DataVue is a computer-aided faceting design application used by precision gem cutters, particularly those active within the United States Faceters Guild (USFG). The software allows a cutter to create and edit facet diagrams, calculate cutting angles and index positions, and evaluate the theoretical optical behaviour of a proposed design before a single facet is ground. It occupies a recognised place in the small ecosystem of specialist faceting software alongside the more widely known GemCAD, and the two programmes are frequently used in combination within the competitive faceting community.

Function and Workflow

At its core, DataVue operates on the same geometric principles that underpin all faceting diagram software: a stone is modelled as a set of planar facets defined by their cutting angle (measured from the girdle plane), their index position on a numbered gear wheel, and their depth. The software translates these parameters into a two-dimensional diagram — the standard notation used in faceting instructions — and simultaneously computes the resulting three-dimensional form. Cutters can adjust individual facets and observe how changes propagate through the design, making it practical for refining meet-point geometry or adapting an existing pattern to a different length-to-width ratio.

Angle calculation is among the most practically important features. Achieving correct critical-angle relationships for a given gem species — ensuring that light undergoes total internal reflection rather than leaking through the pavilion — requires precise control of pavilion main angles. DataVue assists in verifying that proposed angles are appropriate for the refractive index of the intended material, a calculation that differs meaningfully between, for example, quartz (R.I. approximately 1.544–1.553) and corundum (R.I. approximately 1.762–1.770).

Diagram Interchange and Collaboration

A practical strength of DataVue is its support for standard faceting diagram file formats, enabling designs to be shared between cutters using different software packages. The USFG and affiliated clubs have historically distributed cutting diagrams in formats readable by both DataVue and GemCAD, meaning a design originated in one application can be opened, reviewed, and modified in the other. This interoperability is significant within a community that relies heavily on the exchange of published diagrams — whether through guild publications, online repositories, or direct cutter-to-cutter correspondence.

Use in Competition

Competitive faceting, as organised through the USFG and affiliated state and regional guilds, places a premium on meet-point precision, optical symmetry, and design complexity. Cutters preparing competition pieces routinely use design software to plan their work before committing to stone, since errors in angle or index that become apparent only at the wheel may be uncorrectable once material has been removed. DataVue's ability to visualise a completed design and flag geometric inconsistencies makes it a useful planning tool at this level of the craft.

Context Within Faceting Software

The market for dedicated faceting design software is narrow, reflecting the relatively small global population of precision faceters. GemCAD, developed by Robert Strickland, is the most widely cited application in this space and has a longer public profile; DataVue is the more specialised companion tool with a particular following among USFG members. Neither application is a general-purpose CAD programme: both are purpose-built for the conventions and vocabulary of the faceting diagram tradition, and their interfaces reflect the index-wheel and protractor-based language of the cutting bench rather than the parametric modelling paradigm of engineering software.