Seattle Chapter: Holistic Gemstone Sourcing presented by Roger Dery
Monday, September 24, 2018
6:30 p.m.
Seattle, WA
Roger has been in the gemstone business since 1981, when his fascination with colored gems began on a three-month journey to India. In the early years, he operated as a general colored stone dealer carrying calibrated goods and in 2001, learned to facet and re-faceted his entire inventory.
He considers himself a purist and admires the classic cuts. His favorite gemstone is sapphire, a rich cornflower blue, in an antique cushion, and is also enamored with unusual gemstones like Golden Beryl, Kunzite and Iolite. Roger, who has won two AGTA Spectrum Awards, loves to redesign a classic cut to make it come alive. His desire is to facet fabulous gems that will inspire the creation of heirloom jewelry to be cherished for generations. He’s a rock star!
Roger is the star of the documentary “Sharing the Rough,” which captures the world of mining, miners, faceting and friendships in East Africa. He has made dozens of trips to East Africa, working directly with artisanal miners to source rough and contribute to their families, schools and communities. Holistic sourcing is the bedrock of his business philosophy, directing his actions and philanthropy.
This event is co-hosted with the AGS Guild and WJA of Seattle.
