Lapidary art, or jewel-smithing, is an ancient skill. Even Old Testament stories talk of powerful gemstones used to decorate the priest's clothes and temple. One of the original earthly precious items, the gemstone speaks to us in terms of beauty, wonder, and mystique. With folklore surrounding each type of stone, and eager collectors and gatherers all over the world, precious and semi-precious stones still turn heads and change hands for large sums. Crystals are enchanting on their own, so when a professional artist uses this quality to create pieces which amplify their power, we can see them presented in inventive and inspiring ways.
Jim Harman is a 30 year veteran lapidary artist. This talent has brought him recently into working on bronze vases. Deciding to use bronze as a medium to show off his stones was perhaps unusual for the day however this metal is also culturally ancient and historically significant. Jim creates small vases with unique sides meaning that if you fancy a change, just turn it around. They're all designed artistically with various looks and qualities.
Jim comes from Long Beach California, and has a BA in fine art. Now living in Oregon, he started off working in jewellery and moved into bronze fairly recently. He took several classes in professional jewellery making from the Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts in San Francisco. This helped Jim to establish himself as a skilled maker of custom pieces. The practice and training culminated in this new branch of his work, and possibly the most exciting yet.
You can see more of Jim Harman's work on his website. Via Fusion Art 
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