The history of Idar-Oberstein dates back to 1075, when the Stein family was first mentioned by Archbishop Udo von Nellenburg, one of the earliest residents of the area. Over the ensuing centuries, various noble families – lords, earls and the aristocracies of Sponheim, Daun, Nohfelden, and Falkenstein, among others – left their mark on the region, shaping its cultural and economic landscape. The merging of the towns of Idar and Oberstein into a single city in 1933 marked a pivotal moment, solidifying its status as a gemstone epicenter, particularly famous for gem cutting, trading and carving.

One of the most iconic landmarks is the Felsenkirche (Church in the Rock), built between 1482 and 1484 by Wyrich IV of Daun-Oberstein, in a natural niche in a rock wall. It stands as a testament to the town’s enduring spirit and serves as a beacon over Idar-Oberstein’s rooftops.

Because of Idar-Oberstein’s prominence in the gem sector, it is understandable why this small town would have three important museums. They are briefly discussed here.

The German Gemstone Museum

Idar-Oberstein’s commitment to preserving its gemological legacy is epitomized by the German Gemstone Museum (Deutsches Edelstein Museum). What began as a trading hall in the mid-19th century evolved into a premier museum, showcasing thousands of years of cutting history.

Called Gewerbehalle, this hall was created when the gem industry decided to support its members with a place to do business. A newspaper article dated from July 25, 1859 stated: The hall of industry is dedicated to the purpose of giving the manufacturers and traders of Oberstein the opportunity to exhibit the goods and merchandise, then produced, for display and sale.

In 1878, this hall underwent a transformation, slowly moving into a museum-like building. In 1909, the entrance fees collected were a total of 1,463.70 marks, paid by 3400 visitors. The trade sales amounted to 27,315.25 marks. Between 1900 and 1930, many different exhibitions took place in the Gewerbehalle.

Starting in 1936, the hall and the growing museum were completely restructured, giving an exhibition area, a library, a lecture hall and a separate hall for a mineralogical collection. In 1956, the Chamber of Commerce began planning for a new, tall and exceptional building, which would become the Diamond and Precious Stones Bourse Idar-Oberstein, where both diamonds and colored gemstones would be traded. It was unanimously admitted into the World Federation of Diamond Bourses, the umbrella organization for dozens of bourses around the world.

The building’s construction was completed in 1973 and the gemstone exhibition moved into the bourse (this author remembers that the gem exhibits were on the 10th floor) and the museum was named Deutsches Edelstein Museum or German Gemstone Museum. A new star was born. During its first three years, this tourist magnet attracted about 360,000 visitors.

In 1986, the museum moved to its current home in the Idar section of the city, in the historic Purpers Schlösschen, a magnificent villa/mansion built in 1894 during the Founders´ Period (Gründerzeit). It was built by August Purper, a German pearl trader, for the incredible amount of one million gold marks at that time.

Today, visitors can explore three floors dedicated to gems, diamonds and historical cutting techniques. From local agates and quartzes to exotic gems from across the globe, the museum offers a comprehensive journey through the artistry and craftsmanship that define the gemstone industry. Special exhibitions held periodically ensure there’s always something new to discover.

Carvings and sculptures created as far back as 150 years are also on display as are cutting techniques, ranging from historical methods to the modern diamond cut, which visitors can follow in detail. And so much more.

Opening times: Daily from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. www.edelsteinmuseum.de

The German Mineral Museum

Founded in 1932 by the club Die Heimatfreunde (Home Friends), the Heimatfreunde Museum showcased minerals and rough gems from around the world, as well as products of the local jewelry and gem industry. In 1937, the museum moved to the Oberstein part of the city, beneath the Felsenkirche.

During and after World War II, Philipp Becker, the chairman of the club and a longtime gem dealer, rescued the inventory of the museum and rebuilt the museum with the help of a handful of colleagues.

In 1970, Alfred Peth became the chairman of the Heimatfreunde and its museum. During his tenure, the museum attracted about 150,000 visitors a year. In 2012, the museum’s name was changed to Deutsches Mineralien-Museum. In 2021, Hans-Jörg Ruschke took over the reins as chairman.

The museum’s commitment to education and exploration is evident in its diverse exhibits, which range from fluorescent minerals to a display of fossils dating back millions of years. Special attention is also given to the esoteric and healing properties associated with gemstones, including those attributed to Saint Hildegard of Bingen.

