by Richard B. Conley in Canary Yellow CZ (RI 2.15, Octagon).** A bright 49-facet octagonal brilliant cut in high-dispersion cubic zirconia.

GPU path-traced studio render of the 2023 USFG Pre-Master Brilliant Emerald in mint Merelani garnet — **2023 Pre-Master: Brilliant Emerald in Mint Merelani Garnet (RI 1.72, Rectangle).** A 51-facet cut-corner emerald rectangle pairing step-cut crown terraces with a radiant pavilion.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2023 USFG Master Montana Madness in Padparadscha sapphire — **2023 Master: Montana Madness by Arya Akhavan in Padparadscha Sapphire (RI 1.76, Hexagon).** A 91-facet truncated hexagon designed for Montana sapphire rough.

GPU path-traced studio render of Dennis Durham's 2023 USFG Grand-Master PC 21.208 Polaris in Madeira honey citrine — **2023 Grand Master: PC 21.208 Polaris by Dennis Durham in Honey Citrine (RI 1.54, Octagon).** A monumental 161-facet sixteen-girdle octagonal star cut.

19. 2024 Usfg Competition: Tessellations, Zul, Rabbit Hole, And Ophelia#

All four 2024 competition cuts came from Arya Akhavan's workbench: Tessellation 12 (37 facets in quartz) for Novice, Regal Eye of Zul (an 85-facet sixteen-girdle antique cushion) for Pre-Master, Rabbit Hole (an 89-facet sixteen-girdle round in cubic zirconia whose deep pavilion tiers step down like a spiraling tunnel) for Master, and Ophelia (a 130-facet, 18-girdle cushioned trilliant in corundum) for Grand Master.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2024 USFG Novice Tessellation 12 in Rose de France amethyst — **2024 Novice: Tessellation 12 by Arya Akhavan in Rose Amethyst (RI 1.54, Square).** A 37-facet eight-girdle cushion square with an geometric tiled crown.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2024 USFG Pre-Master Regal Eye of Zul in forest chrome tourmaline — **2024 Pre-Master: Regal Eye of Zul by Arya Akhavan in Chrome Tourmaline (RI 1.61, Square).** An 85-facet sixteen-girdle antique cushion with a central diamond eye.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2024 USFG Master Rabbit Hole in cobalt cubic zirconia — **2024 Master: Rabbit Hole by Arya Akhavan in Cobalt CZ (RI 2.15, Round).** An 89-facet sixteen-sided round whose seven pavilion tiers plunge down a concentric optical tunnel.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2024 USFG Grand-Master Ophelia in Montana teal sapphire — **2024 Grand Master: Ophelia by Arya Akhavan in Montana Teal Sapphire (RI 1.76, Triangle).** A 130-facet, 18-girdle cushioned trilliant with cascading floral crown tiers.

20. 2025 Usfg Competition: Cloudy Daze, Braided Triangles, Arby's Drivethru, And Ice Fortress#

Rounding out our twenty-year retrospective is the 2025 competition slate: Jeffrey Hill's 45-facet octagonal Cloudy Daze (Novice) and 43-facet truncated triangle USFG Braided (Pre-Master), Michael Holmes's 85-facet, 15-girdle cushioned trilliant Arby's Drivethru (Master), and Arya Akhavan's 175-facet hexagonal Ice Fortress (Grand Master), the single most complex polyhedron in the entire twenty-year archive.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeffrey Hill's 2025 USFG Novice Cloudy Daze in lavender tanzanite spinel — **2025 Novice: Cloudy Daze by Jeffrey Hill in Lavender Spinel (RI 1.72, Octagon).** A 45-facet octagonal cut with frosted-look geometric step-downs and clean eight-fold meets.

GPU path-traced studio render of Jeff Hill's 2025 USFG Pre-Master USFG Braided in seafoam prasiolite quartz — **2025 Pre-Master: USFG Braided by Jeff Hill in Prasiolite Quartz (RI 1.54, Triangle).** A 43-facet cut-corner triangle with a braided ring of crown facets.

GPU path-traced studio render of Michael Holmes's 2025 USFG Master Arby's Drivethru in Burmese ruby — **2025 Master: Arby's Drivethru by Michael Holmes in Burmese Ruby (RI 1.76, Triangle).** An 85-facet, 15-girdle cushioned trilliant whose arched crown and three-fold pavilion throw intense red flashes.

GPU path-traced studio render of Arya Akhavan's 2025 USFG Grand-Master Ice Fortress in Santa Maria aquamarine — **2025 Grand Master: Ice Fortress by Arya Akhavan in Aquamarine / Topaz (RI 1.61, Hexagon).** At 175 facets across 21 cutting tiers, the most intricate Grand Master fortress in twenty years of USFG competition.

21. Top 10 Competition Cuts By Refractive Index And Base Shape#

Before looking at the chart below, a warm note of fairness: USFG competition stones are designed for very different goals than the stones in our collection. Competition committees select diagrams to test specific lapidary skills at the wheel (centerpoint preforms, tricky dop transfers, delicate knife-edge meetpoints, step-cut polish control, or low-index quartz geometry), whereas every stone in our catalog is computer-optimized specifically around our optical metrics (brightness, contrast, Shannon entropy, scintillation, windowing, and rainbow fire). In that sense, judging competition test stones by our own scoring formula is a bit unfair, and this is certainly not a contest, but for those who are curious where the top ten stand against our catalog in the exact same material and base shape:

Horizontal bar chart showing the Top 10 USFG competition cuts compared against OffTheDop catalog designs of the exact same Refractive Index and Base Shape — The Top 10 USFG Single Stone Competition cuts (2006 to 2025) compared against OffTheDop catalog designs of the exact same material and base shape: green shows how many of our cuts score lower, and red shows how many score higher.

What stands out immediately is how brilliantly the top Master and Grand Master designs perform, with Edith Strout's Fairy Wand in cubic zirconia and Michael Holmes's Arby's Drivethru in corundum outperforming almost every computer-optimized cut in their respective shape and material cohorts. Even in humble low-index quartz, Jerry Newman's Kiev Triangle beats the overwhelming majority of our catalog triangles because its odd three-fold symmetry and dense pavilion fan prevent light from leaking out the bottom. Across twenty years of competition, human designers managed to craft treacherous lapidary obstacle courses that double as world-class optical instruments.

22. References And Archival Sources#

United States Faceters Guild (2006 to 2025). USFG Single Stone Competition Official Rules, Diagrams, and Archives. (usfacetersguild.org).
Ford, J., Long, R. H., Steele, N. W., and Strickland, R. W. (2006 to 2020). USFG Historical Competition Diagram Packets and GemCAD Archives.
Akhavan, A., Voltolini, M., Huynh, M., Perkins, J., and Hill, J. (2012 to 2025). The Gemology Project Open Faceting Design Archive (gemologyproject.com).