Mateo Way: Grit Lapidary owner/head carver

Mateo Way got his start in the lapidary arts in June of 2010 in Santa Cruz, California. After some encouraging words from the owner of a local gem and mineral shop, he attended his first workshop of the Santa Cruz Gem and Mineral Society. The old rock hounds were welcoming, and after some basic do’s and don’t and a quick run through on how to properly use the machinery, he was on his way.

Within the first year he had purchased his own cabbing machine and would spend countless hours making pieces for himself, as well as, close friends. The early years were full of trials and errors but the fire burned bright and he was enamored with perfecting this craft.

As the hours behind the wheels mounted, his understanding of materials and how to use his machinery to produce the highest quality pieces grew.

The past decade+ of work have led to the production of thousands of one of a kind, wearable pieces of art for clients around the world.

Mateo looks forward to future projects, both large and small. As well as perfecting his craft and continuing to learn new skills in the lapidary arts.