Summary of exhibits in 24 rooms over four floors in the German Mineral Museum

• Gems and minerals from all over the world, including huge quartz crystals.
• Jewelry made in Idar-Oberstein in the 19th and 20th centuries, including fine Art Deco jewelry.
• Minerals from the gemstone region of Idar- Oberstein, especially agate and jasper.
• A functioning historical cutting machine powered by a water-driven wheel (Achatschleife).
• Remarkable display of fluorescent minerals.
• A fine collection of gemstone artwork (glyptothek), notably cameos, intaglios and sculptures.
• Special attention is also given to the esoteric and healing properties associated with gems, including those attributed to Saint Hildegard of Bingen.
• A collection of replicas of historic diamonds and amous crowns, as well as amber and primitive money made of agate, carnelian and other gems.
• A selection of fossils such as crinoids, sea crabs and others, some dating back 400 million years.

In 2015, this author researched the complete library of that museum for his book Asterism – Gems with a Star, taking advantage of the museum’s exhaustive collections of works relating to the phenomena of star gems.

Since 2019, the permanent exhibition, called Born of Flames (Aus Flammen Geboren), has displayed 50 fantastic, mythological and magnificent sculptures, composed of rare minerals and metals. Shown are Chinese dragons, an Egyptian sphinx, Indian elephants, owls as the symbol of wisdom, eagles and hawks as symbols of power and force, along with philosophers such as Victor Hugo, Novalis and Dante. These incredible masterpieces were donated by the French artist couple Claudius and Katherine Dimitri Barbat.

Opening times: Daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.deutsches-mineralienmuseum.de

The Jacob Bengel Industrial Monument

For those fascinated by the art of jewelry-making, the Bengel Industrial Monument (Jacob Bengel Industriedenkmal) offers a journey through history. Founded in 1873, the museum showcases the evolution of jewelry production through original chain machines, presses and other tools. Visitors can witness firsthand the meticulous craftsmanship that has defined Idar-Oberstein’s jewelry industry, while following the process from design to finished product.

Located in the historic Jacob Bengel watch chain and jewelry factory, the museum also has a large and exquisite permanent collection of Art Deco jewelry. The name Jakob Bengel once enjoyed an excellent reputation for its fashion jewelry collections.

Located in the Villa Bengel, the former residence of the factory’s owner, adds an air of nostalgia and authenticity to the experience. Changing exhibitions that feature international jewelry artists and students further enrich the museum’s vibrant atmosphere.

Opening times are Tuesday to Sunday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. www.jakob-bengel.de

Idar-Oberstein’s museums stand as tributes to the town’s enduring legacy as a gemstone paradise. Whether a history enthusiast, a gemstone aficionado, or simply seeking to immerse oneself in the beauty of natural wonders, a visit to these museums promises an unforgettable experience. From ancient minerals to contemporary jewelry artistry, Idar-Oberstein invites visitors to explore the depths of its cultural and geological treasures.

Fun fact… In 2016, Idar Oberstein became National Park City (Nationalparkstadt) and, in 2007, American actor Bruce Willis was appointed as its special ambassador. The reason: he was born in Idar-Oberstein in 1955, the son of a German mother and an American GI father.

Photos are from the author unless otherwise indicated.

The post The Museums in the German Gem Paradise appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Pearl Ng’s life has spanned not only the globe but has also incorporated a range of disciplines in art, culture and jewelry. Born in Hong Kong, she spent several years in Australia before moving to the United States for well over a decade before moving back to HK to start her business. Now living in the UK, she was recently chosen to showcase her work at the prestigious Goldsmiths’ Fair exhibition in London. To learn more about her unique and somewhat circuitous trajectory into the world of fine jewelry, including how she decided to straddle the two worlds of design and gem trading, InColor caught up with Pearl, who is also an ICA Director, at her studio in Brighton and Hove.

Interview conducted by Cynthia Unninayar

InColor: Pearl, you’ve built a colorful career shaping dreams into reality through your jewelry designs. What initially drew you to design jewelry?

Pearl Ng: Designing jewelry and working with gems has been my raison d’ȇtre. My life experiences led me to fine jewelry. My first foray began in San Francisco when my high school art teacher and artist, Dana Hart-Stone, took me to Native American powwows and taught me seed beading. He also introduced me to the legendary 1960s bead shop Yone that had an incredible selection of beads from all over the world. Owner Hermon Baker taught me about beads and the supplies needed to put them together. Soon I was making jewelry and selling it at school. Back then, I was still engrossed in art and design, and did not think that making jewelry could become a life profession.

You chose to go to Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) after high school graduation. Is this where you started your interest in serious jewelry design? 

