The art of the gemstone
Carving is freedom. Free from restrictions carving moves the gemstone shaping from the rigid process of faceting where everything is controlled, calculated and done by recipe to a place of freedom where stones are shaped by feel, anticipation and feeling. Concepts like yield and light return lose their meaning and everything is about flow, feel and aesthetic.
The carving process itself is very time consuming, cutting a curve means lots of concave surfaces and bends. Each part of the stone needs to be run through 5 to 8 different grits with fine attention being paid to each detail. This means that it takes a lot longer, maybe 10x the time it takes me to facet a piece of the same size. But the result is the reward: from the complex reflections of a fantasy gemstone to the fluid grace of an organic carving the beauty never fails to amaze. These are one off pieces, completed by hand. Even if I wanted to it would not be possible to replicate a piece.
In my menu I have divided the carved pieces into two groups. Fantasy carved gems contain a mix of faceted and carved surfaces and utilise reflections to create a complex appearance from what is often a simple concept. Gemstone carvings on the other hand are fully freeform hand carved goodness. These forms are still in their infancy in Australia and I am excited to be one of the few artists bringing them to the Australian market.
