If you are reading this magazine, it stands reason that you are one of the thousands of industry professionals and individuals who share our love affair with colored gemstones. So often, those of us in the industry lose touch with the magic and the allure of these beautiful works of art as we become sidetracked by commerce. But while these gemstones give us rewarding business opportunities, we should never forget what has made gemstones desirable for centuries.
The rare treasures that we pluck from the Earth define beauty, rarity and desirability. But we should also remember that we have a partnership with Nature. She produces these magnificent crystals, and we in turn transform those crystals into works of art that have graced wearers throughout time. Without the lapidary’s art, these gemstones, although still unique and special, would not be the treasures that we have coveted and traded for so many years.
I also assume that, if you are lover of gemstones, you like myself have a bucket list. A list of magical wonderful historical places that have been the center of gemstone production for millennia. Think Mogok, Kashmir, Golconda – legendary sources of the most storied and legendary gem materials in history.
Although the prominence of some of these legendary places has waned, there is one magical name that for years has captured the imagination of gemstone lovers: Idar-Oberstein. While it began as a source of materials that the Romans fashioned into cabochons, cameos and carvings to satisfy the demand during Rome’s Empire, it has not only survived but thrived. This is due in large part because of its hundreds of years of devotion to the craft, with families that have passed down the art of gem cutting and carving from father and mothers to sons and daughters to the extent that it is arguably the historically most important source of carved and cut gemstones.
My first visit to Idar- Oberstein was as a young man, still an instructor for the GIA. While leading a gemological excursion of gem lovers through several European sites, we found ourselves in Idar.
The experience was magical to say the least and we were welcomed warmly as guests into our hosts’ businesses and their homes. We met people whose names we knew to be synonymous with gemstone artistry, many of the names that you will see mentioned in this issue of InColor, which features Idar and its artisans. Many of the people we met became friends and remain so to this day. What soon became evident to me then was that, if we had visited Idar decades before, we would have been greeted by families bearing the same distinguished names, owing to the fact that most of these families have pursued their craft for generations and even centuries.
Years later, my wife Marcia and I were contemplating a gift for her parents’ anniversary and we thought how wonderful it would be to have a cameo of her parents carved by a master carver in Idar-Oberstein. Erwin Pauly, a marvelous gentleman and incredible artisan, agreed and produced a stunning carving from the photograph we provided him. For years, the framed cameo adorned their mantle and now it resides on ours.
Every time I see Marcia admiring the gemstone portrait, I realize how this inexpensive piece of chalcedony, when placed in the hands of a true artist, inspired by a sense of love and devotion, became a true heirloom. It evokes fond memories for her and myself. But beyond those memories, I am reminded of the true power, the visceral impact that gemstones can have on us. How they represent so much more than their mere component parts. Let us never forget that this elegance inherent in gemstones is why we are in this business and why we are blessed with a pursuit that we truly love.
I would like to thank each of the authors who contributed to this exceptional ode to Idar-Oberstein. I hope that one day, if you have not already, you have an opportunity to visit this unique city. Until then, please enjoy the wonderful articles herein.
