Learning the Craft
The journey into Lapidary
In his search to learn the art of lapidary, Robin visited several respected cutters in London. They were experienced craftsmen serving Bond Street’s leading jewellers, with decades of expertise in the traditional London Jamb Peg method, an age-old technique considered the finest for high-end stones and one that has remained largely unchanged for centuries.
Hoping to learn from them or at least gain guidance on where to begin, Robin was disappointed to discover that their process required a seven-year apprenticeship. None had the time or inclination to take on new students, and most admitted that when they eventually retired, the craft would likely fade away with them. Undeterred, Robin continued his pursuit to learn stone cutting.
With no formal training available within the industry, he discovered that faceting was still practised by a small number of hobbyists, particularly in the United States, and to a lesser extent in the UK.
It was through this route that he met Ian Smith in Newcastle, who introduced him to the fundamentals of selecting and preparing rough stones and the techniques for cutting basic designs.
Robin immersed himself in study, acquiring a series of detailed lapidary reference books and investing in a precision faceting machine. From there, he began teaching himself gem cutting.
Over time, his skill and confidence grew, and he started connecting with other hobbyist cutters. While these enthusiasts demonstrated precision and accuracy, Robin recognised a missing link — an understanding of the jewellery trade, of working with high-value materials, and of creating stones with true commercial and artistic intent.
His search for further knowledge eventually led him to lapidary instructor Justin K. Prim, who providing insight into Sri Lankan-style faceting methods and techniques.
A Turning Point
At this stage, Robin found himself at a crossroads. He had become proficient in cutting stones with precision, designing his own cuts and incorporating them into his jewellery using quartz, topaz, and other more accessible materials. While this was ideal for his artistic and large statement pieces, it did not fully align with his primary work involving rare and high-value gems.
The approach and understanding required for these materials were entirely different from that of the hobbyist cutting community. Handling a stone worth fifty dollars per carat could not be compared to working with one valued at ten thousand per carat. The margin for error simply did not exist. Although self-teaching had served him well, the risk of learning through mistakes at this level was no longer acceptable.
It was during this time that Robin was introduced to master lapidary Ken Harrington through Justin K. Prim, who, alongside his work as a faceting instructor, is also a respected historian in the field. Justin had interviewed Ken for one of his books and described him as one of the best in the world. Robin was initially sceptical, having never encountered his name despite Ken’s remarkable reputation and international client base.
Curiosity soon led him to call Ken directly to discuss potential work and learn more about his expertise. The conversation that followed would prove transformative. Ken was generous with his knowledge and enthusiasm, and he invited Robin to visit his workshop to talk further about his work and the possibility of teaching him. Within a week, Robin was on his way to meet him.
‘I’m not usually one to believe in fate, but in this case, it felt like everything had aligned at exactly the right moment.’
The Master Crafsman
When Robin first visited Ken’s workshop, it was early in the morning. Ken had already been at work for more than an hour. Robin had always considered himself dedicated, but Ken’s work ethic operated on another level entirely. At seventy-five, he was still working twelve to fourteen hours a day, almost every day of the week, a routine he had followed since beginning his lapidary apprenticeship at the age of fourteen with Chas Matthews in London.
There seemed to be nothing about lapidary that Ken did not know. From cutting rare Kashmir sapphires and stones for the French crown jewels to crafting crystal clocks for Cartier, his experience was unmatched.
His technique was the traditional London Jamb Peg method, precisely the discipline Robin had long wanted to master but knew could only be learned under the guidance of a true expert.
Ken’s character left a lasting impression. He was genuinely altruistic, one of those rare individuals whose passion for their craft is matched by a selfless desire to share it. He passed on his knowledge freely, asking for nothing in return other than the hope that those he taught would one day do the same.
Rethinking Precision
Learning from Ken fundamentally changed Robin’s approach to cutting coloured stones. He came to realise that both the industry’s and his own earlier fixation on precision cutting, achieving perfectly flat facets and following exact dimensional drawings, as in diamond cutting, can often diminish a stone’s natural colour. While such precision enhances brilliance and sparkle, it can come at the expense of the depth and character that should define a fine coloured stone.
Within the trade, it is often said that all the best rough material has already been found and cut. Remarks like “they just don’t find sapphires and rubies like they used to” are common. Robin’s studies with Ken led him to a different conclusion.
The quality of the material has not declined, it is the way stones are now cut that has changed. Many are simply not cut in a way that reveals their best qualities.
There remains, of course, a place for precision cutting. It is highly effective when working with lower-value materials to produce stones of maximum brilliance, and when creating unusual or complex designs that demand exact tolerances.
Keeping The Craft Alive
The lapidary industry has seen a marked decline over the past fifty years, largely due to the introduction of modern faceting machines and the disappearance of traditional Jamb Peg apprenticeships. It is difficult for most to appreciate the scale of this loss, and Robin himself only came to understand it fully after becoming deeply involved in the discipline.
At first glance, with thousands of jewellery stores around the world displaying a vast range of gemstones, it would seem that skilled cutters are plentiful. The reality is quite different. Most stones today are cut in mass-production facilities across Asia, where the focus is on volume and low cost rather than quality or innovation. This industrial approach has contributed to the erosion of traditional hand-cutting techniques once mastered by skilled lapidaries.
Wherever Robin travels, whether Idar in Germany, Paris, London or Sri Lanka, the story is the same. There is a growing shortage of traditionally trained master cutters, and jewellers everywhere are finding it increasingly difficult to source stones cut to their full potential.
Robin’s fascination, and at times obsession, with lapidary has revealed both the depth of this decline and the opportunity it presents, the future of creative lapidary at Selini looks bright.
Robin now feels a responsibility to contribute to the revival of the UK lapidary industry. His hope is that it will experience a resurgence similar to the one seen in the British watchmaking sector over the past fifteen years.
