Gemstone artist Victor Tuzlukov is once again displaying his astonishing gem cutting and facetting capabilities at Jewellery & Gem WORLD Hong Kong (JGW)2024. This time around though, his muse is the captivating pearl.

Tuzlukov is demonstrating his unique pearl facetting techniques at the pearl-centric Orient Odyssey exhibition at Booth 3M260 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre where he is also unveiling a “surprise.”

“I first got into pearl facetting in 2007 when I saw a few pearls facetted by my Russian friend Eduard Akhmetshin,” he revealed. “Mostly, I used designs by my late American friend and renowned facetter, Bob Keller. One of his works, named Rose Sphere 168, is the most convenient design for round pearls.”

From 2011 to 2012, Tuzlukov collaborated with a few jewellers who used these pearls for their designs. Among these was Russian fine jewellery designer Ilgiz Fazulzyanov, who won the Jewellery Design Excellence Award in Hong Kong in 2013 for his “Butterflies” creation.

“What I am planning to use at JGW is a surprise,” he noted, possibly referring to the pearl type or pearl facetting design for his live demonstration. The gem artist also explained that pearl facetting as an art requires dedication and precision.

“If you can cut soft stones like calcite or sphalerite, you can also cut pearls,” remarked Tuzlukov. “If you want to create a real masterpiece, you should be very precise in cutting the pearl and just as careful in polishing it. Otherwise, you will get deep scratches.”