gems, lapidary, gem cutting, France, Jura mountains

The Secret Teachings of Gemcutting is a collection of classic gemstone cutting designs spanning 500 years. 50 gemstone designs are presented here with full color photos, design information, cutting advice, and historical background. This collection consists of the time tested, industry-standard gemstone designs that can been found in the jewelry from high-end brands as well as independent bespoke jewelry designers. Each design is presented in two different height options so that they are compatible with both lower RI stones (such as amethyst and emerald) and higher RI stones (such as ruby, sapphire, and spinel). Aside from the designs, the book includes 30 pages of essential gemology for cutters which contains invaluable information about gemstone design, optics, crystal systems, hand preforming, gemstone physics, modifying diagrams, pairing rough gems with appropriate designs, and more. This information is critical for cutters who want to understand how these elements influence the appearance of the final stone.