A commission that began at the Fair
Some stones find their owners before anyone has drawn a thing. These two peridots were cut from a beautiful set of rough which I cut for Fuli Gemstones, and Fuli sold them to my clients at Goldsmiths’ Fair. They were captured by the colour and, of course, the cut.
The shape of the rough determined the cut
I cut both stones in my organic pebble shapes. There’s no template and no calibrated outline, so each peridot follows the form of its rough crystal, and the faceting gives that bright, fresh green plenty of fire.
From stone to ring
We worked through ideas for a custom piece together and arrived at this ring in 18ct gold. Each peridot sits in its own bezel with a soft satin finish, and an open gallery beneath lets light in from below. The organic shapes of the two stones went beautifully together, and it was a real pleasure to see the final piece come to life.
The stone decides the cut
That’s the way I like to work. The stone decides the cut, the cut decides the jewel, and the person wearing it decides the rest.
Commission something of your own
If you’d like something made around your own stones, I’m always happy to talk. You can bring your own cut stone or choose from mine, and we’ll start from there.
Image credits: Richard Valencia
I’m Mark Nuell, a goldsmith and lapidary artist working in London and Devon. I grew up fossicking for sapphires in the Queensland Gemfields, and today I cut every stone by hand and set it in gold traceable to a single Australian mine. Most of my work is bespoke, designed around the individual character of the stone it’s made for.
