For years, visitors have been captivated by the quiet brilliance of Gemstone Carvings: The Masterworks of Harold Van Pelt — a hidden treasure in Bowers Museum’s galleries. Now, after an extended run, this beloved exhibition will close June 1, 2025.
Don’t miss your opportunity to experience Van Pelt’s breathtaking carvings one more time. Each work, meticulously sculpted from quartz, agate, and other precious stones, reflects a lifetime of mastery and vision.
Image credit:
Faceted Quartz Egg © 2010 Harold and Erica Van Pelt
Harold Van Pelt has quietly been perfecting the art of carving quartz, rock crystal and agate gemstones for over 35 years. Gemstone Carvings: Masterworks by Harold Van Pelt is a display of his mastery.
Each work in the exhibition is a reflection of hundreds of hours of craftsmanship. Van Pelt’s working of the stone down to paper-thin walls brings out the gorgeous natural quality and colors of agate and gives quartz the transparency of glass. Transformed by one man's vision and skill from a solid stone to an incredibly delicate work of art, the gemstone carvings of Harold Van Pelt have to be seen to be believed. The Bowers Museum is proud to welcome this collection back to Santa Ana, where it was first exhibited in 2010.
