Reginald
L. Hulsey
Graduate
Jeweler/Gemologist
While
there are only a handful of professional gem artists in the United
States, Mr. Hulsey has in
common with his peers his origins as a self-taught “rockhound” during
the hobby lapidary explosion of the 60’s and 70’s. At that,
the commonality ends and singularity begins.
Driven by a desire toward expertise, Mr. Hulsey honed his skills
and expanded his knowledge through the diplomate courses of the
Gemological
Institute of America in Santa Monica, California. His appetite
first being whetted by completing the Jewelry Retailing Course in 1984,
Mr. Hulsey then earned the Graduate Gemologist Diploma, in residence,
finishing top in his class in the autumn of 1985. Rounding out
his education in the comprehensive courses of Jewelry Manufacturing,
Colored Stone Grading and Pearls, Mr. Hulsey returned to his native
Tulsa, Oklahoma where he began work as a custom jeweler and appraiser.
Such expertise was not destined to stay in Tulsa for long, as in just a few months Mr. Hulsey accepted an offer to join the GIA in the prestigious position of
Resident
Colored
Stone Instructor.
An excellent and admired instructor, it was there that Mr. Hulsey
met Richard Homer, who was also
a GIA Colored
Stone Instructor at the time. “Reggie brought a high degree
of intelligence, wit, integrity, and commitment to his teaching.
We became
immediate friends and have been ever since,” recalls Mr.
Homer. In addition to his classroom responsibilities, Mr. Hulsey’s
expertise was instrumental in GIA’s GemFest program and in
helping to develop the Colored Stone and
Gem Identification courses. Both he and Mr. Homer resigned
their positions for independent
careers in 1988.
Mr. Hulsey and Mr. Homer continued their friendship and professional
association working together in numerous joint ventures, not
the least of which was the cutting and sale of the 20,769ct Adiël
Topaz – the
second largest faceted gemstone in the world at that time.
“The Adiël experience was one of those rare and wonderful events of
a lifetime.” Reggie says in recalling the events surrounding the sale of
the Adiël. "A
good
friend, gemology
student
and
dealer of fine art and gems approached me with a need to acquire a 'notable'
stone
for a private client's new collection. Having been involved
in
the
evolution
of
the
Adiël, I proposed it as a most noteworthy stone with which to begin the
new
collection. The rest was history. At the conclusion of a purchase agreement,
the successful
Asian industrialist client requested that I deliver the stone to him personally
-
it
was
an extraordinary
'overseas whirlwind weekend'", he recalls. "The collector
was delayed for the unveiling of the stone, however, his
wife was
present and wanted to be the first to see the gem. Her reaction
was one of great surprise; she had envisioned a piece
of jewelry,
but quickly decided that a topaz of just over 9 pounds might
be a little too heavy for a ring or pendant!"
An excellent gem cutter in both flat faceting and concave faceting
techniques, he brings a wealth of experience and resources to ConcaveGems.com. "Though
the gems Reggie cuts are highly valued and sought after, it is
his commitment, honesty, and integrity in all aspects of his
work that I value the most,” adds
Mr. Homer. "Therein lies
not only beauty, but true value and one’s unparalleled
confidence in their personal gem purchase of Mr. Hulsey's
gem artistry.
Regarding
large gems, Mr. Hulsey's largest faceted stone to date is an optical
grade, high-lead crystal cushion-cut weighing
in at around 1,000ct. "The stone was a commissioned work
for a collector here in east Tennessee", he states. "It was
quite an undertaking and consumed many, many hours at the cutting wheel.
It is displayed
proudly among other collectible items in her home."
Prior to attending GIA in 1985, Mr. Hulsey was a full-time
pipe
organ builder and voicer, having been on the
staff of some of the most
prestigious organbuilding firms in the country. "My
interest in the arts has taken many turns; jewelry,
design, gem cutting, music (having studied
piano and clarinet since early childhood) and organbuilding." he
says. "Organbuilding
is a visual, mechanical and aural art form that can
be enjoyed by nearly everyone. A
very ancient and time-honored craft, in many ways organbuilding
demands the attention to detail and symmetry that
translates easily
to
jewelry
and gem design. Plus, it is personally gratifying to
know that I have been involved in the construction
or sound
(voicing) of
literally hundreds of pipe organs in this country.
Reggie continues his association with the organ
industry as a mechanical consultant
and
voicer.
Reggie can be contacted by email: rhulsey@concavegems.com
Reggie
Hulsey
