Shortly after Rudi Wobito and his brother Ralph created the exquisite Snowflake Cut in 1996, they began exploring a new kind of gemstone cut, one that was heavily rooted in all they’d learned while creating the Snowflake, but that was also entirely unique. The cut was created remarkably quickly thanks to the incredible skills the Wobito brothers had built up, but it has been seldom seen since its creation in the late 1990s. Now, Gemporia is incredibly excited and proud to present a brand new collection of beautiful designs featuring this almost-lost masterwork - the sumptuous Wobito Alpine Cut.
Rudi and Ralph Wobito are third-generation master gemstone cutters based near Toronto in Canada. But they inherited their gemstone passion and learned their cutting skills from their father and grandfather, who operated a gem cutting business in Idar-Oberstein. Idar-Oberstein is a German town whose rich heritage and immeasurable contribution to the gemstone industry is forever captured in the stunning gemstones the town has created for over 500 years. The town continues to produce the finest examples of gemstone art in the world. The Alpine Cut is rooted in the phenomenal skills learned and honed over centuries and passed down through family lines in this remarkable place.
The new cut originated in the same basic shape as the Snowflake Cut, with six sides to maximize the internal play-of-light. The Wobito brothers wanted to carry over the winter motif too, which is how the Alpine name came about. The cut invokes images of snow-capped mountains and pine trees in the picture-perfect wintry vista of the mind's eye. When it came to bringing the cut to Gemporia, a considerable amount of time had passed since Rudi had last cut the stone. He had to re-imagine the process somewhat and took this as an opportunity to refine the design further. The finished stone benefits from a further two decades of experience and skill. The Alpine Cut is a performance of light, an opera of brilliance and luster that any gemstone collector and connoisseur would be fascinated to see up close.
The cut is one of Rudi’s favorites because it’s relative simplicity produces a very bright and fiery gemstone. The iterative process of creating and re-imagining the cut means we can bring you a stone created by Rudi at the absolute peak of his ability. The Alpine Cut is so intricately crafted and lustrous that only the very clearest gemstones are good enough to be faceted in this way. The new cut is available in a beautiful selection of Quartz and Topaz varieties in both pastel hues and deeper tones. Rose de France Amethyst, Optic Quartz, Prasiolite, Sky Blue Topaz and London Blue Topaz all look resplendent in their Alpine Cut form. Our jewelry designs have all been very carefully crafted to place the gemstone front and center without de-emphasizing its exceptional beauty.
Keep an eye on our upcoming schedule page to see when the incredible Alpine Cut will next be on-air.
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