An effective approach to artistic gem carving is to find a theme and then stick with it, exploring the full potential of the concept by trying different approaches, perspectives, and materials.

Want to find out more about this artist? Turn to "Sculpture Writ Small," page 18 of the June 2002 LJ.

	Above and left: A series of drawings, increasingly more complex and detailed, were done before Serras-Herman created her Satyr in chrysoprase. Photos of drawings, Andrew Herman.

There is much to be said for originality — it’s one of the cornerstones of artistic vision and individuality. However, artists can actually be hampered by a pressure, either self-imposed or external, to be too original, to make every piece startlingly different. Distancing yourself from the piece you’ve completed may also mean distancing yourself from everything you’ve learned while creating it, and can result in an overall body of work that lacks cohesion.

Rather than turning over a completely new leaf with each project, tackle a concept with a series of pieces, exploring a single theme from different perspectives and in different materials. Explore an idea thoroughly, and learn as you go. Carving several pieces in the same subject theme may demonstrate a dynamic progression of style and offer continuity in your work. The carvings may be created at the same time, or consecutively with some time between the creation of the various pieces.

High cameo carving, 165.5 cts., set in 14K yellow gold. Photos of finished piece, Michael J. Colella.

Creating a theme series allows a carver to explore various options of composition, features, gem materials, or style of carving — each time building on the previous foundation and expanding it, giving it a new version.

You may decide on the subject first, then try to find the gem materials that will best suit the design. Or, you might find the gem materials you want to use, which then give you inspiration for the subject theme. Either way, stick with the theme for a while. Play with it. See how many shapes and colors and directions you can stretch it into.

1. Choose your subject theme
Your subject theme might be anything at all. You might choose it to convey a metaphor, inspired by an animal, flower, or geometric and free-form motifs, and create several pieces that are related to each other — related, yet still all original, one-of-a-kind pieces.

My own theme, satyrs & gargoyles, was chosen from classic mythological characters and concepts. The theme allows for exaggerated and grotesque features, which may induce awe and admiration, with infinite variations.

In classic Greek mythology, satyrs were sylvan gods, the male followers of Dionysos, the god of wine. These immortal creatures are represented as part man and part goat, usually having short, sprouting horns on their heads. Gargoyles, grotesque human or animal figures, were often used in medieval architecture on decorative roof spouts; they were intended as protection, to stand guard against evil-doers or invaders.

With humanesque beasts that are part man and part animal, or other mythical beasts, the fantasy field is wide open for variations. Figures may be distorted and deformed, proportions may be askew, facial features may be misshapen and unbelievable — but it is all within the realm of fantastical mythological creatures, and they can make a statement for the piece.

Drawings are an art form by themselves, but they can also be the beginning of an inspiration. These drawings were done for Poseidon & Bernie’s Mermaids. Photo: Andrew Herman.

2. Make drawings
Make several drawings of your subject and ideas using pencils, pen, ink, coal, or markers. Drawings for sculpture are usually contour drawings of forms and volumes. Expression and texture drawings can display further detail.

You can make a template, a common basis for variation, by high- or low-tech means. It can be as basic as using tracing paper to repeat your initial design and then making changes. You can also photocopy your drawings, scan them into your computer, and redraw the same subject again and again, making it smaller or larger to fit your gemstone size; rework it until you are satisfied.

Changes to the earlier designs can be subtle or significant, especially when working with a theme series. You may add or delete elements, change the movements, or change the surrounding landscape.

Drawings are an art form by themselves, but they can also be the beginning of an inspiration, and the exhilarating preparation stage for art in another medium.

Start with a sketch drawing, a quick scribble of the basic idea on a piece of paper. It may be the outline of a figure or the design, the quick rendering of volumes, or the initial idea for a motif.

