Bringing out the true essence and vivid color of a stone through cutting or carving is the art of the lapidary. Stephen Kotlowski, Ben Kho, Naomi Sarna and Jean-Noel Soni, all first-place winners of the 2013 American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Spectrum Awards, have traveled very different roads as lapidaries, yet each has achieved a level of expertise where gem collectors, dealers, competitions and museums are familiar with their work. Each has developed a definitive look and specialized skills. What they have in common is a passion for their craft and a desire to bring the maximum in originality and beauty to every stone they touch. Soni calls it “honoring the stone.” To master the skill of lapidary is a continuous balancing act of science, technology and aesthetics. In custom gem cutting and carving, templates or diagrams are not used. Whether sourced direct from the mine, a gem dealer or a trade show, each stone is carefully assessed. A loupe, fiber optic light and immersion liquid are tools that are used for initial analysis, but sometimes a stone might sit for a few days or up to a few years until the right insight and inspiration come along to pull it to completion. Colored gemstone rough often presents special cutting and carving challenges because of crystal optics, cleavage, inclusions and color zones. Lapidaries’ work is a process of discovery. They might start with a general layout based on the overall appearance of the rough, but they must be flexible enough to adapt on the fly to hidden surprises that reveal themselves only after work begins on the stone.
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Article from the Rapaport Magazine - September 2013. To subscribe click here.