The Secret Teachings of Gemcutting (English/Français)

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The third edition will be shipping from France in mid-October and is expected to arrive at your door around Halloween (October 31).

Third Edition Updates

The third edition of The Secret Teachings of Gemcutting has been thoroughly revised and updated. Every section is now presented in both English and French, making this the first bilingual edition of the book. In addition to numerous corrections and refinements, all of the cutting design renders have been improved, six gemstone photographs have been completely reshot, and the book features a brand new cover design. This is the most polished and complete edition of The Secret Teachings of Gemcutting published to date and will be shipped in a hardcover edition from France.

About the Book

Walk into almost any fine jewelry store in the world and you'll see these designs. Some were created centuries ago. Others are much newer. What they share is simple: they are still the gemstone designs professional cutters rely on every day. They have earned their place through generations of use and continue to define the look of modern colored stone jewelry.

Now in its third edition, The Secret Teachings of Gemcutting brings together 50 of these classic gemstone designs that continue to shape the modern jewelry industry. These are the cuts professional gemcutters have relied upon for generations, chosen not because they are old, but because they consistently produce beautiful gemstones that jewelers continue to buy and customers continue to love.

Each design is presented with full color photography, detailed cutting diagrams, historical background, and practical cutting advice. Every design is also included in two height variations, making the collection suitable for both lower refractive index gemstones such as quartz, emerald, and tourmaline, and higher refractive index materials including ruby, sapphire, and spinel.

Beyond the designs, the book includes more than 30 pages on gemstone optics, crystal systems, rough orientation, critical angle, hand preforming, design modification, and other essential principles that influence the appearance of a finished gemstone.

New to this third edition, every page is presented in both English and French, making the book an ideal reference for gemcutters, jewelers, gemologists, and students throughout the international gem trade.

The Story Behind the Book

This book grew out of years spent studying gemstone cutting traditions around the world. Since 2017, I have travelled throughout Europe, North America, and Asia, learning from professional gemcutters, documenting historic cutting techniques, and researching the designs that have quietly become the foundation of modern colored stone cutting.

The result is a collection of the classic designs that professionals continue to cut every day, brought together in one volume with the history, gemology, and practical knowledge that explain why they have stood the test of time.