The Art of Lapidary

The Art of Lapidary

It is the art of cutting, shaping and polishing fine stones or hard stones. We are in direct confrontation with the material. We gradually create the final piece. The lapidary works in direct cutting. Fine stones and hard stones are worked by wear using a support made of iron, bronze, copper or even wood and an abrasive. Today, the abrasives used are often diamond powders. These powders are calibrated according to the desired result. We use a more or less fine grain, more or less coarse depending on the smoothness or polish we want to obtain. Most of the cutting will be done using diamond tools.

Making a Lapis Lazuli watch dial for the watch representing the Orion constellation

The Lithotheque, an essential tool

Concerning the choice of stones, the house has a large lithotheque: Chalcedonies, agates, opals, vitrified wood, etc. This lithotheque is the result of a long search for particular stones, inspiring, by their materials and their forms. We will find them at the great mineral show of Tucson for example ( Tucson Gem and Mineral Show ) in the United States or at the mineral show of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines . The Art of the lapidary will be to search in the chosen rough the right color, the right veins but also sometimes the dichroism for certain more precious stones like morganite, aquamarine or even rubellite.

We can cite three main families in our lithotheque:

- Mineral materials : This includes all gemstones, precious, fine and ornamental stones.

- Organic materials : We will find in this family: ivory, coral, mother-of-pearl and tortoiseshell

- Plant materials : Even if we are moving away from glyptics for certain projects, we will use precious and exotic woods.

In order: Boulder opal from Australia, blue fluorite (fluorine) from Burg (Burc) in the Tarn and Chrysoprase from Australia

The main stages of the lapidary craftsman

- The Order : generally these are special orders. A collector, an amateur or a representative of a major house comes with a precise idea of ​​the piece he wishes to have made.

- Drawing : creation of an illustrated study of drawings of the pattern to be executed

- The choice of material : selection of stones compatible with the desired final result

- The model : creation of a model of the final design

- Creation of the work : first, the chosen stone is roughened. This step is essential to reveal the full potential of the stone. Then, we move on to the shaping work. Finally, the long work of finishing and polishing begins.