john koontz, jr. took the business name “the starcarver” approximately 1992. at that time he was building a home with his 10 yr. old son near athens, ga., and went completely solar power. hince the “star” onto his profession; then, as an art repair and restore specialist. soon , he found amethyst crystals on his property. john could create anything in soft mediums that he could see or imagine already; but this gemstone stuff was something else altogether; he had not come up against the hardness scale of 7 and above, a year later and many diamond tools later he was on his way carving quartz intaglios; and, internal carving as well. rocks and minerals were one of his first memories of natual beauty; and his last name comes from a word that means ”’artist”. so, the biologist, scientist upbringing of his youth took a backseat for the inspiration of his heart. this body of work has been long on finishing, because stones take a long time to speak, and john will admit quickly that he may think what he wants in a stone all he wants to, the stone will allow it or not!