You can never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

We tend to think of gemstones as innate objects of beauty, but in fact they are the very archetype of the universe that conveys and communicates the deeper realities of our universe.

Glenn Lehrer, from his book In Quest of the Indescribable.

With the explosion of new cutting styles in the gemstone industry worldwide, along with a growing movement for ethically sourced and produced gems, the colored stone industry is racially changing. With its roots going back to the 1950s, this quiet revolution is distinctive and innovative, unlike anything the industry has seen before.

There are several factors that have been building and maturing for the last seven decades that are synergistically creating a whole new level in the way the industry produces cut stones and how it conducts business from mine to market.

In the 1980s, an eruption of new cutting styles dramatically changed the way gems were cut from the previous 500 years. A few key factors have contributed to this notable change:

The establishment of groups of individual pioneering lapidary artists both in Germany and America;
Radical new machines, concepts and techniques in the science of optics for cutting transparent gem material;
Access to rough via social media versus traveling to producer countries;
An explosion of new cutting styles and methods;
Ever-growing customer demand for socially responsible and ethically sourced and manufactured goods, transforming how gems go from mine to market;

Jewelry historians may very well look back upon this time, marking this historical period as a renaissance within the gemstone industry. A genius moment occurred in the 1980s when lapidarists went beyond just flat faceting and started carving reflective negative cuts into transparent gem material. This gave birth to a whole new way of seeing how reflected light dances in a gemstone—to the Fantasy Cut.

Bernd Munsteiner from Idar-Oberstein, Germany is credited for having started this new cutting style of combining flat faceting and carved negative cutting processes during the 1970s and 1980s. His trailblazing path has inspired countless future aspiring lapidarists. His brilliant combination of strategically placed reflective flat facets and surgically carved negative grooves was truly revolutionary.

Looking Back

The lapidary movement can be traced back to the 1950s and 1960s in the United States, where no real lapidary tradition or Guild system existed like there was in Idar-Oberstein, with its 500-year heritage and master and apprenticeship programs. In San Francisco, California, lapidarist Francis J. Sperisen was the first professional pioneer in creative gem art. He was the go-to gem cutter, carver and inventor for many beat-generation jewelers.

His book The Art of the Lapidary published in 1950 and 1961 was one of the most influential books in gem cutting for future American gem artists. Written originally for the growing American amateur lapidarist in association with gem and mineral societies, clubs, and faceter guilds throughout the country, Sperisen’s book became an inspirational light for future American professional lapidarists like myself.

On the heels of Francis Sperisen was Henry Hunt, who acknowledged Sperisen for inspiring his own creative and unorthodox gem carving. Hunt’s work enlightened and inspired many future professionals and hobbyists in America. In the 1970s, he created a completely novel and unique form of gemstone carving. His self-published book, Lapidary Carving for Creative Jewelry (1980) describes techniques in carving transparent colored stones. Many young lapidary artists in the United States give Hunt credit for spreading knowledge about his many techniques and tooling.

My own career began in 1976 when I began teaching myself various techniques in the art of carving. Not long after, I met Henry Hunt in a San Francisco jewelry store where we both sold our work. Both of us were pleasantly surprised that there was another individual doing non-transitional lapidary designs in transparent gem material.

By the late 1970s and 1980s, a small and committed core of gem artists was active in the USA. Yet, they were geographically isolated, each developing his or her own innovative style of cutting and carving. This small handful of enthusiasts explored new approaches to cutting and carving, without any formal training or access to resources or information. Most of us from this First Wave were unaware of one another and were self-taught. We learned the craft by shear gumption and inventiveness.

Ten years into my carving and cutting career, with a Graduate Gemology degree under my belt, I ventured to Idar-Oberstein (circa 1986). I was lucky enough to gain access and training with some of the masters in the valley, learning age-old techniques while demonstrating my own innovative approaches to cutting and polishing gems. This wonderful cross-fertilization of ideas between American and German gem artists continues to this day.

The small cadre of First Wave American carvers—although largely self-taught innovative cuts and techniques—produced some amazing results. During this period, among the most well-known lapidarists were the late Arthur Anderson, Sherris Cottier-Shank, Bart Curren, Michael Dyber, Mark Gronlund, Richard Homer, Thomas McPhee, Lew Wackler, Steve Walters, Larry Winn, Larry Wood, and myself.

We created and sold work to modern jewelry and goldsmith designers in the USA and Europe. We each had our own style and techniques and eventually laid the foundation for future generations of gem carvers in the United States and around the world.

