JACOB JASPERITO*:
BORN IN STONE

Jacob is a miner and a carver with decades of experience.  Now in his 80’s, he still works with stones every day, but occasionally finds time to take a break to travel the world in search of new and exciting gem material.  He cannot remember a time that he was not involved with some part of the gemstone trade.  From mining to setting stones and everything in-between, Jacob has pursued his gemstone passion his whole life.  He credits his father, who worked the famous marble quarries of Italy while he was growing up and brought samples home for young Jacob to carve, as the inspiration to pursue his life-long dream.

 
Jacob has collected lapidary material from all parts of the world. He is a master of the cabochon and uses his stockpile of seven tons of fossils, agate, jasper, and jade to carve his creations.  His inventory of stone spans 60 years which allows him to reach far into the lapidary past to reintroduce material that has long-since been depleted or is no longer available. 

 
Jacob excels in carving cabochon sets, sometimes accented by additional designs. The beauty of his work is brought alive by finding the best feature of a stone and exposing it with his skilled hand using traditional carving methods.


*Jake Jasper is a pseudonym for a lapidary artist that would prefer to remain anonymous.