I am bewildered by these examples of fantasy cut or sculptured gemstones. The craftsmen and women who do this kind of work are extremely skilled lapidarists, understanding the unique properties and tendencies of each stone to cleave, refract light, etc. Can you imagine having one of these stones custom set in a ring?! I can - I think it would be mighty nice.
See more images of gemstone carvings by American Bart Curren here. And if you are really interested, you can check out this book about the father of fantasieschliffe and his family, the Munsteiners of Germany.
