Master of the Negative Cut
Bernd Munsteiner sculpture on display at Institute exemplifies master carver’s innovative style

By Larne Boyles

One look at his work is all it takes to emblazon Bernd Munsteiner’s gem-cutting talents in your mind forever. He’s credited with creating the negative cut and taking fantasy carvings to new levels, which can be clearly seen in a piece he donated to the Museum Collection.

The untitled specimen, a 5,212.5-carat smoky quartz sculpture that stands nearly 10-inches tall, is polished on the front to reveal negative grooves like saw teeth strategically carved into the back. The result is an optical juxtaposition of textures as the jagged edges appear to slice through the smooth, transparent, polished front.

“Through years of experimentation, he has devised a method of asymmetrical cutting that achieves maximum refraction and reflection using the fewest possible cuts,” said Sally A. Thomas, former editorial assistant for Gems & Gemology, in the spring 1987 issue of In Focus. “Unlike conventional cuts, most of the surface of Munsteiner’s stones is polished but remains uncut.”

The Munsteiner piece is on display in the Atrium of GIA’s Carlsbad campus. Set against a west-facing-glass wall, nature meets the supernatural when the warm glare of the Pacific sun shines through the sculpture at sunset.

“We are thrilled to have this significant piece in our collection,” said GIA Museum Director Elise Misiorowski. “Bernd, who is really the father of the fantasy cut, led a gem carving revolution when he began using what appeared to be random cuts on gem materials in the 1970s.”

Munsteiner, a third-generation lapidary, learned his skills in the gem carving capital of Idar-Oberstein, Germany. He used his background in traditional gem cutting techniques, in combination with his visionary talents, to create the concept of negative cuts. The advent of new technology, and a wider appreciation of unusually cut gems in the last 20 years, has lead many lapidaries to push the boundaries of the fantasy cut, Misiorowski said.

“You can certainly see Bernd’s inspiration in the work of so many award-winning lapidaries today,” she said. “Glenn Lehrer, Lawrence Stoller, Michael Dyber and Steve Walters among others have all taken the fantasy cut to new and exciting levels. We are truly honored to have a piece from this pioneer in the GIA Collection.”

GIA’s Museum galleries are free and open to the public through scheduled tours 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Monday-Friday. Contact Yvette Wilson, Guest Services supervisor, for more information at (800) 421-7250, ext. 4116. Outside the U.S., call (760) 603-4116.