After the First Wave came the Second Wave, starting in the 1990s with a new generation of cutters drawn into the exciting and emerging profession of Lapidary Art. Many have reached worldwide acclaim, such as Dalan Hargrave, John Dyer, and Daryl Alexander to name just a few. In the Third Wave, happening now, individuals and companies worldwide are engaged in fantasy gem cutting, taking these styles to remarkable new levels.

Tools and Techniques

In the 1930s, the fixed-mast faceting machine was invented, leading amateur gem cutters and mineral societies to make this form of faceting popular in the United States. These machines have a fixed mast and quill versus the gem-peg style machine. It helped raise the bar in faceting by allowing the creation of complex and brilliant facet patterns. Since the users were not professionals, they openly shared their facet patterns and techniques. Over the years, a series of books were published on gem cutting. Among them were Faceting for Amateurs by Glenn and Martha Vargas (circa 1977) and the Long and Steele binder series of meet-point faceting.

In Idar-Oberstein, however, the refinement and advancement of the gem-peg faceting machine (used for accuracy and speed) was exported worldwide and is the standard for larger production factories doing calibrated cutting.

Along the innovative path in lapidary, there have been technological leaps forward in the types of tools and machines used to create this art form. With the evolution of ideas and styles, the tools and equipment have also undergone a technical shift. One such machine is the OEM concave faceting machine, pioneered by Richard Homer.

It is a clear example of a new invention and influencer in the trade. This machine uses various size cutting and polishing cylinders to create concave curved facets versus the traditional flat facet. The concave facet style is now well integrated as a distinctive style throughout the gem industry.

Milling style machines that engrave complex patterns in gemstones are also being used. Developments in automated faceting and CNC machines allow the cutting and carving of gems at production levels. Today, the major factories in India and China (and elsewhere) that produce quantity calibrated goods use this type of equipment. While 30 years ago, one-off original cuts by a gem artist received recognition for their individuality, today, these same styles can be manufactured in quantity by factories around the world.

In 1998, a United States Utility Patent was awarded to me for inventing a unique and novel gemstone branded cut that we called the TorusRing Cut (U.S. Patent #5,722,261). I intended for this cut to be calibrated.

In 2008, I took my TorusRing Cut and other fancy branded styles to a factory in Jaipur, where I trained cutters to take my one-of-a-kind cuts and reverse engineer them to produce large calibrated quantities for wholesale jewelry manufacturers, trade catalog sales, and finished jewelry products for television volume sales.

Taking Credit/Branding

For the first time in gemstone history, lapidary artists are signing their work. This is a radical shift from centuries of tradition. Dating back to Roman times, lapidarists were never given direct credit nor allowed to sign their pieces unlike artists in other media, who were commissioned by the church or royal court houses in Europe and Asia. In the 1970s, renowned master cameo carver Erwin Pauly started the practice of signing his work. He stated that, in those days, he was criticized in the Idar valley for being bold enough to sign and brand his style of cameo carving. Pauly also broke the mold of cameo carving by branching out from carving the classics of Roman, Greek, and Christian iconology; he created Art Deco motifs and modern cityscapes in layered agate cameos, which opened up new avenues in this art.

Munsteiner branded all of his work by adding his signature. Today, it is accepted and often requested by the consumer that the gem artist sign his or her pieces.

In the 1980-90s, branded cuts were also created by American master professional faceters such as Philip Youngman and Steve Avery. Completely brilliant from girdle to Round 38.28-ct ametrine TorusRingcut, by Glenn Lehrer. (Photo: Glenn Lehrer) culet, these complex patterns and higher crowns are growing in popularity with many fine jewelry designers around the globe.

It is no longer just about weight retention, but about light performance. Windowed gemstones with greater weights have given way to finer more intricately faceted, fully brilliant gemstones. Buyers are willing to pay more for a lower carat weight if the stone is fully brilliant. We’ve reached a pinnacle where absolute reflection of light from culet to girdle has become the standard. Some of the most valuable gemstones— such as ruby, sapphire and emerald—are now cut to this standard. Beauty is what sells, and a really well-cut stone is what the industry is demanding.

In 2020, it is clear that faceting, carving, and concave-cutting of colored stones have reached a significant milestone around the world. Gemstones are not just desired for their intrinsic value, but for their original cutting and branding that have become the new industry standard.

Ethics and More

A significant current change in the gem industry is the emerging global awareness of ethics and socially responsibility in the supply chain. Consumers are demanding that gemstones be ethically mined and handled in a socially acceptable manner. Important issues are human dignity and rights, no child labor, gems that are free from corruption and links to terrorism, verifiable blockchain paths from mine to market, and environmental protection. These concerns are taken seriously today by increasing numbers of industry trade associations, catalog companies, and design houses, both large and small.