Not initially. RISD was my dream school to study industrial design. I worked on product design and experimented with many mediums such as glassblowing, filmmaking and textiles, but I was only exposed to vessels-making in the jewelry department. I was good at working with metals and won first place in a Dansk-sponsored flatware competition. I encountered minerals quite by accident while one day working as a teaching assistant. The painter Victor Lara showed me a piece of giant amber embedded with hundreds of ants that he had traded a painting for. I was gob smacked! He introduced me to Sal Avella at Apple Valley Minerals, who taught me all about minerals and I began collecting large specimens, which surprisingly stand toe-to-toe with some of my top purchases from Tucson.  After graduation, I was hired by my Industrial Design professor to work at his firm in Providence on consumer products such as Speedo goggles, Victorinox pens and lawn chairs. Later the company changed its focus to the medical field, so I worked as a designer in point-of purchase display in New York City. The projects mainly involved cosmetics luxury brands such as Marc Jacobs and MAC. This is where I learned to channel the soul of a brand into form, color and expression. On my lunch break, I often visited the luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman, seeing what’s new in the jewelry section. Transfixed by the top jewels and everything luxury, that’s when it clicked, and I began changing my career to become a bespoke maker. I left my job and went to NYU for a Master’s Degree in Art Education, where I studied sculpture and silversmithing, along with other design courses at Parsons, while continuing to make jewelry in New York’s Diamond District. 

After you returned to your roots in Hong Kong, is this where your jewelry focus crystalized? 

When I arrived in Hong Kong, I worked as a lecturer at Hong Kong Art School teaching BFA in Branding, 3D-Design and Packaging Design, which supplemented my income while I began my company Pearly. In 2006, I visited my first Hong Kong Gems & Jewellery show, which opened a whole new universe. I did bespoke in the back end while creating collections that did well editorially, which led me to relaunch my brand in London Fashion Week in 2012. In 2015, Pearly was featured in the major fashion magazines Elle and Vogue, as well as in several trade publications. I was invited by retailers like Harrods to showcase my work. By then, I had finished my GIA Diamond course on a half-scholarship and decided to complete my Graduate Gemologist (GG). I rebranded into a bespoke-only business and started becoming a broker for other designers and the trade alike. Since I was now straddling both the worlds of gem dealer and jewelry designer, I found myself creating larger pieces as well as making a name for Pearly as a color gem specialist for bespoke jewels. In 2020, I decided to elevate my business and moved to the United Kingdom.

Your focus on colored gems is distinctive. Why do you gravitate towards them, and do you have favorites? 

Natural colored gems are my canvas – they allow me to weave narratives and emotions into my designs to build stories. They are the focus and provide a link to Nature’s amazing work. Recently, I created a ring with a 27-carat morganite from my collection, which won a prestigious Goldsmiths’ Craft & Design Council Award in 3D Design and Precious Jewellery. I also love emeralds with a vibrant jardin, as much as the neon glow from stones like Paraiba, canary tourmaline and Jedi spinel. Saturated juicy colors like spessartite garnet and green jadeite captivate me. Having spent my early teens in Australia, opal holds a special spot in my heart with its rainbow colors, which I also can see in white spinels and of course, diamonds. It’s all about scintillation, physics and how color fills you with emotions.

As most of your pieces are custom-made, what are your main design directions and inspiration?

Nature has been my primary muse for almost my entire design life. From organic forms of fruits to the geometric precision of a fern, I’m fascinated by their architectural structures and patterns. I also draw inspiration from art, fashion and film. For my custom pieces, I start with the wearer, taking into account who they are, their stories and desires. As an example, a client wanted a birthday gift for his wife who paints and makes pashminas in Tibet. With their modest budget, I proposed a modern cut citrine, whose yellow tones evoke Tibetan saffron robes of monks, accented with baguette diamonds, and Sleeping Beauty turquoise beads, which are found in ancient Buddhism religious objects. Set in platinum with baroque scrolls symbolizing scriptures, with Tibetan gold bead accents, I then added yellow diamonds and an engraved mantra as private details on the back. On a different note, another husband with a larger budget, wanted a top quality unheated ruby for his London fashionista wife. I chose a fun heart-shaped ruby with top color and visible fine rutile. Set in black rhodium-plated 18K gold, the stone was further enhanced with matching-color small rubies. With bespoke, it all depends on the client and which gem has the starring role.

Your dual approach blends design and gemology seamlessly. How does this duality influence your creations? 

