#GemCutters - Intro to Gem Cutting and Recognizing A Well Cut Gem

I have been planning this series of blog posts since the Tucson Gem Show where I had the privilege of getting to know some extremely talented Gem Cutters...well I have finally found the time!


We are going to talk to and feature the work of some of the most important Gem Cutters of our time, but before we get started with that we need some information so we can assess the work we will be seeing in the weeks to come.


So - let's get this ball rolling with a couple of videos by John Dyer.  


First up - we are going to learn to distinguish a Well Cut Gem from a Poorly Cut Gem.





I love John's Tutorials because he is so easy to follow and can convey technical info with out losing his audience.


Now that you have the knowledge to chose a cut gem - lets look at a brief explanation of what goes into cutting a gem.





I will be featuring John Dyer and his work in a future post but I want to give you a little information.  I always want to know why I am listening to what someone has to say...

In a 2004 article for Professional Jeweller Magazine, famed Gem & Jewelry Photographer, Robert Weldon described John this way.

"John Dyer has achieved the highest pinnacles of success in gem cutting despite – or perhaps because of – his modest nature. Free of the bounds of arrogance and self-importance, he pursues beauty for beauty’s sake. Along the way, he’s won multiple American Gem Trade Association Cutting Edge Awards. And the 25-year-old has done it all since embarking on the colored gem path less than a decade ago.

“That kid is so young and so talented,” says Gary Dulac of Gary Dulac Goldsmiths, Vero Beach, FL. “When we met at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Shows just a few years ago, I was impressed with the quality of his work and his humble, open personality. He has come to know my needs and invariably recommends a gem that works perfectly with my designs.”

Other jewelers share Dulac’s enthusiasm. Don Fane, goldsmith for Robert Giede Designs, Menomonie, WI, says Dyer’s gems are easy to set because they’re perfectly symmetrical and that they’re so well polished they look exceptional in jewelry."

The very next year in 2005 John swept the entire Faceting Category at the AGTA Cutting Edge Awards...and has walked to the podium to collect an Award every year since.  John has through all the accolades, managed to maintain his integrity and humility, always willing to  offer helpful tips and support to new cutters.


John Dyer's Website:  http://www.johndyergems.com/
Take a minute to "Like" him on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/johndyergems
...and Follow him on Twitter:  @JohnDyerGems