Anyone know much about gems cut by Richard Homer?

[iLander]

I'm so glad that TL said what she did about Richard Homer's gemstones. I too find him grossly over-priced. I know people love his concave cuts but they honestly just don't rock my world. Glad you're looking elsewhere.

Could not have said it better myself.

I do however covet a Topaz Snowflake from RH. But I'm not buying a $100 gemstone for $700+

I didn't want to "out" him, but Richard is somewhat flexible on price . . .

 

[FrekeChild]

I'm so glad that TL said what she did about Richard Homer's gemstones. I too find him grossly over-priced. I know people love his concave cuts but they honestly just don't rock my world. Glad you're looking elsewhere.

Could not have said it better myself.

I do however covet a Topaz Snowflake from RH. But I'm not buying a $100 gemstone for $700+

I didn't want to "out" him, but Richard is somewhat flexible on price . . .

Right. But it's still not worth it.

To me.

 

[Fly Girl]

To answer the OP, yes, I've seen Richard Homer's work and it is absolutely spectacular. I've been to a couple of his round tables, and it is really a treat to spend an evening fingerprinting his stones. I particularly love his artistic cuts and shapes. The material he chooses is generally of excellent quality. A snowflake topaz is on my wish list as well. Maybe next time.

If you are looking for an inexpensive round or oval stone to pop into an existing setting, I would not choose RH. If you are looking for an unusual cut which makes for a flashy stone for a special custom designer piece, I would definitely consider his work.

 

[Brown.Eyed.Girl]

I had to stop by - my first CS purchase was an RH sapphire. Actually, he was really accommodating on price as well, and he's such a great, nice guy.

Whether or not one of his stones is worth the premium for cutting depends totally on you. Concave cutting isn't the easiest thing in the world. That said, some people love the look of concave cut gems, and others don't - if you're in the former category, Richard's work is amazing and definitely worth the price. If you're in the latter, it won't be worth it to you. So to the OP, decide first if you like the look of a concave cut gem, and if so, then definitely talk to Richard about what he has available in your budget. And if you don't like the look of a CC gem, then there are other wonderful vendors who do traditional cuts, like Barry Bridgestock (another wonderful and talented cutter).

And for reference, my sapphire - a 1.21 ct. heated blue cushion with green undertones in a JA setting:

 

[iLander]

I think it IS a matter of taste, like most things.

I feel that certain well-known stone setters are grossly over-priced but I see people lining up to buy them. IMO twins to some of these fancy-schmancy $5,000+ settings can be had for under $900.

Not worth it.

To me.

But that's the beauty of PS, we all get to see and enjoy the variety that is available in the jewelry world.

 

[Arkteia]

It all depends on the material. He is a great cutter so he can make any material look good but even with Richard I'd ask for "hand" shots before I commit to buy anything. My tubular Solux lamp is not working so I can not take a good photo before Wednesday but on Wednesday I shall try to photograph and post a photo of a Namibian stone I bought from him. Just as an illustration.

 

[T L]

Concave cutting for me, in general, doesn't do much unless the stone is lighter in tone. I don't like darker toned stones with concave cutting. I think concave cut mandarins are gorgeous. Yingh also has a concave cut mandarin she bought on ebay, and then sent to RH to cut. It looks amazing, and she probably saved a great deal of money since she sourced the stone herself. He no longer does recuts however, which is a shame.

 

[PrecisionGem]

All other things being equal, a concave stone should cost a little more than a flat faceted stones. It takes me normally about a 1.5 to 2 hours extra to concave cut a stone. It's the polishing process that adds all the extra time, plus the stone gets moved from a traditional faceting machine to the concave machine.

At TL pointed out, I think concave faceting is best suited for lighter stones, as it does give the illusion of a deeper tone.

 

[bright ice]

Thanks to all who have posted. You have been much help.

Wink Jones of High Performace Diamonds will have the stone in his hands on Monday and will do a quick video shoot of it for me. I do trust his opinion after doing business with him on 3 diamonds. I'll will keep you posted on my findings. This is the stone I am viewing.

http://www.webgraphicsengineering.com/Gemstones/detail.cfm?zNum=6132

 

[T L]

I don't know if you're trying to get the look of a champagne diamond in rose gold, but check out malaya garnets too, if that is the case.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I love his gems. I think he has some very interesting designs and his execution is beautiful. This is the result of a lot of experimentation and technique, which is reflected in his prices. Sure, not everyone likes concave or carved gems and that is perfectly fine. I see faceting as an art form.

I think iLander said it best. There are jewelers who charge an outrageous amount for a setting and there are people who are happy to pay it, since, for them, the perfect prong and azure are worth it. RH is a master of a craft and there are people who are willing to pay for that.