Montanari Jewelers Archive

Archives - Fantasy Cut

Some of our more interesting creations feature the exotic shapes, forms, and colors of gemstones cut by world renowned artists such as Erhard Jung, Bernd Munsteiner, Lewis Wackler, David Brackna, William Day, Dieter Lorenz, Jurgen Thom, and Hans Ulrich Pauly.

A technical pioneer, Bernd Munsteiner is generally credited with inventing the "fantasy cut" technique of inverted faceting, which results in irregular shaped gems that dazzle the eye with reflections from many unexpected angles and directions. David Brackna gained fame for his "holographic cut" gems, one of which is featured on our home page. Lewis Wackler employs Munsteiner's methods to achieve his own remarkable results. Dieter Lorenz is a gem carver who works in opaque materials, such as agate and onyx, achieving seemingly impossible shapes, forms and textures.

Jurgen Thom and Hans Ulrich Pauly are arguably the best cameo carvers working today, literally carving images by hand directly into hard agate, carving through the surface color to reveal the contrasting color beneath, and carving partially through to produce shading. A master of portraiture, Mr. Pauly takes commissions upon request.

Montanari Fine Art Jewelers