Jim Buday, Lapidarist

Jim Buday was born and raised in Wisconsin. He attended college for biology, but realized that he preferred to work with his hands. He became a general contractor and home flipper. Jim then taught himself to cut gems by watching instructional YouTube videos and reading online forums. By 2019, he was confident enough in his skills to pursue selling his work. He founded the Reddit thread, Shinypreciousgems, which now sits at more than 25,000 members. Jim now works with gems and jewelry full time, and has also partnered with several jewelers to offer settings to his gemstone clients. Recently, Jim started creating his own gem designs. In his free time, Jim enjoys the outdoors, working on his land, and is building a house with his girlfriend, Raeanna.