DESIGN ACCENTS
ALL THAT GLITTERS
a look inside the dazzling world of empressive geodesigns BY KRISTA FRANKS BROCK
Open the door to Empressive GeoDesigns and you are immediately immersed in Mother Nature’s most exquisite wonders. A wide spectrum of colors and textures glitters from one end of the showroom to the other—there are deep purple
amethysts towering 10 feet tall, vivid green apophyllite and iridescent labradorite. Some minerals measure a pocket- sized few inches while others weigh thousands of pounds. But if you can direct your attention beyond the mineral
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splendor, you’re rewarded to find an equally rich assortment of corals. An extraordinarily large, porous blue ridge coral sits on one table. The upper- most shelf features corals that alternate between bright white staghorn and deep cranberry pipe organs. Outspread behind them lies a chestnut-colored sea fan, which stretches to fill the white space of the wall. As you look around it is al- most as if certain pieces whisper a siren’s song—calling you to revisit them again and again. “People often come in and say, ‘That’s the one,’” says Micah Gilbert, the company’s owner. “They connect with a particular piece that resonates with them for any number of reasons.” Many of Empressive GeoDesigns’ minerals are trans- formed into functional décor, including lamps, tables, bowls and various other serviceable items. Gilbert adds, “We do all of our mineral cutting, pol- ishing, drilling, wiring, metal- working and acrylics in-house, and are frequently innovating our designs to incorporate a variety of different minerals and materials.”
Due to its internal manufac- turing capabilities, Empressive GeoDesigns offers custom work for any design project. One such project it is currently
working on is a luxurious acrylic headboard inlaid with a thin banding of rock crystal quartz. And because it sources spec- imens from across the globe (e.g. Madagascar, Australia, the Philippines and Peru), it has a diverse inventory that meets the needs of clients across the design spectrum. Gilbert has been responsible
for Empressive GeoDesigns’ purchasing for the past several years—even while earning his bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Pennsylvania. He also has his Graduate Gemologist diploma from the Gemological Institute of America, which is useful since almost all of Empressive GeoDesigns’ rocks and minerals are classified as precious or semiprecious gemstones. His Registered Master Valuer certifi- cation is an extra bonus. Gilbert says that all of these scientific and market-based tools assist him in selecting the finest quality specimens.
Gilbert has solidified his place in the mineral business by developing working relation- ships with miners. “It’s exciting when the miners discover an exceptional specimen,” Gilbert says. “During one of my most recent buying trips I acquired a stunning pyrite, sphalerite and quartz specimen from Peruvian
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