"Voices of the Earth": Transcending the Traditional in Lapidary Arts

Abstract

NOTES AND NEW TECHNIQUES GEMS & GEMOLOGY WINTER 2001 public. It is no coincidence that the interest in making and buying gem carvings grew as the Tucson Show grew. One jewelry designer who is enthralled by the rebirth of lapidary art is Paula Crevoshay of Albuquerque, New Mexico. She has designed a collection of jewelry that showcases the ingenuity of some of North America's top gem artists, and illustrates the beauty and wearability of their artwork. This collection will be on exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, for three months, beginning May 1, 2002. By using the unique optical and physical properties of gemstones, gem artists create not only works of art, but also pieces that promote public awareness of the earth's natural beauty. For this reason, Crevoshay asked leading gem artists from North America to create or contribute pieces that honored the earth, choosing the Greek goddess of the earth, Gaia, as the unifying theme for the collection.