JNA Nov/ Dec 2020

MARKET INTELLIGENCE 54 | JNA Nov/Dec 2020 life, and some of her early memories are of being in her grandfather’s store where miners came to shop and talk. “Growing up, I had a sense of being able to do almost anything as long as I could do it with my hands,” she recalled. As a classically trained sculptor, she had the opportunity to make magnificent, monumental pieces. At some point, she stopped making large pieces and shifted her focus to making precious art jewels. “While Victor (Tuzlukov) and I approach our precious material in very different ways, we both appreciate that they come from the most ancient parts of the earth and we both see our work as a communication of spirit and emotion, as are all art forms,” said Sarna. Personal touch To find the best material for her craft, Sarna has travelled from Tanzania and Madagascar to Arkansas, visiting mines and hand-picking the rough gemstones that she turns into treasured objects. A female gem carver of the highest caliber is quite rare. Nothing has held back her creativity or drive. When Sarna looks at a rough gemstone, she knows within minutes what she will carve – the stone dictates the design. And while most carvers seek clean material, she prefers stones that have inclusions. These serve as the roadmap that guides her as she carves the stone. Central to her work is the play of light and shadow, movement, texture and the use of bold colour combinations. Sarna feels an intimate connection to the gemstone she is carving – the design and outcome are constantly on her mind. It typically takes her 50 hours to carve a large gemstone but sometimes up to 500 hours to polish. “It takes a certain state of mind to spend 500 hours polishing a piece. I prepare as if it were a spiritual ritual, from which I emerge stronger. I have walked on hot coals and I would rather walk 50 feet on hot coals than contemplate 500 hours of polishing. I just want to be with the piece and be one with it; it calls me. Carving a stone is a very intimate relationship. I imbue my spirit into a piece and the spirit flows back into me,” said Sarna. While the gem artist admires the work of minimalist and abstract painters and sculptors, her style leans towards the sensuous curves and flowing curls of the Pre-Raphaelite and Art Nouveau periods. “I’m always observing and seeking the beautiful line,” she revealed. Indeed, Sarna’s works feature curves that are intertwined and sensuous. Collectors want to hold her pieces in their hands, feel their weight and see their beauty. Her works are made by hand and meant to be held by hand. “My larger, stand-alone carvings are on bases, and can be removed and held as a focal point for a meditation. You want to hold them close, not have them at a distance from you. Wearing my art jewels with carved gems feel like they are a part of you,” she explained. It also yielded World Heritage Gemstone No. 5 – Fragility of the Eternal (France), which depicted the pattern of the Notre-Dame Cathedral’s stained glass in the faceting diagram. The Spodumene (kunzite) version is a 3,051-carat stone with 914 facets, making it the largest faceted Spodumene to date. The 424.19-carat cubic zirconia version has 860 facets, representing each of the cathedral’s 860 years. Each World Heritage project gemstone comes in two versions: Natural and synthetic gemstones. The natural gemstone reflects the interaction between the master cutter and nature, while the synthetic material enables the lapidarist to fully realise his concept. For instance, the refractive index and dispersion of cubic zirconia allowed Tuzlukov to replicate the effect of light passing through the stained glass of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Sculptural prowess American artist, gem carver and sculptor Naomi Sarna is likewise committed to revealing fundamental truths through her exemplary pieces. Her work may be viewed at the Smithsonian’s Permanent Collection of American Gems. Sarna’s masterpieces include the Stone of Heaven through exceptional carvings of jadeite and nephrite. She has won numerous awards for gem carving, including several for jadeite and nephrite carving at exhibitions in China. She is currently putting together the Jade Guild in the US. Sarna was born within walking distance of some of the world’s greatest mineral mines in Butte, Montana. Minerals, gems and fossils were a part of her everyday Top: World Heritage Gemstone No. 1 – From the Emptiness (China) citrine by Victor Tuzlukov 世界遺產系列第1號寶石—— '道生無(中國)'， 由 Victor Tuzlukov 刻面的黃水晶 Bottom: 640-carat kunzite by Victor Tuzlukov that is displayed at the Smithsonian Institution 640 克拉紫鋰輝， Victor Tuzlukov 作品，在史密 森尼學會展出