BESPOKE GEMS
discover the art of the gemcutter
Innerscapes
Through careful and thoughtful placement of lines, grooves and bubbles, wonderous landscapes appear as if by magic. These invite the viewer to pause and gaze more deeply within the stone and gently tease the imagination.
Fantastical landscapes are the hallmark of my Innerscape collection. Each gem is carefully worked by hand to produce a unique miniature sculpture that can stand alone as an objet d'art or may be set to create a sensational and stunning piece of jewellery.
In my work I draw inspiration from a myriad of sources and incredibly talented gem artists, cutters and carvers around the world and across the ages, many of whom their names are lost to time.
One of the most influential gem artists of modern times is Bernd Munsteiner who developed a very distinctive style and approach to working with gemstones. I have found his creations endlessly fascinating in both an artistic and technical sense and I have often scratched my head and wondered how in the world did he do that when looking at a particular piece.
In order to maximise the most from each stone I try to select raw stones that are well shaped and very clean of inclusions and flaws to begin with. These are often crystals points and I always try to work with the natural shape as much as possible.
It is important to me to honour the stone and one way of doing this is to minimise the amount of wastage. In a way each stone is already perfect and to me they are miracles of Mother Earth - pure colour held together by wondrous molecular lattices grown over time periods that I can’t begin to comprehend.
There is an aspect of working with gems that I perceive as an act of unmaking - in order to shape something new I must first destroy some part of that which is already perfect. I know it must sound strange to think in such a way but I take that quite seriously. I see so much wastage and destruction in the world and I am acutely that mining, however ethically and responsibly it is done, is still an extractive action.
If I can, in my own small way, be as conscious and respectful in my work with these amazing stones as I possibly able, then hopefully I give …
One of the characteristics of my Innerscapes are the deep crisscrossing grooves placed underneath the gem on the pavilion. Careful placement of these are what creates such dynamic and scenic reflections that the viewer can see within and makes each piece so individual.
When turned “upside-down” suddenly steep mountain peaks appear rising up from the earth. This creates such interesting and exciting creative jewellery possibilities. They challenge the jeweller’s imagination and skill.