Then, start playing. You may want to create several subject theme drawings until a harmonious composition is reached. For figurative works, several decisions will be made at this time. Decisions on the pose of figures (sitting, standing, running, stretching, and so on), on which portion of the body to project (head, torso, or full figure), on the angles of presentation (profile, frontal, 3û4 view), and on the gestures, expressions, and feelings portrayed. The size of the work will also be determined, often guided by the size of the gemstone on hand, as well as the ratios between the various design elements.

A heavy 18K yellow and white gold pendant with two carved Larimar gems, portraying “Satyrs and Gargoyles.” The Larimar is from the Dominican Republic, 150.5 tcw; blue Montana sapphires, 1.34 tcw, pink Brazilian tourmalines 3.16 tcw., and once 0.11-ct. diamond. Photo: Michael J. Colella.

3. Choose the type and functionality of your carving.
Choose the type of carving that best suits the subject and the gem. That may be a cameo, intaglio, sculpture in the full round, or intarsia. Then make a decision as to the height of your cameo — low [bas relief], medium, or high — or the depth for your intaglios.

Choose the functionality of your gem carving. It may be designed for a piece of jewelry, a free-standing sculpture, a meditation stone, a religious article, a utilitarian object, or an object of art, such as a knife, box, bottle, or frame. If it will be a piece of jewelry, it should also be designed for its wearability and presentation qualities. Take notes on your thoughts and ideas on the style of metal setting, the possible incorporation of other gemstones, or on the style of the stand or base for display works, even if these early ideas change en route. Your original ideas on the functionality of the piece may change while you’re carving it, or after it is finished. Be prepared for the possibility and adapt to any changes.

When creating a theme series, you may choose to alter the type of carving or the functionality of the previously created piece for variety and departure from the original design.

4. Select your gem material
For a masculine theme, such as satyrs & gargoyles, the best choices for gem materials would be those with bright, bold, or earthy colors. Taking advantage of a gem material with natural earthy matrix may be a good choice (see the Satyr in Chrysoprase), reflecting the woodland origin of these creatures.

You may want to include internal features, such as inclusions, color zoning and veins, or external features, such as natural crystal faces, surface triangles, striations, bands and layers of color, drusy cavities, holes and matrix. When included in a complimentary way, these “irregularities” can stimulate the viewer’s imagination and add uniqueness to the carving. They may become the “hair,” the “eyes,” or “bodies” of non-figurative designs.

Use the finest gem materials available for your creations. Remove any undesirable inclusions, cracks, or cavities that detract from your subject. You may want to incorporate various textures in each piece in the series that will also make each gem unique. Finished surfaces may be highly glossy, or have one or more complementing textures. The choice of the gem material may also encourage texture variations.

When carving a series it is preferable to choose different materials for each piece in the series, so that there is diversity in the group. Take the gem’s hardness into consideration; as harder gems require more time for carving, sanding, and polishing.

Satyr and Maenad, carved in a 121.5-ct. champagne topaz. This piece was the first in the “Satyrs and Gargoyles” theme series. Another view of this piece can be seen on page 19. Photo: Michael J. Colella.

5. Make models
The more complicated your carving design is, the more precise the “maps” for your carving must be. You may create quick models in plasticine or clay that will give you a three-dimensional view of your planned carving. You may also make casts of these original models using plaster or wax, which will allow you to add further details in your subject.

I often make a mold of the gemstone itself, and create several casts in plaster, each with some variation. The more molds you take of your models while you work, the more freedom you will have to explore different options or solutions to your subject.The mental creativity required for hitting on and developing your concept continues through all the stages of the execution of the piece. The object being carved “moves” continuously during the project. Every cut changes the balance and new decisions must continually be made regarding the composition. The drawings and models are merely maps to follow. The ultimate creation is on the gem material.

