Our love of gemstones continues to grow and we are so pleased to have lapidarist Loren Gurche visiting Brooklyn Metal Works on November 3rd at 11am to share his deep knowledge about opals.
You may be familiar with Loren on Instagram as @ancients17 where he showcases his opal cutting practice and sells beautifully finished opals to some of the most noteworthy jewelry designers working today. During this special conversation Loren will take us through the process of receiving parcels of rough opals, what he looks for in the material to pull the best color and shape, and how he approaches cutting with a visual demonstration on our lapidary equipment. This is an artist talk and demo that you won’t want to miss. Examples of various types of opals and the stages of production from raw to finished will be on view. Loren will also have a selection of his inventory available for sale for those who would like to make a purchase.
Please join us In the Gallery at Brooklyn Metal Works at 11am Wednesday, November 3rd.
The event is free and open to the public.
All attendees must show proof of Covid-19 vaccination.
Please RSVP to info@bkmetalworks.com
Space is limited!
This is an in-person event without a video component, no recordings will be available afterwards.
Learn more about opals here!
Loren Gurche, whose business name is Ancients Natural History, is a Paleontology and Geology student at the University of Kansas. “I developed my love for natural history at a very young age. While visiting my dad at his work at a natural history museum I would spend countless hours exploring the exhibits. My family nurtured my love for nature by taking me to look for fossils, minerals, insects or whatever I happened to be fascinated by at the time. This eventually led me pursuing a career in the natural sciences studying paleontology.” Says Gurche. Today, Gurche continues to go on digs at paleontological sites, something he’s been doing for almost 10 years. In 2013 Gurche started his own business cleaning and preserving minerals and fossils and working on replicas of dinosaur skulls. It was a barter offer to exchange minerals for raw opals that led Gurche to teach himself lapidary cutting and polishing techniques and he’s been creating unique opals ever since.