Bernd Munsteiner, father of the fantasy cut

A revolution in gem cutting

The “Picasso of gems”

For centuries, gem cutting followed strict rules: cut to “ideal” proportions and save as much weight as possible. Bernd Munsteiner broke those rules. He trained as a gem cutter in Germany's famous Idar-Oberstein tradition and then studied design. In 1973 he opened his own atelier in Stipshausen and began cutting stones the way a sculptor carves marble. He invented the fantasy cut: concave grooves and facets cut into the back of a stone, so that light moving through it creates an ever-changing picture on the front.

At first, much of the trade didn't know what to make of his work. Over time the critics became admirers, and his stones went into galleries and museums. His best-known work, the Dom Pedro aquamarine, weighs more than 10,000 carats and is on display at the Smithsonian. He became known as the “Picasso of gems.” Almost every artist cutter working today, including the AGTA award winners whose stones we carry, owes something to him. He died in 2024 at 81. His family continues the Munsteiner atelier today.