Essential equipment

• Power tool: I prefer to use a flexible shaft carving machine, the hang-up style, with a thin handpiece that fits a range of collets, as the shanks of carving tools vary in size. You may also use a bench-style machine or a fixed arbor. A speed of 5,000-15,000 RPM is normally sufficient.
• Lapidary rotating wheel unit: You may use a six-wheel unit, such as a Genie machine, and utilize flat or convex diamond carving wheels for your carving. These carving wheels come in a variety of widths [1", 1/2", and 1/4"], and in 100, 220, 360, and 600 grit size.
• Flat lap: You should use a flat lap unit for carving perfectly flat surfaces on your pieces.
• Stone support: You may hold the stone in your fingers, or use a heavy stone, approximately 3" to 4" in diameter, covered with plasteline [also called plasticine], in order to absorb the vibrations. It can hold the carving stationary and it can be rotated for suitable angles. Small carvings may be embedded in the plasteline; large stones can simply lean against it.
• Coolant: Almost all gem materials should be carved under water. In addition to being used as a coolant to prevent the buildup of heat in the stone, water protects the tools from unnecessary wear, and protects the artist from directly inhaling the dust. For small carvings, you may apply water from a cup by using a finger; for larger pieces, use a dripping device.

Execution Procedures

1. Carving

---

• Large pieces of rough gem materials can be preformed close to the desired shape using a lapidary saw.
• The carving of hard stones is carried out, using diamond tools or silicon carbide tools. These tools are abrasive points, wheels and discs, of all shapes, sizes, and in various grits.
• Diamond tools may be coated, which are cheaper, or impregnated, sintered or brazed.
• Your subject should have good visual legibility. Carefully orient optical properties (reflection, refraction) and optical phenomena.
• Carefully execute protrusions and stretched out limbs, intricate ‘lace’ patterns, fretwork, deep undercutting and holes that may be susceptible to breakage.
• Make sure flat surfaces are perfectly leveled for best polishing results, and that seams of composite carvings and intarsia are well affixed. Check your girdles and borders to be crisp, with uniform width, level surfaces, and efficient polish. Check the concavities for smooth and level surfaces, even depth, and homogeneous finish.

2. Sanding

---

• Sanding is the intermediate stage that will prepare the stone for the final polish. If it is not executed well and with great care, minute cuts and rough, wavy surfaces left behind will not allow the stone to achieve a uniform high polish. Good workmanship, essential for gem sculpture, will be proven at this stage of work. The sanding may take over half the total time for the project, depending on the intricacy of the design and the hardness of the gem material.
• Final surfaces must be free of saw marks, coarse grinding, or slipped-tool marks, flat spots and scratches, and of undesirable flaws, fractures, and cracks.
• Details should display fine finish, precision, sharpness, and clarity, and textures should be well executed. Check for well-finished rounded or sharp edges of the carving.
• The sanding process is executed with fine-grit diamond points and wheels, diamond impregnated discs, or with copper, steel, wood, or phenol head points charged with loose grit or diamond paste. Stone points [aluminum oxide, silicon carbide, and white arkansas], and rubber-bonded abrasives may also be used.

3. Polishing

---

• Of utmost importance is the final finish of the stone. The highest technically possible polish should be achieved, on all surfaces — in grooves, channels, undercutting, intaglios, concavities, and the background, unless otherwise dictated by the design and the material. The surface must be free of any fine scratches, with no dull spots. A possible balance of different textures and polishing finishes may be desired.
• It is also better that bases or back surfaces are completely finished.
• The final polishing, depending on the hardness and the nature of the material, is done on felt or leather discs using a slurry of a polishing agent [cerium oxide, Linde A, tin oxide, chrome oxide, etc.], or with extremely fine mesh diamond powder (50,000 and 100,000).

4. Setting and display

---

• If the carving is made for jewelry purposes, a setting is required. You may want to create it yourself, or work with a metalsmith. The metalwork and the possible addition of other gemstones should complement the carved gem, and at the same time be imaginative and innovative.
• If the carving is made as a free-standing object, a stand or a base may be used. The material may be another gemstone, wood, marble, metal, or plastic, and should be carefully chosen to balance with the sculptured gem. Textile materials may also be chosen for the display of gems. Care should also be taken in creating labels for the carved gems.