I moved into the gem business with over a decade of design experience behind me, yet it took some time to refine the relationship of design to supply chain, from mine to finger, so to speak. Being a gemologist and a designer allows me to bridge the gap between stone and design. Understanding the intricate properties of each gem helps to inform how I showcase its glory, thus ensuring beauty and style with durability and wearability. Color is mainly the feature, but it is important to know if a particular gem will fit a client’s criteria and lifestyle.  I look at gems not only for color and quality, but I also consider reflective index, harmony and contrast, the angles that they will be viewed, how to highlight the star.  A lot of considerations are at play in creating the design, so being conversant in gemology became a necessity for my work.

What sets Pearly apart in the jewelry market, beyond just the designs? How do you ensure ethics, responsible sourcing to ensure your gems and manufacturing processes align with responsible practices? 

True luxury is about the very best – the best material, the best craftsmen, the best design. But it is also about how it is made, lovingly, from the heart. Pearly is driven by creating the very best. Fresh out of GIA, I flew to Sri Lanka almost immediately to see a sapphire mine – I just had to see it. This was my first step in learning about responsible sourcing, which continues to be a focus of my work to this day, with integrity at the core. I’ve cultivated long-term relationships with partners who share my commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. Whether sourcing from the mines or working with trusted cutters, responsible stewardship is nonnegotiable for me. It has helped keep my supply chain short and transparent. My goal is to continue to take an active part in the gem sector. Having access to the source is one of the strengths of our colored stone industry where the trajectory can often be traced. This intimate approach, coupled with my commitment to create the very best, is what distinguishes Pearly in the crowded world of fine jewelry.

How do you see the future of colored gemstone jewelry evolving? 

Colored gemstones will continue to redefine fine jewelry, offering diversity and personalization beyond traditional diamonds. As consumers realize how truly rare and unique colored gemstones are, demand will grow. For the younger generations where sustainable practices are an important part of purchasing decisions, colored gems offer a clear choice. On a more specific level, we are seeing inroads of colored gems into the bridal market. Traditionally, the value of an engagement ring lies in the sentiment of a diamond, nurtured through symbolism. But when people understand more about colored gems, their history, provenance and how they are helping communities, I think people will opt for something more layered than a diamond, something more romantic, in a way. I might also add that the huge surge and then decline of lab grown diamonds in recent years will likely attract more shoppers who are looking for other types of precious gems.

 Lastly, now that you are back in the UK, what excites you most about the upcoming projects and exhibitions for Pearly?

Being in the UK has put my work in a new direction. Bespoke is still my focus because I enjoy working with people and sourcing on an individual basis. Having said that, I am now working towards high jewelry, with pieces that truly represent the ultimate luxury, detailing the journey from mine to consumer. In addition to my bespoke fine jewelry, I am thrilled to have been selected to exhibit in the prestigious Goldsmiths’ Fair, happening September 24 to 29. It’s an iconic and highly competitive exhibition, and I am delighted to be part of this revered group in the British jewelry scene. It’s a testament to Pearly’s evolution and recognition within the industry. Moving forward, I’m eager to expand my presence while staying true to my values of quality gems, craftsmanship, creativity and ethical sourcing, while telling Pearly’s multi-faceted story.

All images are courtesy of Pearly.

The post From Rough to Remarkable appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Gemstone carvings have captivated humanity for millennia, going back thousands of years to ancient civilizations. This unique form of glyptic art, which encompasses the carving and engraving of various gemstones, has evolved significantly over the centuries, reflecting the ingenuity and creativity of its artisans.

A Bit of History

The origins of gemstone carving can be traced to early Mesopotamia, around 7000 years ago, where the Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians began crafting simple seals. Using rudimentary techniques, they etched geometric motifs – such as stars and zigzags – into materials like wood and bone, later transitioning to burned clay. The first notable examples of carved seals made from harder materials, such as sandstone and marble, emerged some 5000 years ago. Approximately 2000 years later, the ancient Greeks began producing intricate carvings from softer gemstones, including lapis lazuli and turquoise. The introduction of the engraving spindle, a couple of hundred years later, marked a significant advancement, enabling artisans to work with gemstones of greater hardness.

From Paris to Idar-Oberstein

The 19th century heralded a new era for gemstone carving, particularly in the Idar-Oberstein region. According to Ernst Falz (1939), the first cameo carver from the Idar-Oberstein area (Bruchweiler) was Georg Weismüller (1811-1851). In 1830, he traveled to Paris to hone his craft and, throughout the 1840s and 1850s, many young talents from Idar-Oberstein sought training in the French capital.

