Martin Guptill, GG, FGA
How does one become a gemstone faceter? For Marty, it began with a job as a machinist. He then found himself polishing jewelry in Syracuse for a jewelry repair and manufacturing company, and his passion for gemstones was born. It didn't take long before Marty’s passion became a quest for more knowledge and he enrolled in the GIA distance learning course. Marty completed his studies, earning a GG, and found his hunger for gemstone knowledge was not yet satisfied. He enrolled in the Gem-A program and before long had earned an FGA to accompany his GG.
In 1991, with a desire to apply his skills in a laboratory, he left New York for California and EGL Labs. Marty spent 10 years with EGL grading diamonds, identifying gemstones and doing research before becoming the manager of Stuller’s Los Angeles office. On a whim, Marty decided to take a faceting class taught by Richard Homer, but it wasn’t until Kreg Scully urged him to spend his tax return on a faceting machine that Marty began to turn a hobby into a career.
Of the most exciting projects Marty has worked on he speaks fondly of his top three, in no particular order:
• The first large stone he ever cut; a 200+ ct piece of yellow sunstone rough that had a finished weight of slightly over 56 carats, a gift from Don Buford of the Dust Devil Mine, later donated to the LA county Museum of Natural History in memory of Kreg Scully.
• Cutting gemstones for John Koivula, to enhance the inclusions in the gemstone. This is a backward approach for cutters, as they are typically required to cut gems to avoid or remove any natural inclusions that may be present in the rough material. Marty loves the additional challenge that these pieces present.
• His latest project; cutting Palladot. Palladot is peridot that has made its way to earth, inside a pallasitic meteorite, from space. Marty speculates that the extraterrestrial peridot may have a higher iron content as he finds it takes a much better polish than peridot formed here on earth. Marty speaks of special methods he has developed to achieve this great polish, but he isn’t giving away any secrets.
Marty’s least favorite material to cut? Kunzite due to its cleavage and apatite with its resistance to taking a great polish.
His favorite? Oregon Sunstone, which he mines annually himself.
The cutters favorite cut? For Marty, it is the next design that he has never cut before.
