About The Gilder

Martin Walker-Watson

Martin graduated from the Asian Institute of Gemmological Sciences (Bangkok, Thailand) with his Accredited Gemmologist Diploma in 1982;

from the Gemological Institute of America with diplomas in Jewelry Manufacturing Arts (California) in 1986, and Diamonds and Diamond Grading (NewYork) in 1995.

In 1997, after 15 years working in the Jewellery trade, he was invited to assist with the gilding of the Dhamma Yaung Chi Ceti Pagoda in Sunshine, New South Wales, Australia;

the following year with the gilding of the Dhamma Yaung Chi Ceti Pagoda in Westminster, Maryland, U.S.A.;

and in 2000 the Dhamma Yaung Chi Ceti Pagoda at the International Meditation Centre near Klagenfurt, Austria. These are all large stupas in the Burmese style and constructed as Meditation Pagodas. At each of the Pagodas all the domes were gilded, not only the large central dome but also 8 smaller domes as well as the crowns and accompanying ornaments. The inside of the main domes were gilded as was the intricately wood-carved and lacquered Buddha thrones.

Born in the UK, Martin completed his studies in Paris, hitchhiked to India in 1974 and for the next 8 years lived in an isolated Buddhist community on a remote mountain-top in the Himalayas. Over the past 35 years he has studied with meditation masters in the Theravada and Nalanda Traditions, receiving full monks ordination at the World Peace Pagoda in Rangoon, Burma (1979).

On returning to lay-life and completing gemmological and jewellery training during the 80's, Martin spent the next decade working for goldsmiths on the island of Grand Cayman in the British West Indies; designing custom-made jewellery, buying gems at source, jewellery appraising, retail jewellery store management, and wholesale and retail jewellery business software development. Martin specialised as a numismatic researcher and consultant, buying gold doubloons and other shipwrecked treasure from Caribbean salvage operations, as well as successfully bidding at auction for ancient Greek, Roman and Byzantine coins. Many of these coins were incorporated into one-of-a kind necklaces, earrings, pendants, rings and other jewellery pieces embellished with coloured gemstones and diamonds.

Martin returned to the Himalayas in 1998 and set up the Gilding Arts Studio specialising in Buddhist and Asian Art.

Works include Buddha and Bodhisattva statues, stupas, meditational accessories and altars for Dharma practitioners in both the Theravada and Nalanda Traditions.

Martin currently lives on Bruny Island, Australia with his wife Mary who is the Nepal Project Manager for One HEART world-wide, and regularly travels to Nepal, China, India and other pilgrimage sites and Buddhist centres around the world.

Member of the Convocation of Jewellers

G.I.A. Alumni Association

FlorenceArt

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