In many emerging economies where colored stones are found, such as in areas of Africa and Asia, gemstone mining is the easiest and quickest way to start a supply chain that results in a revenue stream for even the remotest of villages. Most colored gemstones are mined in a small-scale, individual, or artisanal manner. People in developing countries are aware that gemstones offer a path to economic development.

Many of us in the colored stone industry are acutely aware of the changes happening in remote areas of the world and have taken on the responsibility of finding ethical sourcing and production of gems.

One of the pioneers in this effort is Eric Braunwart from Columbia Gem House. For the past 20 years, he has been a leader and outspoken proponent for ethically sourced and cut gemstones. Today, it is clear that the industry is concerned about the many steps that a gemstone travels on its journey from the Earth and wants to ensure that it comes to market in a socially responsible manner.

In conclusion, the industry has changed forever. It has made significant innovations in the quality of cutting, design style, brilliance, branding, mining, manufacturing, and social responsibility. This lapidary revolution has brought beauty, color, and light to humanity.

References

• Hunt, Henry (1980) Lapidary Carving for Creative Jewelry. The Desert Press.
• Lehrer, Glenn W. (2016) In Quest of the Indescribable, The Artistry and Life of a Gem Carver. Gemporia Ltd.
• Sperisen, Francis J. (1950, 1961) The Art of Lapidary. The Bruce Publishing Company.
• Vargas, Glenn and Martha (1977, 1978, 1980, 1983) Faceting for Amateurs, Published by authors at Desert Printing Co., Indio California. There is also follow-ups series Volume 1, II and III published with a large list of diagramed facet patterns.
• Wise, Richard W. (2003) Secrets of the Gem Trade, The Connoisseur’s Guide to Precious Gemstones. Brunswick House Press.

The post The Lapidary Revolution appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

The communication of all that knowledge evolved with the digital age, whether through written content in online books, articles, blog posts, videos, and social media, or in education, both in-class and at a distance through e-learning plat- forms and other digital tools. A true digital transformation had already begun in gem education, but now, with Covid-19, it became even more evident.

Apart from the master-to-apprentice dynamics, the pass- ing of knowledge in Antiquity was only in reach of the literate upper classes. Old written accounts on gems are scarce and names such as Teophrastus, Pliny the Elder, Abu Rayhan al-Biruni, and Ahmad al-Tifashi are well-known examples. They add to ancient Sanskrit manuscripts, such as the Garuda Purana and a number of medieval European authors, among them Marbode of Rennes. These enlightened souls all documented the characteristics of gem materials, their nomenclature, and occurrences.

Old accounts and methods on how to change the color and/or transparency of gems were known, as in the Treatises on Goldsmithing and Sculpture by Benvenuto Cellini (1500- 1571), with a clear mention of gem treatments. Written documents were, and still are, the basic learning resources.

For many centuries, known gem varieties and their sources were limited when compared to the present. The main concerns of our ancestors were separating gemstones from their imitations or lookalikes. In most cases, jewelers and gem dealers had enough tools to not only classify the materials by their own old trade names, but also to resolve rather simple identification challenges. The secrecy of that knowledge was invariably only passed on from master to apprentice—even sometimes within the same family. Other than the empirical hands-on experience of the masters, books were the repositories for knowledge for those who could read.

This all changed in the 19th century with the emergence of a middle class of consumers and the early days of massive production. The new social and marketing paradigms would progressively impact the jewelry industry towards the beginning of the 20th century. During that period, scientists experi-mented in producing artificial crystals, as reported in the mid- 1800s, and mineralogical sciences were booming with new methods developed to systematically classify minerals and to document their properties. This resulted in the first gemological events in the 1890s, when British mineralogists conduct- ed workshops in Gemology, or the Science of Gems. Despite the experimental projects with synthetic emeralds and rubies in the 1800s, it was only in 1902 that gem-quality flame- fusion synthetic rubies became commercially available due to August Verneuil in France. Although most production would be used in the watch industry, the man-made stones eventually reached jewelry when unethical dealers misrepresented the cut stones as natural rubies. For the first time and on a global scale, consumer confidence was at stake.

To face these new challenges in the trade, the National Association of Goldsmiths (NAG) in the United Kingdom established an Education Committee and developed the first gemology education courses in 1908. This decision triggered this 112-year gem education journey. Traders and scientists attended the courses, with a special interest in dealing with the increasing number of flame-fusion synthetics, notably ruby, sapphire, and later spinel.

