Wow, this is the 50th artist I'm spotlighting here at Reef Botanicals! I've got a good one for you this week, too. Meet John, of
Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry, also known on Artfire as Gemlover. You can tell that's an accurate moniker; this guy loves gems.
In fact, this artisan from South Carolina has had such a passion for rocks and rockhounding since he was a small child that he obtained his BS and MS in geology from Rensselaer! That, my friends, is dedication. He didn't stop there, though. His passion was fostered by his wife, who bought a bunch of gemstones, brought them to John, and asked, "What are these?"
... and off John set into the world of gemology, studying to be a professional gemologist, doing lapidary and cutting his own stones, becoming certified as an accredited jewelry professional, and obtaining his jewelry design and repair certificate.
Most of his work at this point is comprised of custom pieces he makes for people, but his artfire shop is still chock full of great items.
What I really love about his work are the really unique settings he creates, as well as the often irregular cuts of stones.
Mixed amongst those really interesting pieces are sophisticated ones like this ring.
Beautiful! To read more about John and his work, be sure to check out his
blog. Amazing stuff on there, trust me.
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