Coast-to-Coast Rare Stones was formed in 1987 as a cooperative between three rare stones cutters from different parts of the country, hence the name. Each already had many years experience, and had established a reputation for quality. Through the years, their customer base has expanded, and so has the Coast-to-Coast Rare Stones group. We are now a group of five lapidaries, and offer a variety of gemological services. Below are the backgrounds, experiences and specialties for each cutter.

Art Grant     John Bradshaw     Michael Gray     Brad Wilson     Nancy Pritchard

Art Grant  

a.k.a. "Mr. Flourite" -   Art started cutting in 1970, supposedly to wind down from his job as a Physical Education teacher in Hannibal, New York. The problem was that people kept giving him "soft" stones to cut, things like calcites, fluorites, and other tricky stones to cut, species that other cutters couldn't (or wouldn't) handle. Soon, that was all that he was cutting. He says that materials over the hardness of 7 are too "hard" for him to cut.

Art specializes in the most difficult stones to cut, which often are very tiny. It is amazing that he can facet small stones at all, considering his thumbs are bigger than most people's big toe! His hands are more suited to faceting multi-thousand carat stones that he takes on every once in a while. Stones that he has cut are in almost every major museum in the world, and he occasionally puts in displays at the major gem & mineral shows, such as Tucson Gem & Mineral Show and the Munich Mineralientage Show. He now works out of nearby Martville, New York, and still cuts almost every day.

agrant@rarestone.com

EDUCATION
1948 - NY University, State Teachers College at Cortland: B.S. (Physical Education)
1953 - St. Lawrence University: Masters (Administration)

EXPERIENCE
1970-present: Facetor and dealer, specializing in the cutting of rare and unusual minerals for collectors and museums
Faceting judge for Eastern Federation of Mineral and Lapidary Society (EFMLS) and Guild competitions
Speaker at shows and faceting seminars with emphasis on the cutting of rare and unusual stones
Guest exhibitor at Tucson, Munich, and Rochester Symposium shows

1988-present: Lapidary, Smithsonian Institution
1990-96: Investor involved with reopening Mt. Mica tourmaline mine in Maine
1995: National Rockhound and Lapidary Hall of Fame - Murdo, South Dakota: Lapidary inductee
1992: Speaking engagements with clubs throughout South Africa
1991: Judge for AGTA Cutting Edge competition
1981: Investment Rarities, Inc., Minneapolis, Minnesota; work included selling and writing descriptions for auction catalogs
1975: EFMLS President's Award - "Teaching by Sharing"
1974: First place in Master's faceting competition at EFMLS show
 
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John Bradshaw      

John has a background in chemistry, and was working as an epoxy chemist when he took up faceting in 1979. He quit his job to become a full-time lapidary, and has been faceting ever since. He currently holds the position of Curator of Gemstones at the Harvard Mineralogical Museum.

John specializes in the finer "jewery-type" stones although he cuts the whole spectrum of stones from soft to hard. He is the person in charge of filling the Coast to Coast orders so contact him with any questions or concerns.

jbradshaw@rarestone.com

EDUCATION
University of Massachusetts (Boston): B.S. Chemistry, May, 1979
Salem State College (1980-81): Mineralogy, Crystallography courses towards degree in Geology
Gemological Institute of America (1980-83): Gemologist Certificate

EXPERIENCE
1979-present: "John J. Bradshaw, Gemologist," Nashua, New Hampshire

• Facetor and dealer of a wide variety of gems from jewelry type stones to the soft, difficult to cut collectors' gems.
• Fully equipped gemological laboratory for the identification, grading and evaluation of diamonds and colored stones.
• Consultant on a worldwide basis to gem dealers, collectors, investors and mining companies.
• Available as a speaker on all aspects of gemology and/or faceting for seminars, symposia, shows and education.
• Several published articles on gemology and faceting in "Rocks and Minerals" and "Lapidary Journal," as well as a chapter on Maine gemstones in the recently published "The Mineralogy of Maine."

1985-present: Harvard University, Cambridge Massachusetts - Associate of the Mineralogical Museum curating the Museum's collection.
1990-96: Maine: member of the investment team involved in reopening Mt. Mica (one of the oldest gem mines in the U.S.).
1996: Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.: consultant, lapidary
1994-95: United States Department of Justice: expert witness in evaluation of rough tourmaline.
1992: Russia: worked for private investment company to evaluate rough diamonds, arrange for cutting and marketing of finished goods.
1991: Boston Museum of Science: worked as one of two primary consultants for the purpose of technical expertise in arranging, designing, and setting up the "Gems" exhibit on display from May through October.
1989: Central Africa Republic: involved with feasibility study with Tech Mining of Vancouver, British Columbia in alluvial diamond mining in Carnot and Bria.
1986: Pakistan: worked for private investment group and Gemstone Corporation of Pakistan on improved lapidary methods, emerald mining and marketing.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Member of Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT)
"Firm" member of American Gem Trade Association (AGTA)
 
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Michael Gray

Mike started cutting in 1968, growing up around gem mining and cutting. In addition to working the Benitoite Mine in central California, he spent his teen-age years digging out pockets at the tourmaline mines in San Diego County, California. He put himself through college by faceting. After getting his degree, he decided that lapidary was much more fun and profitable.

