About Stone Quilt Design

The word Lapidary means concerned with stone.  A lapidary is an artist who cuts, polishes, or carves stones, minerals, or gemstones.  A specialized form of lapidary work is the inlaying of marble and gemstones into a marble matrix which is known as pietra dura.  Pietra dura originated in the Florence region of Italy in the sixteenth century and is typically quite small in scale.  An earlier but similar inlay technique is opus sectile.  Floors made of cut stone, glass, and other materials originated in Italy in the 4th to 6th centuries.  Susan’s stone inlay is similar to opus sectile mosaic because she cuts stones to fit her designs and uses grout as linework between the stones.

Susan has been a member of the Gallery of Lapidary Artists since 2004. GALA is a group of gemstone sculptors, gem carvers, jewelers, and master stoneworkers including Thomas Harth Ames, Leo Atkinson, Angela Conty,  Art Guyon, Russ Ratcliff, Jeff Schaezle, Richard Williamson, and Greg Wooten.  GALA exhibits at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show in February, the Houston Fine Mineral Show in April and May, and the Denver Gem and Mineral Show in September.  Please visit GALA’s member’s  websites in our links section.

-Susan Judy, Stone Quilt Design