What it is

Fac-Ette Manufacturing is the US maker of the Facetron and GemMaster faceting machines (the site header reads “Manufacturers of The Original Facetron”). It sells machines, parts and accessories directly through its own Shopify shop and cart at facetron.com. The About page says that in 2023 the Jarvi family, who created the original Facetron in 1980, passed the business to the Yeager family. It also says the machines date back to 1974 and are 100% made in the USA in the company’s own fabrication shop, with no outsourcing or contract labor. The privacy policy gives the business address as 190 Midhill Rd, Martinez, CA 94553.

Who it’s for

Gem faceters, from beginners buying their first machine to professional cutters. It also suits current Facetron and GemMaster owners who need factory index gears, dops, transfer jigs, motors, belts or lap parts.

Why it’s listed

It’s a first-party manufacturer shop with a working cart and posted prices for complete faceting machines and parts. It is Lapidary Plaza’s second faceting-machine maker (Ultra Tec is the first) and a different company, so faceters can compare two US makers. It is not a marketplace reseller and not a club or school.

Official URL

https://facetron.com/collections/all

Facetron machine: https://facetron.com/pages/the-facetron
GemMaster machine: https://facetron.com/pages/the-gemmaster
Example products: https://facetron.com/products/facetron-kit, https://facetron.com/products/gemmaster-kit
About: https://facetron.com/pages/about
Contact: https://facetron.com/pages/contact
Cart: https://facetron.com/cart

(All checked 2026-10-28 and returned HTTP 200 to curl with a Chrome user agent.)

Location

Fac-Ette Manufacturing, 190 Midhill Rd, Martinez, CA 94553 (privacy-policy contact block). Phone +1 925-500-5114; customer service email [email protected]. Sales are through the online shop. No walk-in storefront hours are printed on the site.

This is a supplier (manufacturer selling direct). It is not a club or a school.

Notes

Sample prices (shop, check date): Facetron Kit $4,599.00 (product page notes “due to high demand build time is an estimated 6-8 weeks”); GemMaster Kit $7,999.00; GlassTron machine $4,000.00; Base Assembly $1,500.00; Dial Indicator Kit $600.00; Facetron Index Gears $100.00; Acculign Transfer Jig $250.00; BigJig Transfer Fixture $299.00 on sale (regular $350.00); Facetron Dops $14.00; Faceting Designs Book $75.00.
Stock: the shop had about 40 items. Some parts, such as the Mast Assembly, Facetron Dop Set and Electronic Controls, were sold out on the check date.
Facetron kit contents (The Facetron page): the complete machine, owner’s manual, Learning to Facet in the 21st Century with Facetron by Jim Perkins, 15 dop sticks, water system, padded lap nut, Acculign transfer stand, 96 index gear, mast with micrometer adjuster and 360-degree swivel, 45-degree table dop, target dop and dop chuck wrench. Index gear choices run from 32 to 120.
GemMaster: its key feature is the Electronic Micro Stop (EMS) meter, which sounds a tone when each facet in a series reaches the same depth.
Facetron machines also appear as club equipment in other listings (for example the Des Moines Lapidary Society workshop). This listing is the manufacturer itself.
Not affiliated with Lapidary Plaza. Nothing was bought, and no email or form was used.

FAQ

Q: Where is Facetron made?
A: Fac-Ette Manufacturing lists its address as 190 Midhill Rd, Martinez, California, and says all machines and parts are made in its US fabrication shop.

Q: Can I buy a Facetron directly from the maker?
A: Yes. The shop at facetron.com has a cart and posted prices. The complete Facetron Kit was $4,599.00 on the check date.

Q: How long does a new Facetron take?
A: The Facetron Kit product page estimated a 6–8 week build time because of high demand.

Q: What is the GemMaster?
A: Fac-Ette’s higher-end faceting machine, built around an Electronic Micro Stop meter. The GemMaster Kit was $7,999.00 on the check date.

Q: Does it sell parts for older machines?
A: Yes. The shop sells index gears, dops, transfer jigs, motors, belts, splash bowls and other Facetron and GemMaster parts, though some items were sold out on the check date.