
lapidarist
A lapidarist is a skilled artisan who cuts, shapes, and polishes gemstones and minerals to enhance their beauty and bring out their best features. They carefully examine raw stones and use specialized tools to create precise facets or smooth surfaces, often for jewelry or decorative objects. Their work requires a keen eye for detail, knowledge of different stones’ properties, and technical expertise to transform rough material into polished, attractive gems. Essentially, lapidarists are the craftsmen who turn natural mineral specimens into stunning, market-ready gemstones.