A lapidary, in the literal trade sense, is a person who cuts and polishes gemstones; in modern usage the word also applies to the practice itself, distinguishing the gem-cutting craft from diamond cutting (which has its own vocabulary) and from jewellery making (which assembles cut stones into finished pieces). The word descends from the Latin lapidarius, derived from lapis (stone), and has been used in English since the late fourteenth century.

Branches of the craft

The lapidary's work falls into several distinct disciplines: faceting (cutting the geometric flat surfaces of transparent gem material), cabochon cutting (shaping rounded domes for opaque and translucent material), carving (relief and figural work), engraving (intaglio and cameo on harder material), and inlay or mosaic work. Each requires its own equipment and tool inventory, and most working lapidaries specialise in one or two branches rather than attempting all of them.

Training and trade

Historically, lapidary training has been transmitted by apprenticeship, with formal courses now offered through schools such as the Gemological Institute of America, the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences, the William Holland School of Lapidary Arts, the Wild Acres Retreat, and the Justice Lapidary Guild. National faceting guilds in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany run competitions and publish design files for their members. Some of the world's finest cutters work outside formal institutions in family workshops in Idar-Oberstein (Germany), Jaipur (India), Bangkok (Thailand), and Antwerp (Belgium for diamond cutting), where craft passes between generations.