In the mid-1910s, Akoya cultured pearls were introduced by Mikimoto. They had a greater impact in the 1920s, both in pearl-producing areas, such as Bahrain, and in trading hubs such as Paris, Bombay, and London. The need to properly identify cultured pearls was behind the creation of the first gem laboratories in Europe, namely in London (1925) and Paris (1929). With consumer confidence at stake, the trade’s response had to go beyond information offered by labs; education was now a priority.

These concerns prompted the establishment of a department within NAG in 1931, which was called the Gemmological Association of Great Britain. Now known as Gem-A, it became an independent organization in 1937. Many trade associations saw the Fellow of the Gemmological Association (FGA) qualification as highly relevant for the industry, and the next few decades saw an expansion of gemological education throughout the world, either preparing students for the FGA examination or for future independent gemological qualifications. Gem-A’s FGA qualification is currently taught in seven different languages in more than 40 locations in 26 countries around the world.

Robert M. Shipley (1887-1978), founder of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), was one of the early students who completed the NAG gemology correspondence course in the late-1920s. Two years after touring the U.S., teaching gemology to trade professionals, he founded GIA in 1931, offering home-study education in the U.S. Recognizing that knowledge was power, Shipley established the American Gem Society (AGS) in 1934 for knowledgeable jewelers and started GIA’s Gems & Gemology magazine, the first periodical known for cutting-edge gem knowledge and education.

By 1947, GIA issued its first Graduate Gemologist (GG) qualifications and was joined by De Beers in promoting diamond knowledge across America., teaching the “four rules of diamond classification” that evolved into the International Diamond Grading System introduced by Richard T. Liddicoat in 1953. Diamond grading courses started soon after.

The GG qualification is taught today in GIA campuses in five countries and reaches distance education students all over the world. In the following decades, gem education evolved considerably, not only in the U.S. and Europe (particularly in the UK and France), but also in Asia where the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS)—the first major international school in Southeast Asia—was founded in 1978 in Bangkok, Thailand.

Aside from Gem-A with 35 international partners (allied tutorial centers) and the GIA with seven campuses—offering their FGA and GG qualifications, respectively— many educational organizations are now teaching formal gemology across the globe. A few have transformed into supranational organizations such as the FEEG, the Federation for European Education in Gemmology, which has promoted the European Gemmologist (EG) qualification since 1995 at 12 teaching centers in eight European countries.

University level qualifications in gemology also exist in some countries. Among them is the Birmingham City University, which recently launched an undergraduate three-year gemology program BSc (Hons) in its School of Jewellery. In the U.S., both the University of Arizona and Arizona State University have announced gemology programs. The University of Barcelona has offered gemology programs for years.

It is interesting to note that jewelry-related schools offer gemological training associated with their regular crafts education, e.g. L’École, School of Jewellery Arts, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, in various parts of the world, and the Laboratoire Français de Gemmologie (LFG), in cooperation with the known Haute École de Joaillerie in Paris. Distance gemological education has always been offered, first as correspondence courses, such as the one Robert Shipley took in London, and today mostly through digital channels. The challenging part was, and still is, how the sessions can prepare students for practical exams. In-class lab sessions are recommended to make sure students not only get more proficient in the use of gem testing equipment and are trained in observation protocols, but also have access to a relevant and extensive collection of reference samples selected specifically for the purpose of teaching. The more stones a student can observe, the better.

Online education has been delivered in many formats through various platforms, from simple text and photos (and/ or video) to more complex interactive e-learning tools including presentations with voiceover, audio podcasts, videos or interactive systems, as non-synchronic sessions. Synchronic classes seem to be gaining popularity, partially due to the habits created during the Covid-19 lockdown. In spite of the convenience of the e-learning solutions available, having access to adequate study samples and a tutor to guide students through the protocols and observations are critical for a gemologist’s training. Although some organizations provide study samples to distance-learning students, their number may not be comparable to those available in a lab class.

Advanced Gemology Training

The complexity of today’s gemology has placed it much closer to science than ever before. Aside from gem identification, labs now include detection of treatments, identification of modern synthetics, accurate chemical fingerprinting, determination of major to trace elements (including isotopes), support for origin determination opinions. The collection and interpretation of such data calls for an advanced knowledge base, namely a Ph.D. in material sciences, solid-state physics and/or chemistry. To provide scientific knowledge to gemologists, the University of Nantes began offering the DUG (Diplôme d’Université de Gemmologie) in 1983, under the supervision of Professor Emmanuel Fritsch. The program focuses on advanced analytical and spectroscopic methods for laboratory gemologists. With a much shorter duration, the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF) offers advanced and scientific gemology courses to complement the classical gemology education offered in most schools.

