Stone : Amethyst
Colour : Purple
Item : #1624
Cut By : Doug Menadue, 2021
Design : Utopia Pear
Origin : Brazil
Treatments : None
Weight : 7.55 Carats
Clarity : Eye Clean
Size : 15.20X10.38X9.94mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

The Utopia pear design is one of my two favorite pear shaped designs, the other being the Brilliant Pear. These designs were by the late Jeff Graham. I really admire the lines of the Utopia profile, like those on a good yacht. There is something about it that is very elegant and it really matches well with amethyst and citrine.

I've also included some pics of the amethyst with a zircon Kalli I cut at the same time. Two really nice gems.

Stone : Amethyst
Colour : Purple
Item : #1608
Cut By : Doug Menadue, 2021
Design : Two Koi
Origin : Brazil
Treatments : None
Weight : 154.55 Carats
Clarity : Eye Clean
Size : 34X36X16mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

In this carving I have tried to portray two koi carp that have come to a waterfall. In legend a koi came to a waterfall and through much perseverance, effort and sheer willpower managed to leap up the waterfall and to progress further along the river ultimately achieving something great turning into a dragon. Many other koi gave up at the waterfall and allowed the strong currents to wash them back down the river.

Stone : Amethyst
Colour : Purple
Item : #1547
Cut By : Doug Menadue, 2021
Design : Psychonaut IX - Arrival
Origin : Brazil
Treatments : None
Weight : 252.90 Carats
Clarity : Very Very Slightly Included
Size : 44X38X33mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

This installment in my Psychonaut series of small sculptures finds my far-flung hero on a distant planet. She stands at the top of an ancient set of stairs gazing out over a vast and beautiful desert vista. In the distance are mountains over which moons, planets and stars rise and set in either a dawn or evening sky, she doesn't know which. Something tickles memories long forgotten and she feels she has been here in this place before. She has arrived where once long ago she departed, and a name comes to her... Arrakis!



This small sculpture was carved from a gorgeous piece of Brazilian amethyst rough. I have included some pictures of the original stone and it's progression from rough to polished. Working a piece from rough is a very time consuming exercise and is entirely done by hand. The stone needs to be first preformed to grind away any surface flaws, cracks and other defects. This then gives me an idea of what I'm working with. As I'm doing this I'm shaping the stone and developing it's form. Once I am happy with that I then move onto smoothing out the main curves and surfaces with various grades of wet and dry sandpaper. This is hand cramping stuff but it must be done as there is no other way to achieve those wonderful graceful smooth flowing curves. Once this is completed I begin grinding in the various features, such as the planets, suns, mountains, stairs and of course, my psychonaut hero. These are all carefully placed as I am creating a 3D scene and it all needs to make some sort of sense. Right from the very beginning I am imagining what and where I will place things and like a story, the scene develops over time as the sculpted form takes shape. Once the features are ground in I give it another going over with the wet and dry sandpaper to remove any surface marks that I might have made. Next begins the very painstaking process of polishing everything. This is a stage of work that must be done in a carefully sequenced and unrushed way so as to remove all scratches and marks to ultimately leave a highly polished finish. There is alot more to it but I hope this gives you a little insight into the creation of these small sculptures.

Stone : Amethyst
Colour : Purple
Item : #1437
Cut By : Doug Menadue, 2020
Design : Mixed Carving
Origin : Brazil
Treatments : None
Weight : 64.39 Carats
Clarity : Eye Clean
Size : 33.8X21.26X17.5mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

A 64 carat amethyst in the munsteiner style. Its impossible to capture in a photo the interior 3D landscape of a gem like this. There really is a daliesque dimension that can only be appreciated by seeing it in the hand... a twisted stepped corridor, a pyramid with an all seeing eye, spiked peaks, just magic!

