Roger and Ginger
Roger, born and raised in Detroit, was training as a pipe fitter before he sold all his belongings in 1981 to fund his first gem buying trip to India and Sri Lanka with just $14,000. They were married in 1985 and Ginger brings her passions in custom clothing, makeup consulting, and personal color analysis to the gemstone world. Their passion is traveling to unique destinations and experiencing the local culture and food.
Bjorn and Rachel
Bjorn is a Maasai, Tanzanian born, 2nd generation Tanzanite miner and brings a wealth of knowledge on gem mining and sourcing. Rachel grew up in the business, faceted her first gem at age 7, and is a Graduate Gemologist. They split their time: sharing gems while in the US and managing Bjorn’s family Tanzanite mine and operating Gem Legacy initiatives while in East Africa. When they’re not visiting mines, they’re probably planning their next vacation or eating Indian or Lebanese food.
Bjorn’s Roots
Bjorn’s love for gemstones began by working with his father at his plot mining for Tanzanite in Block D of the Merelani region. Bjorn still manages his father’s mine, which sits nestled in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain in Africa. His hometown of Arusha is just an hour drive away.
Our Cutters
Our team of cutters train under Roger and work on the same type of faceting machine so that every gemstone in the collection meets the same rigorous standards of precision.
Roger
With roots as a pipe fitter, Roger’s eye for precision and symmetry plus passion for unique and out-of-the-box designs guides his work.
Bjorn
Bjorn first trained at the Arusha Gem Faceting School and much of his design inspiration comes from his roots in a mining family and region.
Marvin
A native Kenyan living and working in Nairobi, Marvin spends much of his time visiting new mining regions and buying gem rough.
Beth
After decades as a bench jeweler, Beth facets with a jeweler’s eye – a special understanding of the intricacies of gemstones set into jewelry.
Roger’s Accolades
The American Gem Trade Association’s Spectrum Awards are the Oscars of the Gem Industry. Roger has been honored to receive multiple awards, making him a nationally renowned faceter, famed for his precision and gift for bringing out the gem’s best performance.
8.77ct Merelani Mint Garnet Electron Trillion
14.22ct Golden Scapolite Square Emerald Cut