Read, Read, Read

Before the Internet, information was accessible in books, trade magazines, and in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Books written by pioneers such as Robert Webster (Gems), Richard T. Liddicoat (Handbook of Gem Identification), Basil Anderson (Gem Testing), Peter Read (Beginner’s Guide to Gemmology), Antoinette Matlins (Gem Identification Made Easy), and Edward Gübelin and John Koivula (Photoatlas of Inclusions in Gemstones) are a few iconic titles that continue to serve gemological education.

Libraries such as GIA’s Richard T. Liddicoat Gemological Library (in Carlsbad, California) have thousands of books and periodicals that are accessible locally and online. In Europe, the library of L’École, the School of Jewellery Arts by Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris and the vast Sir James Walton library at Gem-A in London are two important repositories.

Many titles have become available as e-books or pdf files and an increasing number of out-of-print gem-related publications are available for free online.

From a periodical perspective, the first major gemology trade magazine was GIA’S Gems & Gemology in 1934, which evolved into a peer-reviewed journal. Current and past issues are now freely distributed online. The Journal of Gemmology, published by Gem-A since 1947, is the scientific voice of the association and also recently became a peer-reviewed journal. Interestingly, these two gemological journals are published by gemological education organizations, demonstrating that science and cutting-edge education go hand-in-hand.

Other magazines are also valuable resources, among them is InColor magazine under the editorial guidance of Jean-Claude Michelou. It covers topics from mining and geology, to gemology, design, and retail. A few other titles include The Australian Gemmologist (since 1958), Revue de Gemmologie (since 1965), Journal of the HK Gemmological Association, and the historic Lapidary Journal (since 1947). More recently, other titles are SSEF’s Facette, ICA GemLab’s Gamma, and Revista Italiana di Gemmologia. Gemology requires continuous education; Reading periodicals and books is definitely a must.

Symposia

Educational opportunities are also offered through global symposia and congresses with expert presentations, poster sessions, published proceedings, recorded sessions available online, and networking. Among these events are: GIA’s Symposia, since 1982; Gem-A’s annual conference; the Scottish Gemmological Conference, the Rendezvous Gemmologiques in Paris; Gem Talks organized by the Istituto Gemologico Italiano at VicenzaOro; GIT’s International Gem and Jewelry Conferences in Bangkok, the Mediterranean Gemmological and Jewellery Conference; the Sinkankas Symposium; FEEG’s annual Symposium,

AGTA’s gem show conference program, ICA’s biennial congresses; and a variety of national and regional gemological associations and alumni events that take place across the globe.

Field Trips

Gemologist-guided travel to remote mining areas was on the rise before the Covid-19 lockdown. Mine visits were typically organized as pre or post-symposia activities, but were also organized by gem schools, such the traditional Gem-A trip to Idar-Oberstein, the AIGS trips to Mogok and others by the Association Française de Gemmologie. Gem tourism was also a reality in Minas Gerais, Brazil, organized by Brazil Gem Safari, or in Portugal with guided tours to jewelry museums. The popularity of field gemology encouraged by Vincent Pardieu has created a wider demand for small organized group visits to mining and manufacturing areas.

Social Media

The Internet revolution made information easily accessible. Terabytes of material in archived books, journals, research papers, videos, podcasts, and websites are now available to students and researchers. But, even more terabytes of low-quality, erroneous, and non-verified information is also found online. The social media and blog worlds enable high-quality information, produced by knowledgeable peers, and low-quality information, produced with no accurate sources, to be shared in the same virtual space.

The key to properly using social media and the Internet to collect and use relevant information as an educational resource is to understand how to validate the sources for their intellectual and scientific qualities. Once that is filtered, a whole world of excellent LinkedIn profiles, Instagram feeds, Facebook pages, YouTube channels, gemological blogs, and Twitter accounts are available for self-education.

The Novel Coronavirus Effect

The Covid-19 pandemic shut down many colleagues and students in the gem and jewelry industry. While the lockdown caused distress across the supply chain, it triggered the creation of a gem and jewelry online entertainment initiative, which is also educational. Beginning in mid-March, the author began hosting the Home Gemmology Webinar Program, which then got the support of CIBJO after its 6th session. Other webinars include Gem-A’s gemology series, AIGS’ Thailand Gem Trips program, GIA’s Knowledge Sessions, Justin Prim’s Institute of Gem Training, AGAT Live with Laurent Massi, and the extensive Gemflix webinar program.

The lockdown has made distance education a widely accepted solution. The collaborative e-learning platforms, already being used by the major educational organizations, have been expanded to reach out to students and trainees.

The post Education in Gemology appeared first on Incolor Magazine.