A. Many years ago, when I was learning to make jewelry and starting to use diamonds in my pieces, I was introduced to an old diamond dealer (born in 1898) whose office was in the Maiden Lane district of NYC.  This area used to be the center of the jewelry business, but in the 1930’s most dealers moved uptown to the area bounded by 5^th and 6^th avenues, and 46^th and 48^th streets, where it remains today.Mr. Veit was his name, and he was a fount of knowledge about diamonds.  When I asked him to tell me about what makes a perfect diamond, he would say “show me the poifect goil, and I’ll show you the poifect diamond.”  He was partial to the older cuts of diamonds, such as were cut before the use of the diamond saw, when diamonds retained much of the character of the octahedral crystal from which they are fashioned.   He rightly maintained that no two diamonds were alike, and delighted in their differences.

Diamonds in their natural state look much like the Pyramids… which makes me wonder: were the ancients inspired to make the shape like an uncut diamond…?

In any case, diamonds were originally not “cut” but were polished progressively in the early 1800’s to a faceted shape which followed the crystal fairly closely… small table, steep sides on top, and an overall shape which is a rounded square.  This became known as the “cushion” cut, from its resemblance to a pillow.  Later, the crystals were rounded before polishing so they had no corners, which became known as the “European” cut.  I show some examples here.  The stones I buy on the antique diamond market in NYC were generally fashioned from the mid 1800’s to about 1910.

Then, the invention of the diamond saw allowed cutters to fashion two diamonds from one crystal, one small and one large.  At the same time, lapidary scientists determined that the optical properties of diamonds were best displayed in the “modern brilliant” cut, a flatter, more open look, in which the diamond appears to dissolve in a flash of light.  Today, diamonds look very similar to each other in their shape.

The antique diamonds I use have what I refer to as an “architectural” quality… that is, you see not only the brilliance and lustre of the diamond, but also much of the power of the original crystal shape.  And, as Mr. Veit used to remark, each of these diamonds has its own character, like an antique piece of furniture or an old house.  After a while, I began to see the modern cuts as another evidence of the excessive standardization of our industrial culture.

Using the old diamonds gives me an opportunity to find and select stones which I truly like… and their individuality complements the one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces that I make for these diamonds.

A. I was at first unnerved by this question, but after 30 years (I too have gnarly hands) I realize that we are lucky to have hands at all…and that the enjoyment of a beautiful piece of jewelry does not depend on our own beauty or youth…to the contrary, jewelry is a symbolic reminder of the endurance of spirit, beauty, and love in our life. And, like they say, “youth is wasted on the young.”

A. Yes… I provide a close-up picture of the piece and a detailed description, which can be used for insurance or estate purposes.

A. Prongs are a rather recent invention which allows jewelry to be mass-produced and allows even an inexperienced jeweler to set stones. It is not the best way…prongs are insecure, allowing for the potential loss of the stone, and prongs also expose the edge of the stone to possible damage in ordinary wear. Bezels are safer, more comfortable, and smooth. They are also more elegant in form, echoing the shape of the stone as they protect it from loss and damage.

A. Yes, I do. Usually, I take the customer’s concept or drawing and make detailed sketches showing how I would interpret the design. Of course, I want to make pieces that will satisfy both the client’s and my own sense of the best solution.

A. I have in the past, but I no longer do. Now, I only use stones from my own inventory or stones ordered for custom pieces in consultation with the customer.

A. Occasionally, the customer is not fully satisfied with the outcome of custom order. Of course, I do not want the customer to be under any obligation to take a piece with which he or she is not totally pleased. Satisfaction is always guaranteed.

A. Ordinarily, I use U.S. Registered Mail service, which is very safe and has an insurance limit of $25,000 per package.

A. In 1969, I had left my job as an art teacher at Lycoming College, and was trying to eke out a living making sculpture and drawing (see “history” section for more details). I forged some jewelry out of bronze welding rod for my wife and friends as Christmas presents and it was well received. My dentist and friend, Perry Adelson, suggested I could make a living making jewelry… and since it was 1969, I figured “why not?” I did research in a technical book about the craft…and entered a new and very fulfilling career as a jewelry designer-craftsman.

A. Jewelry, like other art, expresses the feeling and ideas of the craftsman-artist. These are the things that cause the viewer to be attracted (or not) to particular pieces, styles, and artists. In my own case, I want to express ideas about balance, symmetry, and the order of nature…and a sense that there is a dialogue between my expression and the perception of the jewelry wearer.

A. In other arts, the materials used are of little value or significance. Jewelers use materials of unique properties…the “noble” metals, gold, platinum, and silver, which do not rust, corrode or change: and a fantastic variety of natural stones from the earth’s crust. These stones have particular properties that have fascinated people for centuries: hardness, transparency, and brilliant colors, which hardly seem possible in nature. The materials themselves suggest and embody the quality of enduring beauty, especially in contrast to our own rather tenuous and impermanent life on earth.

A. These are diamonds cut in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, which characteristically have small top facets, high crowns and sometimes an apparent “hole” in the bottom of the stone caused by a large culet (bottom facet). They are often quite distinctive in character when compared to modern cut diamonds. They exhibit more “fire”, or spectral array, and I enjoy using them because they are genuine antiques that are a living record of the style preference of the day. The diamonds come from older pieces in which the setting has worn out, and often can be bought at a significant discount compared to modern cut stones.