Stone : Amethyst
Colour : Purple
Item : #1413
Cut By : Doug Menadue, 2019
Design : Matched Pair of Carvings
Origin : Uruguay
Treatments : None
Weight : 15.79, 15.72 Carats
Clarity : Eye Clean
Size : 16.59x14.42x10.74, 16.99x14.13x12.42mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

Here I have carefully carved these two pieces of gorgeous Uruguayan amethysts to be a matched pair of gems. The colour is just amazing, lovely and deep, a rich purple. My intention is to set them in yellow gold with diamonds as a matched pair of drop earrings to complement the pendant being made with #1402. I think these will be stunning and I can't wait to see how they will turn out!

Stone : Amethyst
Colour : Purple
Item : #1402
Cut By : Doug Menadue, 2019
Design : Carving
Origin : Brazil
Treatments : None
Weight : 77.98 Carats
Clarity : Eye Clean
Size : 35X23X15mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

There is something quiet and gentle about how light and colour moves and gathers, flows and washes around the curves within this carving of amethyst. We are used to thinking about and seeing the outside surface of things, but here there is an inside surface that draws your gaze, captivates and is deserving of wonder. I especially like the reflected surfaces underneath.

I think that it will make a fine pendant stone and in the new year when things are a bit quieter after the silly season, I intend to set it as such. I already have the design in mind.

This beautiful amethyst has been set as a stunning pendant, see it here.

Stone : Amethyst
Colour : Purple
Item : #1348
Cut By : Doug Menadue, 2019
Design : Nucleus
Origin : Uruguay
Treatments : None
Weight : 11.4 Total Carats
Clarity : Eye Clean
Size : 14.8x12.1x6mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

Experimenting to see if I could create an atomic nucleus in this pair of Uruguayan amethyst. As is the way with amethyst from this location they ended up quite zoned and one a little lighter then the other even though they started off in the rough pretty much the same. I think I managed to get the neutrons and protons in the centre with electrons surrounding it reasonably ok. The idea was to do a pair for a set of earrings.

Stone : Amethyst
Colour : Purple
Item : #1266
Cut By : Doug Menadue, 2019
Design : Sakura
Origin : Uruguay
Treatments : None
Weight : 7.16 Carats
Clarity : Eye Clean
Size : 12.79x12.81x6.88mm
Price : POA

Japan had been much on my mind at the time when I was working on the Chrysanthemum designs. I had a trip to Japan coming up soon (my first) about which I was very excited. So I guess alot of that expectation and excitement was channeled into my work at some level. This design came out of a strong urge to create a five sided design based on the Chrysanthemum idea and naturally I knew that I could only call it "Sakura", in honour of the Japanese cherry blossoms that are such an important part of the yearly calendar in this amazing country. This is a design that I am very pleased with. I hope you like it.

Stone : Amethyst
Item : #c109
Design : Fantasy
Origin : Africa
Treatments : None
Weight : 18.3 Carats
Clarity : Very Slightly Included
Size : 19.2X16.4X8.4 mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

Comments : This is a very beautiful amethyst from Africa with a nice rich colour, it is quite a stunning stone. It has been cut in a fantasy design and would be perfect as a ring or pendent stone. Very special amethyst.

Stone : Amethyst
Item : #c108
Design : Fantasy
Origin : Africa
Treatments : None
Weight : 11.9
Clarity : Eye Clean
Size : 18X13X7.1 mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

Comments : A beautiful amethyst finished in a fantasy design.

Stone : Amethyst
Item : #c107
Design : Fantasy
Origin : Africa
Treatments : None
Weight : 9.5 Carats
Clarity : Very Slightly Included
Size : 15.8X12.4X6.5 mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

Comments : A very fine amethyst cut in a fantasy design.

Stone : Amethyst
Item : #c41
Design : Concave Trillion Zig
Origin : Brazil
Treatments : None
Weight : 5.65 carats
Clarity : Included
Size : 12 x 12 x 7.5 mm
Price : PRICE ON REQUEST

This amethyst gem has a lovely colour and is cut in an interesting concave design. It is a good stone and has some veil inclusions. I think this stone would make a good pendant.