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"While button-holing people with unusual occupations has for years
been all in a day's work, last week was the first time this reporter ever had the opportunity to seize the
lapels of a lapidary (for your information a lapidary is a skilled worker who cuts, polishes and engraves
precious and semi-precious stones).
"And the surprising part of this story is that the lapidary
is a local resident, Richard B. Qvale, and his laboratory equipped
with gem cutting tools, many of his own design is right here in Wayzata in the basement workshop of his home.
"He's also an engineer with E. J. Longyear
company, an amateur mineralogist and crystallographer with gem cutting a hobby that seems to have caught on.
"Gems he has cut for member of his family, have been admired
by friends, who in turn have asked him to cut gems for them in some special design. From there the word of
personalized cuts has gone on to friends until Dick finds himself spending more and more of his leisure time
over a hot "skeep" (lapidary talk for polishing wheel) and investing more and more money in his diamond saws,
wheels, and other gem cutting gear.
"Ever since he studied mineralogy and crystallography at the
University of Minnesota, Dick has been interested in precious stones, and a few years ago set up a laboratory in
one corner of the basement. Two years ago he designed a bench of two inch iron pipe that would take a direct
bomb hit to budge, and has added more tools until Alice Qvale is hard
put to it to find a spot to string a clothes line.
"The advantage of having a lapidary cut your gems is the
personalized element. A fellow can pick out any design he happens to like and have it cut out of a hunk of
rough stone, making the gem a distinctive him to her gift -- or vice versa.
"Dick has cut amethysts, sapphires, jade and other semi-precious
stones for jewelry for the family. He doesn't design the rings, nor sell the stones, but if a prospective
customer requests him to do it, he will send for the rough stones and can recommend a jeweler who'll turn out
a ring, bracelet, pendant or earrings after some specified design.
"A lapidary's job is to make the best of a stone by cutting it to
show off its beauty of color, its transparency and its fire. He must develop the touch of an artist, and the patience of a
junior Job. To appreciate his art is is only necessary to look at the gem on your finger, and notice the
magical fire, the symmetry and regularity of shape of each of its tiny glittering sides.
"To date Dick hasn't tried his skill on diamonds, rubies or emeralds,
but is sticking to the semi-precious stones -- sapphires, topaz, turquoise, moonstones, opals, aquamarines, and any
others he happens to run across.
"But he's not the only gem specialist who is concentrating on semi-precious
stones. The wold supply of gems is diminishing because their natural sources are being steadily exhausted, and at the
same time the cost of labor throughout the world is going up.
"Some jewelers are turning toward synthetics, and claim that
synthetic rubies, for instance, are even more beautiful than real rubies. Synthetic star rubies and star sapphires are more
perfect than the real stones.
"'But that's just the trouble,' said Dick. 'They're too perfect. That's
why I don't go for synthetics. The stuff man makes is just too good.'"
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