Nancy
and
Stephen Attaway collaborate on one-of-a-kind jewelry designs
that they
regard as wearable pieces of art. Nancy
has been cutting gemstones since 1987. She learned to facet
colored gemstones
from several master gem cutters in Albuquerque, New
Mexico. She designs and cuts
the colored gemstones used in their jewelry. Steve carves
gemstones and renders
the gold work with hand-fabrication and lost wax casting.
Nancy
and
Steve’s designs are truly collaborations. Sometimes, they even
work on the
same gemstone. When Nancy
facets a gemstone tablet that has a double-sided table facet,
Steve hand carves
in reverse intaglio a narrative scene on the back, like a
hummingbird with
flowers or jumping frogs. Steve and Nancy represent a very
small group of
lapidary artisans who perform custom gem cutting and also work
in precious
metal to create one-of-kind designs for their gemstones.
Many
of
Nancy’s original faceting
designs and her
articles on faceting have been published in magazines like
Lapidary Journal and
Rock & Gem, as well as in faceting guild newsletters
across the US
and outside
the country. Lapidary Journal has also published several of
Steve’s articles on
the mechanics of gem polishing. Nancy
teaches faceting to members of the New Mexico Faceters Guild,
where she has
served as president and newsletter editor. Nancy and Steve
enjoy demonstrating
faceting and gemstone carving at gem shows.
In
2004,
Steve and Nancy were involved in a special project with the
Smithsonian
Institution studying the Hope Diamond that was first televised
in February,
2005 on the Discovery Channel. Nancy
has three gemstones in the Smithsonian’s gem collection,
including a replica of
the French Blue Diamond, from which the Hope Diamond was cut.
This replica
appeared on the cover of the June 2005 issue of Lapidary
Journal, and her
article on the Hope Diamond project was featured in the same
issue. Nancy and
Steve have both won several awards from the New Mexico
Jewelers Association.
The
American
Gem Trade Association (AGTA) hosts their Spectrum/Cutting Edge
jewelry
and gemstone competition annually. Award winners are selected
from entries sent
by US artisans and artisans from other countries. In 2007, the
AGTA awarded Nancy an
Honorable Mention in the Classic Gemstone
Category for her 5.85-carat bi-colored modified square Barion
Montana
sapphire.