Texture Tuesday: Smooth/Rounded Gems Tutorial

This was actually one of my first tutorials back in 1999 or so.  I've decided to redo it as I've learned more since then.  This tutorial is most about explaining why smooth gems look the way they do, to help people better construct their own gems in their work.

I know I posted this a little early (At least for my time zone) but I didn't want to forget the texture thumbnail/credit.

The texture I used in this tutorial is:
  by Enchantedgal-Stock