About The Artist

Helen Serras-Herman is an acclaimed Gem Sculptor with over 37 years of experience in unique gem sculpture and jewelry art. Her award-winning, one-of-a-kind, distinctive artwork on gemstones has been exhibited world-wide and published in over 300 trade magazines and books. Her work is inspired by her southwest environment and is reflected in the choice of gemstones that she uses, from fabulous Arizona gem materials to fancy color sapphires, garnets, emeralds, opals, tourmalines and coral, which echo the color palette of desert scenes, bright cactus flowers and vivid sunsets. Each of her gems is hand carved by her and all of her Silver Faces are carved by her by hand in wax and then cast in Sterling Silver. All of the creations are one-of-a-kind, signed and set in precious metals of 18K, 14K gold and Sterling Silver. The selection of unusual gem materials and her contemporary organic compositions are qualities that her work in recognized for. During the recent years, she has been working on ‘wearable sculptures’, sculptures that a part of it is removable and worn as jewelry. These pieces explore the connection and transition between the two worlds of Fine Art and Wearable Art. Born in New York City, lived in Athens, Greece, Helen studied Sculpture in Berlin, Germany for 6 years and received her Master’s degree (MFA) there under Professor Harro Jacob. A graduate gemologist (FGA) and apprentice to the last master of the English school of Glyptic Arts, Helen has devoted her last 37 years to working with gems. In 2005, after 18 years in Maryland, Helen and her husband moved to Rio Rico, in Southern Arizona. Helen has exhibited worldwide, in Germany and in Greece, presenting solo exhibits and participating in many group exhibits. Here in America she has exhibited at the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art, 9 times at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, the Pittsburgh Ballet Opera, the L.A. County Natural History Museum, the Historic Manning House in Tucson, AZ, the Quiet Waters Park Art Show in Annapolis, MD, at the AGTA GemFair and TGMS show in Tucson, AZ and Las Vegas, NV, the American Opal Society Show in Anaheim, CA, the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, in Scottsdale, AZ, the West Valley Art Museum in Surprise, AZ, and the Headley-Whitley Museum in Lexington, Kentucky, just to name a few of the venues. Awards: - Induction into the National Lapidary Hall of Fame in 2003. - Best of Show Award for gem sculpture The Omphalos of Earth, Fall 2006 exhibit Pathways and Portals, Tubac Center of the Arts, Tubac, Arizona. - Best of Show Award- Jewelry Division for Opal & Emerald necklace Echoes, 2003 Manning House Art Show, Tucson, AZ. - 3rd place Award, 3-Dimensional Art, for jewelry art necklace Azure Skies, May 2011 show, Hilltop Gallery, Nogales, Arizona - Honorable Mention Award, 3-Dimensional Art, for jewelry art pendant Turquoise Nymph, May 2012 show, Hilltop Gallery, Nogales, Arizona - First Place Award for Each One, Teach One, 1994 Eastern Federation of Mineralogical and Lapidary Societies (EFLMS) - Lifetime Achievement Award, 2005, Chesapeake Gem & Mineral Society - Lifetime Achievement Award, 1998, Gem, Lapidary & Mineral Society of Washington DC - Presidential Award, 1992, Gem Lapidary & Mineral Society of Washington DC - Nomination for “Best of Artists” for July 2008 Collector’s Edition Helen’s Silver Faces Collection, features beautiful gems and one-of-a-kind sculptured Sterling Silver centerpieces, which she carves by hand in wax and then casts. These pieces are inspired directly from her sculptural work. Her Passion for Opals Collection includes works that feature the wealth and variety of opals, from precious black opals to boulder opals, with several one-of-a-kind carved opal beads. The Terra Verde-Tribute to our Beautiful Forests wearable sculpture was featured in the Colored Stone 2008 Tucson Show Guide Magazine, and the Sugarcane Emerald Nymphs & Opal Slide Necklace was featured in the 2010 Tucson Show Guide Magazine. In her Copper Trails collection, inspired by Southern Arizona’s copper mining history and Helen’s visits to several of these mines, her one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces feature many of beautiful Arizona gems, in some beautiful combinations of gold, sterling silver and copper chains, copper beads, copper-color pearls and carved gems. Helen is a past president of the Gem Artists of North America and the Gem Lapidary and Mineral Society of Washington DC. Helen is also a noted lecturer; she has given over 150 lectures nationwide to 50 Societies and Associations. In 2008 she presented her work and lecture titled Gem Carving, Inspiration & Skills at the Museum of Asiatic Art on the island of Corfu in Greece, and in May of 2010 she gave the same presentation at the Gemmological Association of Great Britain, in London. In May 2011 she returned as a presenter to the GIA Symposium, and in October 2011 she is the featured speaker for the 6th Annual Fall Conference sponsored by ASJRA- The Association for the study of Jewelry and Related Arts, to be held in Boston, MA. Helen Serras-Herman’s work is published in 300 trade magazine articles. Helen’s work has graced several magazine covers, among them the cover of the Summer 2010 issue of Gems & Jewellery magazine. Her work has also been featured in several books: - Cameos Old & New, 2nd, 3rd and 4th editions, an entire chapter devoted to her work - Phenomenal Gems and Opals by Fred & Charlotte Ward - The Fine Art book ArtBuzz the 2008 Collection after an international competition. - Gem Engraving in Great Britain from antiquity to the present, by Dr. Julia Kagan - Warman’s Jewelry, 4th Edition, Identification & Price Guide book by Kathy Flood - Collecting Rocks, Gems & Minerals book by Patti Polk - Opal, Gem Series books by Fred Ward - In Rare Gemstones by Renee Newman. “Inspired by people and mythology my gem sculptures and jewelry take the symbolic shape of gods, nymphs or fantastical creatures. I try to portray them with grace and elegance, with exaggeration, pushing the visual limits. Influenced by travels, landscapes, gem materials, history of the ancient worlds, the great masters and the world around me, my art usually tells a story. Decode the past. Make your own interpretation. I am working. I am dreaming.” HSH To see Helen’s work, please visit her website at www.gemartcenter.com