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Gem carvers and the jewelry designers who use their carvings share the vision, inspiration, and methods behind their work. By Megan Zborowski

The creativity and unique styles of both jewelry designers and gem carvers combine to form magnificent pieces of art that are full of life and emotion. Without the discipline, inspiration, and extraordinary vision of these artists, the world would be full of cookie-cutter pieces lacking originality. The combination of their talents help to forge some of the most eye-catching and intriguing pieces of jewelry on the market.

There's a story behind many pieces of jewelry, stemming from the ideas and inspiration of gem carvers as well as the designers who use the stones in their pieces.

Mandarin Breeze

Nancy Ellinghaus, a designer based in Boulder, Colorado, used a carnelian carved by Steve Walters to create Mandarin Breeze, a one-of-a-kind, 14K gold pin topped with a spessartite garnet. She enjoys using gems carved by Walters based on his sense of form, and selects stones that are full of life. "Generally, I choose the stones that jump up and say ‘take me home.' "

That's what happened when she spotted the carnelian. This carving caught her eye due to the subtle shift in color as well as the unique form of the stone, says Ellinghaus. "This particular carving excited me because of the way it fades from burnt orange to almost colorless."

As with all her pieces, Ellinghaus hand-fabricated Mandarin Breeze, shaping the line of gold with a hammer by a process called forging. Because of the unique form of the stone, she used both partial bezels and prongs to secure the stone. The metal work and polishing had to be completed before the stone could be slipped into place, says Ellinghaus. "It can be tricky to get the stone into the finished setting."

By creating Mandarin Breeze, Ellinghaus hoped to capture motion and a sense of movement in the piece. "It's so real it feels like it's moving."

Unlike many carvers who have a specific goal in mind while carving, Walters generally doesn't intentionally think about the carving process. A carver for more than 30 years, Walters prefers to simply create attractive and interesting carvings, with no particular agenda in mind.

"I just take a piece of rough, do one sketch after another until I come up with something that looks right in my mind. And then carve. Sometimes it all works well, sometimes not. After 30 years [of carving], the process is just ingrained in me now, like breathing," says Walters.

Dreams of Nana

Based on the suggestion of her business advisor, California-based jewelry designer Conni Mainne decided to create a piece for herself, which is rather unusual for designers to do, she says.

In Dreams of Nana, an iolite leaf carving is suspended from a 18K gold pendant of blue rainbow moonstone and peridot. Mainne used a combination of casting and fabrication as well as wax carving to create the piece — but that's not where the story ends.

She created this piece as a way to honor her grandmother, who first exposed her to an array of jewelry pieces. "Nana" was a world traveler who collected various pieces of jewelry along the way, says Mainne, including the iolite carving, which was originally part of one of her Nana's brooches. By using the carving in this piece, it adds a sentimental value to the piece that is priceless.

Mainne takes pride in wearing Dreams of Nana, which conjures up fond memories of a loving grandmother. "I love being able to think of her when I wear this special piece."

A Woods' Collaboration

Jewelry designer Stacia Woods used a black onyx carved by her husband, Larry Woods, to create an 18K gold pin topped with a tourmalated quartz and a freshwater pearl. She chose this particular carving for the piece due to its "dramatic curves and the neutral color of the onyx. . . . The recess curve of the stone inspired me to carve and cast a piece of gold that complements the design of the onyx," she says.

The black and white theme is evident throughout the entire piece. The black inclusions of the tourmalated quartz complement the onyx carving well, says Stacia, and the pearl was used to further establish this theme.

Stacia used a combination of casting and fabrication to complete the piece, which took about eight hours.

Larry Woods shaped the carving by hand from a dyed black onyx slab, using plated diamond abrasive laps and carving tools. He used diamond powders mixed with oil to sand and finish the piece. The piece was finished with 325-mesh diamond powder, which gives the onyx its flat, satin finish, says Larry. "One quality of black onyx is that it takes a very nice satin or frosted finish. I used a satin finish on this piece, giving the carving a very flat, almost waxy look," he says. The carving took him approximately three hours to complete.

Stacia also created an 18K gold pin/pendant, using a Laguna agate drusy carving by Larry. The piece was hand-fabricated, using gold sheet and wire. Stacia chose the carving due to the unusual orange color of the agate, she says, and a Malaya garnet cab was used to bring the entire piece together.

"The garnet cab is placed to complement the flow of the carving. . . . The red-orange color of the garnet accents the deeper colors of orange in the agate," says Stacia.

To complete the design, Stacia added an 18K gold bezel and a single gold granulation ball accent. "I like the simplicity and the Art Deco feel of the finished piece," she says.

This particular carving, says Larry, is a series of fluted sections and lines carved around and highlighting a section of drusy quartz over translucent orange agate. "This piece of material, like most drusy quartz, was sawn from a Brazilian agate geode. The agate is sawn so as to utilize the drusy . . . that sparkle like sugar on the surface of the agate," he adds.

Taking about five hours to complete, Larry also shaped this carving by hand, using diamond tools and high polishing it with diamond powders.

The two pieces stand fine on their own, but they seem to complement each other as well. "The designs remind me of abstract eyes. It's like the eye of the artist or of god/goddess looking back at you from the flowing organic forms and materials," says Larry.

Jewelry design and gem carving go hand-in-hand. These artists have a passion for creating unique pieces, and by combining their skills, they promote the beauty and elegance, as well as the challenge, of their respective crafts.

BACK TO: Two Great Tastes

September/October 2004 • Style: Two Great Tastes • Sources: Rough Times • Bonus: Inside the Design • Bonus: Mine Production Update • News & Updates • In This Issue