Biography

American award-winning gem cutter. John Dyer is happiest when he is surrounded by colored gemstones. John is a master gemstone cutter known worldwide for his artistic ability and passion for precision. He has won 54 cutting awards since 2002 taking a total of 14 first place prizes. Amongst the many awards are 48 AGTA Cutting Edge Awards. Additionally, John is the only gem cutter who has swept all the awards in one category of the AGTA competition, which he did in 2005, 2007 & 2015. He is also one of the few American cutters to have won first prize in the prestigious German gem cutting competition. These many awards firmly establish him as a leader in his field.He grew up traveling the globe with his missionary parents. John first discovered his interest in these fascinating “pebbles” as a boy when he discovered a book on gemstones and cutting. Home-schooled by his parents in Brazil, it was this locale that would change his course forever; here, people gave John his first loose gemstones: amethyst and aquamarine. At age 16, Dyer and his family returned to the United States. John Dyer and his father David decided to go into the gemstone business.

Dyer and his father went to Zambia to purchase emeralds and aquamarine rough.

Machine-gun fire did not dissuade the Dyers, they purchased the rough material and returned home. They gave the material to a faceter, but they were outraged by the price and poor quality. In fact, two of the three emeralds were cut so poorly, that the emeralds had to be recut later. John decided to take on the cutting himself with his first Ultra Tec faceting machine.

It was difficult in the beginning. John’s cutting skills improved with trial and error, and he read everything he could on gemstone faceting and buying rough. “I learned a lot of good lessons on what to buy and not to buy,” said Dyer. About five years later, the business finally broke even from the Zambia trip.

John’s father, David Dyer is the “big idea guy.” David has played an integral role in making machinery and improving aspects for their company, John Dyer & Company. As an inventor and machinist skills, David created their first concave-faceting machine in 1999. John quickly began experimenting with concave cutting. A few years later, he experimented with a combination of carving and faceting. John Dyer likes to experiment with new faceting techniques, and his father is always there to create new tools for him.

Dyer won his first AGTA Cutting Edge Award in 2002 for a 37.16 ct Pakistani Peridot. Dyer took home 2nd place in the Faceting Category.

According to John each competition has different parameters, some involving a particular theme or the use of a particular material.

“For the AGTA competition, I try to make the most awesome gem possible.”

And he must be doing something right, John has won 48 AGTA Cutting Edge Awards, an Idar-Oberstein Award and a Gemmy Award. In fact, the gem artist swept the Faceting Category in 2005 and 2007.