Artist Profile

David Dawson first became interested in faceting while looking for a unique wedding gift for his fiancée:

“I was looking for a sapphire to set into a necklace. I thought this would make a wonderful gift for the ‘something blue’ wedding day tradition. I soon discovered that sapphires could be much more than just ‘blue’. They could be green, yellow, clear, pink—just about any color! They could be heated, unheated, chemically treated…I had no idea!”

“In the process of searching for the ‘something blue’ stone, I also discovered blue spinel…And from there, topaz, zircon and the whole host of other gems. I purchased my first colored gemstone—a cushion cut spinel—from American custom cutter, Daniel J. Stair. From that moment, I became absolutely fascinated by the idea of faceting my own stones.”

David has been faceting custom gemstones for over two years now. His stones emphasize unique designs with an obsessive attention to precision cutting and the polish. While he works with all gem varieties, he still harbors a personal fondness for blue sapphire and spinel.

Oval 1.33 Imperial Malaya Garnet

Pattern: Lynsey’s Wisch Easy OMNI Oval 1.33
Faceting by David Dawson

Cushion-Cut Synthetic Quartz—USFG Premasters Stone

Faceter: Dave Dawson
Pattern: Rand’s Cut Corner Rectangle #1

Tanzania Chrome Tourmaline 6.20 ct

Faceted by David Dawson
Pattern: Signature #4 by Jeff Graham (Modified)
Faceting Donation for the Green Gem Foundation

Black C Axis Tourmaline

A Design in Progress
Original Design by Jeffrey Hunt
Design development by David Dawson
Faceting by David Dawson

Tumbuka Fulu (Final Revision) in Tourmaline 5.85 ct

Featured in Jewelry Artist Magazine - November 2010
Tumbuka Fulu Design by Jeffrey Hunt
Tumbuka Fulu Design development by David Dawson
Faceting by David Dawson

Tumbuka Fulu in Tourmaline 4.65 ct

Design featured in Jewelry Artist Magazine – November 2010
Tumbuka Fulu Design by Jeffrey Hunt
Tumbuka Fulu Design development by David Dawson
Faceting by David Dawson

Tumbuka Fulu in Nigeria Tourmaline 2.15 ct

Design featured in Jewelry Artist Magazine - November 2010
Tumbuka Fulu Design by Jeffrey Hunt
Tumbuka Fulu Design development by David Dawson
Faceting by David Dawson

Tumbuka Fulu in Blue Synthetic Spinel 13.40 ct

Featured in Jewelry Artist Magazine - November 2010
Tumbuka Fulu Design by Jeffrey Hunt
Tumbuka Fulu Design development by David Dawson
Faceting by David Dawson

Cushion-Cut Synthetic Quartz—USFG Premasters Stone

Pattern: Rand’s Cut Corner Rectangle #1
Faceter: Dave Dawson

Oval Chrysoberyl 1.05 ct

Pattern: Easy Omni Oval by John Bailey
Faceter: Dave Dawson

Custom Round Synthetic Spinel 16.05 ct

Available Exclusively through The Green Gem Foundation
Premiere Design by Jeffrey Hunt
Faceted by David Dawson