My favorite part of the process is polishing – the moment you finally have a little window into the finished gem and get a glimpse of how pretty it will be. The whole process is a retreat for me…when I start I know it will be amazing but I still have to go through the whole process with the gem, learning from it and guiding it.

I grew up in a gem-filled family and I mined for several years with my dad before I first visited a gem faceting training with Roger and I was drawn to the process. I enrolled in the next class.

I work best by working in bulk, doing on one step at a time. I set out the gems I have to do in front of me and put them into groups by the shape they will be cut in. I’ll select a group of 3-4 triangles and trillions, for example, pick designs, and get started on preforming! I especially like faceting one shape for multiple gems in a row so I can really get into the mentality of that shape and how best to execute it.

When I look at a piece of rough, I picture a possible shape for a few minutes and see how it fits. It’s like trying on a piece of clothing: does it bring out the best in the gem and reflect all its best attributes? Every gem is different and the planning process takes into account its individual characteristics: focus on sparkle or clarity, big facets or small, etc.

How I imagine the finished gem when I’m planning is how I know if I have an inspired design or not. If I “try on” a design and it feels right – the light, sparkle, shape, and facets all vibe – that is what inspires me through the whole process. If it doesn’t feel inspired then I play with designs until it feels right and picturing the finished gem gets me excited.