The gems passed from the man who cut them into the hands of the customers seated around the table.

Hence the name: “Gemstone roundtable.” Some say it’s a revolution in gemstone marketing.

Last Friday night, and on the previous night and for several nights over the past few months, invited guests have come to a white-clothed table at LeRoy Jewelers in downtown Tacoma. They’ve spent up to three hours with a cutter – or a faceter, the man who reads the heart of a sapphire or the depth of an aquamarine, who with his expertise and tools gives life and light to the shimmering crystal planes.

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