“A man of few words, prize-winning cutter Richard Homer lets his gemstones speak for themselves. Optimizing color and light return is every gem cutter’s primary objective because that’s what consumers notice when they hold a stone in their hands. So when cutter Richard Homer proved he could ratchet up a gem’s brilliance by an average 100% in any standard shape through new techniques in cutting, the international gem world took notice. The foundations of faceting were shaken to the core. Lapidarists and other gem experts wondered just how he did it”, reports Robert Weldon of Professional Jeweler Magazine.

Concave facets work so well because they become convex on the inside of the gem, returning light along the whole surface of the curved facet, instead of in one direction as with flat facets. His style is geometric and crisp, although he has evolved into more free-flowing girdle outlines such as his trademarked paisley pear, concave arch, and concave arabesque cuts. Nonetheless, the hallmark of his work is remarkable brilliance.

Richard considers his most noteworthy skill his creativity in new design, which often requires new cutting techniques and procedures that in turn require specialized tools that he creates to suit his needs. In fact, Richard specifically allocates eight hours a week to engage his mind in creative tooling and its applications to new gem designs, allowing him to stay on the cutting edge of lapidary art .