Lisa Elser Custom Cut Gems

Lisa Elser is a gemcutter trained in Switzerland and living in the Vancouver, BC area.

She spent 25 years in IT working for companies like Bell Laboratories, NCR and Sun Microsystems and consulted to some of the largest banks and insurance companies in the world.

Lisa began cutting gems as a hobby when she moved from consulting to managing consultants, finding that it gave her a satisfaction to create something with her own hands.

She trained in gemcutting in Montreux and did her Graduate Gemologist degree with the GIA in Carlsbad, CA. After a number of years of cutting as a hobby she retired from IT and began cutting full time.

Lisa now works with custom goldsmiths and jewelry designers in North America and Europe.

She and her husband travel the world to buy rough gems, ensuring that the stones purchased are ethically mined and benefit local communities.

As the business grew, she and Tom began making grants to support economic development in gem producing countries. They continue to put much of their profits into projects like wells and sanitation, grants to women's business cooperatives, and scholarships to study gemcutting and gemology. You can see about our donations on our Giving Back page.

Recently in Madagascar and Tanzania, Lisa has brought back spectacular Spinel, Tanzanite, Tourmaline and Aquamarine.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Lisa's gems will be on display in the Headley Whitney Museum's "Cutting Edge II" exhibit from Jan-July 2012.

More Magazine is running a feature on Lisa in the February issue!

January - Buying trip to Tanzania

February 2nd 2012 - Talk on Heat Treatment at USFG Seminar in Tucson AZ

Custom Cut Gems

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