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Asdurian first, Berry third in AGTA Spectrum Awards carving category

The American Gem Trade Association has a Cutting Edge division for the AGTA Spectrum Awards which is a national-level contest for the gem industry wholesale group, and the Cutting Edge competition has a Carving category which is open to cutters of natural material carved in any style. Fallbrook's Crystal Asdurian took first place in the Carving class while Rainbow's Meg Berry had the third-place carving.

The Cutting Edge Awards are dedicated to the lapidary arts. The other categories are North American Mined Gemstones, Classic Gemstones, All Other Cut Gemstones, Phenomenal Gemstones, Pairs and Suites, Innovative Faceting and Objects of Art. The Spectrum Awards categories also include Bridal Wear, Business Day Wear, Classical, Evening Wear and Men's Wear. The competition took place Oct. 24-25 in Dallas, and the awards were announced Oct. 28.

"I'm really happy," Asdurian said.

"It's a dream come true for her because in China it's only male cutters," Asdurian's husband, Bill, said. "For her to achieve that, especially in her first year of carving, is a dream come true for her."

Asdurian is originally from Lower Mongolia and speaks Mandarin. She has been in America for three years and moved from La Jolla to Fallbrook after marrying her husband Dec. 5, 2019. Bill Asdurian is from Northern California and moved to Fallbrook in 2016.

Crystal Asdurian entered a snail carved from a bluish-green jadeite mined in Guatemala. The snail is about 2 inches in diameter and about 3/4 inch thick. The piece is called "Snail." Asdurian spent about 30 hours carving the snail.

"She came out and got first place this year and I got third, which I thought was a terrific result," Berry said.

Berry teaches an advanced lapidary class at the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society. Asdurian's husband had been one of Berry's students before Asdurian was. Bill Asdurian is a caretaker for his 88-year-old mother.

"We have to stay here," he said.

"They're busy but they're home, so they carve," Berry said.

The local activity of the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society class, along with Bill Asdurian's indoor carving studio at the house, turned lapidary carving into a hobby for him. He started carving 3 1/2 years ago.

"The carving gave me something to do," he said.

In America, Crystal is the first name Mrs. Asdurian uses, but in China, she was called Yanqing Zhang. She has two brothers, and both of them were sent to universities in other countries while Asdurian attended a university in China. She obtained a degree in interior design from that university.

"She's from China, and she was classically trained in art," Berry said.

Asdurian had been carving wood before she met her husband. Professionally, she tattoos eyebrows.

"She's a very talented young lady," Berry said.

Asdurian took up lapidary carving after her marriage.

"She had never carved before until she met me," her husband said.

"She had never carved in her whole life," Berry said. "He taught her how to carve and then he brought her to me for advanced carving."

Asdurian took an advanced lapidary class taught by Berry at the Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society. She also carves gemstones.

"She'll put in eight, 10, 12 hours a day carving," her husband said.

Asdurian used the indoor carving studio at their home.

"She carved it while she was my student," Bill Asdurian said.

Crystal Asdurian uses handpieces for her carving.

"She can shape and form something out of her head," her husband said.

Bill Larson owns The Collector Fine Jewelry in Fallbrook.

"He gets a big thank-you from both of us," Berry said.

Larson looked at Crystal Asdurian's carvings and expressed a preference for the snail.

"He really liked that one," Bill Asdurian said. "He liked it the best."

That led Crystal Asdurian to enter the snail in the AGTA Spectrum Awards competition.

"She chose it because that's one Bill (Larson) had liked," Berry said.

The Spectrum Awards judges also liked her work.

"She's the best in the country all of a sudden," Berry said.

"It's a great accomplishment for a woman to achieve something like this in China. It just doesn't happen," Bill Asdurian said. "For her to achieve something like this really makes her feel like she's accomplished something in her family."

Her work received some notice in her native country.

"In China, she has a following already," Berry said. "That's what the internet does for you."

Berry won first place in 2019 with a carving of tourmaline from a local mine. She also won first place in 2017.

"Getting a Cutting Edge award is almost like walking away with an Academy Award, an Oscar," Berry said. "Doing it your first year is amazing."

When the business climate is favorable, Asdurian and her husband said they will start their own business selling carvings.

Berry entered a piece she called "Mood Indigo," which is 32.11 carats and uses blue tourmaline mined in Brazil. She spent about 30 hours carving it into a floral shape.

"I really didn't keep track," she said.

When Berry has a professional assignment, she charges by the hour.

"When I'm doing it for fun, I make a point of not keeping track of the time," she said.

Berry sells some of the lapidary work she does not create at somebody else's request, and Mood Indigo is for sale.

Larson is a member of the National Rockhound and Lapidary Hall of Fame as is Dalan Hargrave, a Texan who took second place in the Carving competition. Berry received the final place in the category.

"It's just gratifying and humbling to get back on the podium. It's kind of a major goal every year, and I made it," Berry said. "This is a very top-level professional competition. I'm up there in the top echelon, and it was a really good result for me."

Berry sought first place but said she doesn't mind Asdurian receiving the top honor.

"My student won the class, so it's awesome," Berry said.

Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society members taking two of the three top places also pleased Berry.

"The club, it's basically climbed to the top level of gem cutting," she said.

Joe Naiman can be reached by email at [email protected].

Author Bio

Joe Naiman, Writer

Joe Naiman has been writing for the Village News since 2001

 

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