Bernd Munsteiner transformed gemstone cutting. Before Bernd, colored gemstones were cut into traditional round, oval, square and rectangular shapes that had no sculptural component other than those dictated by the shape of the raw material.
Bernd changed everything. His vision was to create transparent gemstone sculpture by playing with light and reflection in an entirely new way. He created the Fantasy Cut and “negative cutting”. With negative cutting reflective facets are cut into the stone rather than on its surface. The result is a gemstone with shifting, multiple reflections of sculptural shapes suspended within its transparent interior.
Bernd became known as the “Picasso of Gemstones” with his work in museums and private collections around the world. One of his master works is the Dom Pedro Aquamarine, one of the major treasures of the Smithsonian Gem Collection in Washington DC. Bernd’s focus is now on sculptural scale projects.
Tom Munsteiner, Bernd’s son and now Master of Atelier Munsteiner, grew up cutting gemstones. He is a master stonecutter, has developed his own distinctive gemstone cutting style and is an artist in his own right. Expanding on the concept of negative cutting, Tom is creating both one-of-a-kind gemstones for designer jewelry and large sculptural pieces cut from natural crystal material. By melding new technology and art, he is able to create pieces previously impossible to cut that are imbued with his distinctive style.
Tom has received international accolades too numerous to mention and many of the stones in my personal collection are Tom’s work.
Bernd Munsteiner
41.99 carats
24.72 mm x 23.72 mm x 14.16 mm tall
This 41.99 carat stone is a piece of the famous Dom Pedro Aquamarine, the largest aquamarine ever found and now one of the treasures of the Smithsonian Museum Gem Collection.
When Bernd Munsteiner cut the Dom Pedro into a gemstone sculpture, this stone was fashioned from a piece of the gem material that remained.
A very special stone.
Aquamarine
Tom Munsteiner
41.22 carats
36.96mm x 23.78mm x 6.26mm
NOT FOR SALE
Aquamarine “Magic Eye”
Tom Munsteiner
39.03 carats
25.39mm x 25.41mm x 7.94mm
NOT FOR SALE
Tourmaline, Rubellite
Tom Munsteiner
27.09 carats
21.37mm x 21.32mm x 8.83mm
NOT FOR SALE
Tourmaline
Tom Munsteiner
13.81 carats
24.61mm x 11mm x 6.88mm
Peridot
Tom Munsteiner
13.12 carats
14.71mm x 19.47mm x 7.30mm
NOT FOR SALE
Mandarin Spessartite Garnet
“Imagination”
Tom Munsteiner
31.08 carats
17.90mm x 18.72mm x 10.30mm
NOT FOR SALE
Aquamarine – context cut
Tom Munsteiner
16.67 carats
17.11mm x 17.24mm x 10.13mm
NOT FOR SALE
Bicolor Tourmaline – pink/green
Tom Munsteiner
10.31 carats
11.72mm x 17.03mm x 8.27mm
NOT FOR SALE
Aquamarine
Tom Munsteiner
10.14 carats
16.2mm x 12.8mm x 7.2mm
Mandarin Spessartite Garnet
Tom Munsteiner
9.82 carats
14.69mm x 14.82mm x 5.65mm
NOT FOR SALE
Citrine
Tom Munsteiner
42.74 carats
31.78mm x 25.74mm x 10.04mm
Amethyst with Crystal “Star”
Tom Munsteiner
28.73 carats
19.53mm x 19.71mm x 12.30mm SOLD
Gold Beryl “Erotik”
Bernd Munsteiner
9.84 carats
28.63mm x 12.96mm x 5.52mm
NOT FOR SALE
Tourmaline
Tom Munsteiner
4.36 carats
13.66mm x 8.56mm x 4.27mm
Gold Beryl
Tom Munsteiner
7.76 carats
20.88mm x 9.81mm x 4.70mm
NOT FOR SALE
Citrine
Tom Munsteiner
20.56 carats
20.63mm x 10.44mm
NOT FOR SALE
Beryl
Tom Munsteiner
6.88 carats
12.92mm x 12.88mm x 7.14mm
SOLD
Moonstone
Tom Munsteiner
13.87 carats
22.01mm x 12.90mm x 6.21mm
NOT FOR SALE
Quartz with Phantom Crystal
Tom Munsteiner
56.68 carats
38.71mm x 25.06mm x 8.85mm
Aquamarine
Tom Munsteiner
7.83 carats
14.46mm x 14.43mm x 5.21mm
Citrine “Erotik”
Tom Munsteiner
12.41 carats
26.30mm x 13.57mm x 7.48mm
Quartz with Glimmer
contains a cloud of violet mica particles that play in the light
Tom Munsteiner
43.04 carats
22.76mm x 18.03mm x 14.87mm
NOT FOR SALE
Tourmalinated Quartz – cut in an arch
contains a garden of black tourmaline crystals
Tom Munsteiner
21.91 carats
35.29mm x 12.73mm x 9.01mm
NOT FOR SALE
Rock Crystal with Tourmaline crystals
Tom Munsteiner
24.22 carats
22.18mm x 19.37mm x 6.69mm SOLD
Rock Crystal with Rutile crystals “Prisma”
Tom Munsteiner
23.15 carats
20.95mm x 22.43mm x 5.53mm
Citrine matched pair “Erotik”
Tom Munsteiner
4.54 carats
6.07mm x 22.09mm x 3.33mm
6.04mm x 21.91mm x 3.22mm
NOT FOR SALE
Rutilated Quartz
Tom Munsteiner
124.13 carats
67.44mm x 26.34mm x 7.08mm
Rock Crystal with Rutile
Tom Munsteiner
20.13 carats
27.91mm x 13.90mm x 7.05mm
Rock Crystal with Rutile and Tourmaline crystals
Tom Munsteiner
128.65 carats
49.84mm x 54.89mm x 6.82mm
Rock Crystal with Rutile and Tourmaline crystals
Tom Munsteiner
170.85 carats
53.49mm x 53.96mm x 7.51mm
After 49 wonderful years, the George Sawyer Designs studio has closed for business. George will now concentrate on creating one-of-a-kind pieces.Keep up with his new designs on our website and on Facebook @GeorgeSawyerJewelryDesign