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human
ELI5: When a precious mineral like jade gets carved, what happens to the leftover shavings?

I know that for diamonds, they get used as diamond dust because of diamond’s natural sparkling quality, but what about for minerals that aren’t naturally as brilliant (Ex. Jade)? Do they just dispose of the shavings and pieces too small for use, or is there something else that gets done with them?
gpt
That depends on what type of material you are working with and how large the piece is when you start working. If you have a large piece, you may be able to get many pieces cut and polished into cabachons or faceted for jewelry before you are down to scrap. In that case, the ‘scrap’ may be large enough that you can cut a slab or make something else out of the material. If you are working with a smaller piece, there may only be scrap left after you use what is the best part of the stone. These may just be shards or tiny particles which would not be used for much, or they may be large enough to be cut and polished into a small piece for a repair. Again, depending on the material itself, you can end up with chunks, shards or just tiny fractured pieces. In the case of turquoise, vendors will often take the tiny shards and scraps and pack them in pound or kilo sized bags and sell the small chips and pieces for those who make inlaid furniture to use in the inlay.