Diane's Oval

One of the many benefits of being a lapidary artist is the opportunity to spend time doing something you love to create one-of-a-kind art and jewelry to sell to someone who finds it enchanting or to give as a gift to someone special. It’s a win-win, whatever the reason or result.

- ANTOINETTE RAHN

Sometimes such a piece is even more memorable because of the inspiration. For Jim Perkins, the mastermind behind the patterns and cut stones featured in the Faceting Focus column, the inspiration for Diane’s oval is a classmate. While attending his 50th high school class reunion, Jim was able to catch up with a classmate, Diane. She and her family were people Jim always thought a lot of, he said. Diane was a majorette in school, and her brother was a fellow Boy Scout with Jim.

“I simply was inspired to cut a stone for her,” Jim reports. “Amethyst is her birthstone, so I designed the stone. I often do this for my friends from school.”