I have been a hobbyist jeweler and lapidarist for a few decades now. Recently became a student of ancient metal arts when I learned how to create Mokume Gane.

A few years ago, some of my international resources for gemstones and rough material became untrustworthy and I found myself with material that was not as advertised.

It became apparent that I needed to learn how to identify gemstones to provide my customers with quality pieces of art and/or loose gemstones. So, here I am to learn the science and art of gemstone identification and find ways to apply my engineering background to find new methods of verification.