#1.) Bernd Munsteiner

The Father of the Fantasy Cut

March 2, 1943 - June 6, 2024

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

Bernd Munsteiner, the father of the “Fantasy Cut,” died on Thursday, June 6th, surrounded by his family, his wife Hanne, daughter-in-law Jutta, and grandson, Philipp, in Stipshausen, Germany. He was 81 years old.

Brave New World

Bernd Munsteiner was the determined young gem cutter who, after graduating from the school for art & design in Pforzheim, instead of going back to cutting traditional shapes with his father, took the rough gem materials, polished a top window, and then carved polished wedges into the girdles and pavilions, creating multiple displays of light within the gem, offering the world a new vision, the art of a gem – the Fantasy Cut.

We spoke to Bernd's daughter-in-law Jutta, long time close friend Hans-Jürgen Henn, and Smithsonian curator Dr. Jeffrey Post about the life and legacy of Bernd Munsteiner.

Tap here for our tribute to Bernd Munsteiner

Second week in a row...

#3.) Barbara M. Berk’s "Aquamarine Rhapsody" now in the Smithsonian

Platinum and Aquamarine Pendant Donated to the National Gem Collection

Gary Roskin

Roskin Gem News Report

Barbara M. Berk is an artist, an expert in textile techniques in metal, and a jeweler, weaving precious metals into museum quality wearable art, including brooches, necklaces, earrings and hair ornaments. Her award-winning works have been worn, displayed, placed in art museums, and now, “Aquamarine Rhapsody,” a woven platinum pendant, featuring a Sherris Cottier Shank carved aquamarine, resides at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History as part of the National Gem Collection in Washington, D.C.

Tap here to read all about the artists and the jewel.

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

This year marked the ninth edition of TEFAF New York at the Park Avenue Armory, May 10-14, 2024. The Roskin Gem News Report covered the show, visiting with a number of fine jewelry exhibitors: Ariadne, FD Gallery, Boghossian, Otto Jakob, and Hemmerle.

TEFAF, the European Fine Art Foundation, is apparently one of the world's preeminent organizations for fine art, antiques, and design. TEFAF produces two fairs internationally - TEFAF Maastricht, in the Netherlands, and TEFAF New York. New York City is considered by many to have a prestigious and vibrant art market, thus providing the ideal setting for a TEFAF fair outside of Maastricht.

Tap here to see who we covered at this year's NY TEFAF Show.

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

In-person trade shows give us the opportunity to see what's available, what's new, and maybe something we missed along the way. This year's JCK Las Vegas show and the Antique Jewelry & Watch Show were  no different as we were able to find a good number of gems and jewels worthy of your inspection.

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

At Christie’s New York live Magnificent Jewels auction on June 11, 2024, we noticed that Natural Pearls did very very well (when compared to the estimates)!

Natural pearls have been riding high on the wave for several years now, and if we are not mistaken, they seem to have crested into a consistently higher demand.

Let's take a look at a few auction pieces: Tap Here!

FACETS Sri Lanka is the flagship event of the Sri Lanka Gem and Jewellery industry. Held annually in Colombo since 1991, FACETS Sri Lanka hosts hundreds of local and foreign exhibitors showcasing their impressive collection of Gems and Jewellery.

Known as a premier global sourcing event, FACETS Sri Lanka 2025 is a chance to celebrate the nation known for its vast natural gemstone resources, its high quality Ceylon Sapphires as well as a host of other precious gems.

Sri Lanka is one of the top five most important gem providers in the world, attracting large numbers of international buyers and visitors.

And there is no better event than FACETS Sri Lanka 2025, for you to reconnect with old friends and business partners, to discover new resources, see much of the available inventory, and to do so much for your gemstone business in such a small amount of time.

Tap here to find out more about FACETS Sri Lanka 2025!

LauraLee – WhoWoreWhatJewels.com –

Gary Roskin –

Roskin Gem News Report –

LauraLee is back with her Who Wore What Jewels Weekly

round-up of celebrities wearing fabulous jewelry. “This week in the world of high fashion and dazzling accessories, some of our favorite celebrities have outdone themselves. From Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh unveiling Mikimoto’s latest high jewelry collection, ‘The Bows’, just in time for Paris Haute Couture Week, to the stunning custom dragon grill and piercing arrow piece showcased by House of Dragons star Emma D’Arcy, the jewelry game is undeniably strong.”

You should definitely check out Michelle Yeoh and her Mikimoto bow, as well as Elizabeth Debicki wearing Eliane Fattal.

Tap here to see this and more from WhoWoreWhatJewels.com!

Gary Roskin -

Roskin Gem News Report -

One of the benefits to in-person trade shows is the random encounter of something new, or something you have missed. Case in point, the GIA's Match iD.

"The GIA Match iD™ is an inscription viewing instrument that, when paired with the iOS version of the GIA App, can connect to GIA’s secure database to match a loose diamond to its GIA digital grading report using Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology.

"Equipped with a high-definition camera, it allows users to view a diamond’s GIA laser inscription and transmits the image to the GIA App where it is captured and analyzed. By analyzing the physical characteristics of the diamond inscription along with the inscription number, the AI-powered GIA App is able to match the inscription image to its corresponding grading report in the GIA database, thus confirming that the diamond is accompanied by an authentic GIA grading report."

But there's something even more important than simply reading the inscription number and linking to the report.

Tap here to read about this latest piece of equipment!