Mike cuts just about anything and everything from tiny rare stones to gigantic quartzes and topazes. He spent two years in Bangkok, Thailand running a gemcutting factory and has consulted on other mining and gemcutting projects around the world.

mgray@rarestone.com

DEGREES
1979: University of California, Riverside: B.S. Environmental Sciences (Geology)
1980: Gemological Institute of America, Santa Monica, California: Graduate Gemologist in Residence

ORGANIZATIONS
1980-94: Southern California Chapter Friends of Mineralogy, Founding Board Member, Corresponding Secretary, Vice-President, President
1982-85: California State Mineral Museum, Mariposa, California, Founding Board Member, President, Curator
1986-93: Gem and Mineral Council, Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History, Founding Board Member, Vice-President
1978-92: Member, Mineral Museums Advisory Council
1995-present: Delegate (United States), International Gemological Conference

MINING EXPERIENCE
1968-2000: Benitoite Gem Mine
1971-80: San Diego County pegmatites, all aspects of mining, especially extraction of pockets, during a very active period of production
1979-85: Colorado Quartz Mine, Midpines, California, crystallized gold specimens
1990-96: Mt. Mica, Paris, Maine, one of the oldest gem mines in North America
General: Mined and field collected at many gem and mineral localities around the world, including North America, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

PRACTICAL GEMOLOGICAL EXPERIENCE

• Learned faceting in late 1960's, worked as lapidary throughout high school and college for tuition and spending money.
• Established Graystone Enterprises in 1978, offering custom cutting and rare gemstones.
• Consultant for New Tiger Consulting (1996 - 1998), setting up cutting factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam.
• Consultant for Kennecott Exploration and Kennecott Minerals, 1994-1996. Industry analysis, cutting, mining consultant for Red Beryl and Benitoite Projects.
• Managed cutting factory in Bangkok, Thailand, 1988-89. In addition to managing 50 employees, handled all aspects of security, import/export, stone distribution, and public relations.
• Auctioneer for River City Auction House, 1988-89, calling both antiques and gemstone auctions.
• Appraiser at Altobelli Jewelers in North Hollywood, California, 1985-87, mostly valuing donation items under Cosmo Altobelli, Director of Appraisers, American Gem Society.
• Faceted numerous stones now residing in virtually every major and minor museum in North America, and many museums abroad as well.

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Bradley S. Wilson  

Brad has been with Coast-to-Coast since 1995, making him our newest "Coaster". He is also our token Canuck (eh), making Coast-to-Coast truly international. Brad originally started a career in geology and earned two degrees in that science. Somewhere along the path to becoming a geologist he discovered the thrill of gemstone deposits and faceting and later went on to earn a degree in gemmology (Canadian spelling). Brad started faceting professionally in the early 80’s to help pay for his education.

Brad spends most summers prospecting for rough gemstones in out-of-the-way localities all across northern Canada, occasionally for months at a time. As a result he has been specializing in gemstones from Canadian localities, but he will cut just about anything, from anywhere, hard or ridiculously soft.

bwilson@rarestone.com

EDUCATION
1991: F.C.Gm.A. (Gemmology) Canadian Gemmological Association
1987: M.Sc. (Geology) Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario
1982: B.Sc. (Geology) Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario

EMPLOYMENT EXPERIENCE
1989-present:
- Owner/operator of "Alpine Gems" and since 1995, operator of the Canadian office of Coast-to-Coast.
- Faceter, lapidary and dealer in gemstones and minerals.
- Gemstone Exploration Consultant, offering a property evaluation and exploration service specifically for gemstones.
- Speaker on Canadian gemstone localities. Given dozens of different talks in the past decade.
- Author of numerous popular and scientific articles, primarily about Canadian gemstone and mineral localities.
 
1991: Present; Gemstone Exploration Consultant on twelve Canadian gemstone exploration projects located in 3 provinces and 3 territories.
1994: Present; Member of the editorial review board for the "Canadian Gemmologist" (the quarterly journal of the Canadian Gemmological Association).
1987-89: Co-owner of "Grenville Minerals". Kingston, Ontario. Mined and marketed crystallized mineral specimens to collectors, museums and teachers.
1980-85: Laboratory Teaching Assistant at Queen's and Carleton Universities. Subjects included mineralogy, optical crystallography, introductory geology and field school.
1978-89: Geologist for 5 major mining companies working on mineral exploration projects during 6 field seasons in Ontario, British Columbia, and Yukon.

Nancy Pritchard

Nancy is Art Grant's daughter, and has been cutting since 1987 (a relative newcomer) while recuperating from reconstructive knee surgery (old softball injury). She specializes in harder materials that her dad can't, or won't cut (see above). However, she is getting more experience daily from the Coast-to-Coast Rare Stone Crew (especially the Old Guy), and is now cutting many softer, more difficult stones.

While she has taken the GIA Colored Stone Course, she, like many other people we know (you know who you are!), never took the final exam. Nancy considers her best skills, though, as organizing the Coast-to-Coast Crew at all the trade shows.

Nancy graduated from SUNY - Cortland with a BSE in Physical Education in 1974, and taught school for many years in Hannibal, New York. She is currently a School Board Member for that school district.

npritchard@rarestone.com

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© 2002 Coast to Coast Rarestones International