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FEATURE STORY

Fads come and go, fashions are all the rage then fade away, and it’s not unusual for something that people can’t get enough of to be judged overexposed by a fickle public less than a year later. In a world of rapidly changing tastes and shifting favors, there’s something compelling about the idea of an art form that has maintained its appeal, undimmed, for millennia. From the earliest days, human beings have been fascinated by gemstones, by their brilliance and beauty, and admired the artists who work with them. The Gemmy Awards are our first-ever gem cutting competition, hosted by Lapidary Journal and our sister publication, Colored Stone. This is our chance to publicly celebrate those talented craftspeople who apply their skill and vision to teasing out the hidden beauty in a rough stone, bringing it to its full potential. The task of selecting winners in four different categories – plus one stunning Best of Competition – fell to three highly regarded and qualified judges, and we thank them for their dedication and time. We also offer our congratulations to the winners, and our thanks to all those who entered the inaugural Gemmys competition. For all those who put stone to wheel, we invite you to enter the 2006 Gemmy Awards — entry forms will be available at www.lapidaryjournal.com/contest early in January 2005. best of competition Richard P. Homer, The Nautilus Cut™ The Nautilus Cut ™, in citrine. Flat and concave faceting, carving. 22mm x 17.5mm, 37.3 cts. “The concave concentric rings on the crown create an optical illusion that spirals the radiating pavilion pattern and breaks each long pavilion. Faceted into three segments, imitating a chambered nautilus.” Richard P. Homer Gems by Design, Inc. 1675 E. Main Street, Suite 323 Kent, OH 44240 (330) 673-0071 E-mail: richard@concavegems.com, presbylapidary@neo.rr.com Web: www.concavegems.com. Photos: Robert Weldon. faceted gems : first place Rick Stinson, Eye of the Dragon Eye of the Dragon, Bolivian ametrine, Anahi mine. 21.2mm x 23.6mm x 15.3mm; 33.63 cts. “[With] 145 facets, this design shows the blended colors possible from ametrine instead of the old stereotype 50/50 split.” Rick Stinson Stinson’s Gemcutting, Inc. P.O. Box 780075 Wichita, KS 67278 (316) 733-8133 E-mail: stinsons@gemservice.com Web: www.gemservice.com Photo: Jeff Scovil. faceted gems : second place Don Clary, Untitled Checkerboard rectangle cut, labradorite feldspar. 24.9mm x 17.15mm x 18.8mm; 51.85 cts. Don Clary D.C. Enterprises (310) 377-3659 E-mail: nvis640@yahoo.com Photo: Don Clary.

gem objects : first place Lawrence Stoller, Kundalini Kundilinili sculpture, Brazilian orange citrine on sculpted bronze base. Lapping plus deep-grooved carving. 31 cm high, 17,026 cts. Carving assistant: Timothy Turco. Lawrence Stoller Crystalworks, Inc. P.O. Box 7502, Bend, OR 97708 (541) 388-1721, fax (541) 385-0629, E-mail: crystals@crystalworks.com Web: www.crystalworks.com Photo: Gary Alvis.

gem objects : second place Nolan Dean Wixom, Celestial Shaman II Celestial Shaman Two intarsia. Two hundred ten separate inlays using 39 gemstone varieties custom faceted for the piece: amethyst, tourmaline, garnet, peridot. Classical intarsia inlay, except where custom self-faceted amethyst, tourmaline, garnet, and peridot are inlaid. Various recessed drusies. 75mm x 45mm. Uncommon intarsia in that it uses many faceted stones and recessed drusies. Figure represents a Native American shaman. This spirit figure comes to me in dreams.” Nolan Dean Wixom P.O. Box 73 St. Gabriel, LA 70776 (225) 642-2023 E-mail: nlwx@aol.com Photo: Steve Voynick.

specialty cut gems : first place Richard P. Homer, Celtic Cushion Concave Brilliant™ Celtic Cushion Concave Brilliant, Madagascar rose quartz. Flat and concave faceting. 21.2mm x 16.6mm; 36.45 cts. “Multiple views of radiating culet pattern seen throughout crown as it is tilted slightly as in jewelry wearing.” Richard P. Homer Gems by Design, Inc. 1675 E. Main Street, Suite 323 Kent, OH 44240 (330) 673-0071 E-mail: richard@concavegems.com, presbylapidary@neo.rr.com Web: www.concavegems.com. Photos: Robert Weldon.   specialty cut gems : second place Larry Woods, Abstract Organic Amethyst Carving Abstract Organic Carving, Bolivian amethyst. 42.46mm x 25mm x 20.5mm 103.37 cts. Larry Woods Jewels from the Woods P.O. Box 1155 Blanco, TX 78606 phone/fax (830) 833-2091 E-mail: lwoods@moment.net Photo: John Parrish.

man made gem materials Deborah Meyer, The Pearl Goddess The Pearl Goddess, of man-made crystal with very high refractive index. Slabbed, ground, polished, intaglio carved. 2.8mm x 58mm x 31mm, 43 cts. “The pearl is a metaphor for the treasure of the heart. The power of the goddess protects this treasure and its beauty is revealed through her beauty.” Deborah O. Meyer P.O. Box 774 Lebanon, NH 03766, E-mail: dosgoodm@yahoo.com Web: www.engravedjewelsbydom.com Photo: Steve Gyurina, Artopia Art Imaging.

our esteemed judges
Tinnee Lee Tinnee Lee, part of Lee-Carraher Photography, based in San Francisco, has specialized in gem and jewelry photography since 1988. Lee graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute, specializing in sculpture and photography. Her photographs have appeared in Lapidary Journal, Colored Stone, Gems & Gemology, National Jewelry, JQ, and numerous other publications. Advertising accounts have included Macy’s and Gumps. She has also contributed as a coordinator and exhibitor of “Flashes of Color” and as a stock photographer to the American Gem Trade Association.
Richard W. Hughes Richard Hughes is one of the world’s top experts on ruby and sapphire. He is the author of the classic Ruby & Sapphire, a 500-page monograph on the corundum gems. Over the past two years, his writings have received four Richard T. Liddicoat awards from the American Gem Society, along with an Edward J. Gubelin award from Gems & Gemology magazine. For over a decade, Hughes was director of Bangkok’s Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences. Today he is webmaster at Pala International’s Palagems.com. Many of his gemological writings are available online at www.Palagems.com and at www.Ruby-Sapphire.com, while his acerbic political writings can be found at www.Dogskinreport.com. In addition to authoring two books and over 100 articles, Hughes is in much demand as a speaker and has lectured around the world. Hughes regularly writes for The Guide, which covers wholesale colored gemstone prices. In addition, he travels widely, with a particular emphasis on the gem mines and markets of southeast Asia. When not chasing gems in far-off lands, he makes his home in Fallbrook, California, with his wife, Wimon, and daughter, Billie.
Sherris Cottier Shank Gem artist Sherris Cottier Shank has gained international recognition for her fluid style of gem carving. Since 1991, she has received eight AGTA Cutting Edge awards, and one German “Competition for the Advancement of Gemstone Engraving” award. Her work has been exhibited in four major museums and profiled in nine jewelry trade publications. She has written articles on gem carving for Lapidary Journal, Colored Stone, and American Jewelry Manufacturer magazines, and in May 2000 presented a paper at the Santa Fe Symposium on Jewelry Manufacturing Technology. Ms. Shank is a founding member of the Gem Artists of North America (GANA) and sat on their board for six years.

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