This period coincided with the influx of Brazilian agates, which were skillfully enhanced with vibrant colors due to their unique striped gray-white material whose layers of different fiber densities took on different hues. Consequently, large quantities of cameos and intaglios were produced.

Some of the artists working in Paris were Christian Cäsar, Louis Schmidt, Louis Purpur, Fritz Heidt, Wilhelm Leyser, Julius Schmidt, Charles Wild “neveu” and Jacob Wild “Graveur Wilde.” Because of the French-German war in 1870-1871, nearly all moved back to Idar- Oberstein. Paris times were over.

The artistic collaboration among rough stone dealers, stone cutters, goldsmiths, and enamelers in Idar-Oberstein led to its establishment as a global center for gemstone carving starting in 1880.

Important Carvers of the 19th and 20th Centuries

As the gemstone carving industry flourished, several notable artists emerged. Among them were Otto Minn (1896-1958), Paul Krieger (1903-2000), Carl August Schmelzer (1882-1955), Richard H. Hahn (1917-1999), who had a special exhibition of his carvings in 1973- 1974 in the German Gemstone Museum, and August Rudolf Wild (1891-1956), who had a special memorial exhibition at the same museum in 1983.

August Rudolf Wild was probably the most influential carver of his generation and is counted among the last masters of the art of cameo engraving. Despite the mounting economic and political problems of his era, Wild’s talents in gem carving did not go unrecognized. He won three Grand Prix at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair for his remarkable double-head carving of Ares and Demeter, his red-white cameo Winner and his blackand- white Fairytale. He refused however to attend the fair due to the organizing influence of the Nazi party at this event and his disagreement with their suppression and destruction of what they deemed degenerate art. Wild’s gem carving career was cut short in 1942 due to health issues.

More recently, artists such as Heinz Postler and, especially, Erwin Pauly further shaped the modern landscape of gemstone carving. Pauly is considered the grand seigneur of the famous Pauly family now in its third generation of gem carvers. Erwin Pauly was honored with the Federal Cross of Merit in 2019 for his lifetime achievements in the field.

The Fabergé Connection

The finest Fabergé carvings were sold from 1872 to 1917 in exquisite jewelry stores in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, as well as in London, Odessa and Kyiv. Some original objets d’art were crafted in Idar-Oberstein using materials such as nephrite and lapis lazuli, among others, while many Fabergé reproductions were later produced there.

Peter Carl Fabergé (1846-1920) spent several years in Germany before returning to the St. Petersburg Hermitage. In the late 1890s, he visited Idar-Oberstein multiple times, bringing design models of his carvings for production, particularly to the Elias Wolff and Gebr. Stern companies. After the Russian Revolution in 1917, Fabergé’s business came to an abrupt end. His company and workshops were expropriated, forcing him to emigrate.

Among Fabergé’s most remarkable and famous objets d’art were the stunning Fabergé eggs, many crafted as gifts for Russian Empress Maria Feodorovna.

After World War II, Idar-Oberstein companies, among them Wilhelm Dreher, Robert Juchem, and Richard Becker, began producing carvings reminiscent of Fabergé’s work (known as Fabergé-Art), focusing on flowers, leaves, and small to large animals, primarily in rock crystal and jasper. The enterprises of Georg O. Wild and Emil Becker were also involved in this revival.

The New Generation

Today, the tradition of gemstone carving continues with a new generation of artisans committed to preserving and evolving the craft. The following are only a few representative examples of the art of carving in Idar-Oberstein.

Andreas Roth. Born in 1973 in Idar-Oberstein, Andreas Roth followed in the footsteps of his father, Hans-Dieter Roth, an esteemed master gem carver. After completing his training from 1989 to 1993, Andreas earned his master’s degree in gem cutting and carving in 1999. Both father and son specialized in creating large cameos and unique engravings, portrait engravings and unusual gemstone objects. In 2004, father and son exhibited in Kofu, Japan and several national and international exhibitions followed. A couple of years ago, Dieter Roth sadly passed away.

Among Roth´s most stunning creations are the huge cameos paying homage to the Bible (1986-1998), William Shakespeare (2003-2008) and to Goethe´s Faust I and Faust II (2007-2012). The largest of Andrea’s two Faust carvings, a remarkable two-sided cameo measuring 46 x 37 cm, took more than 2000 hours of meticulous work.

Andreas Roth feels committed to the tradition, influenced especially by the master gemstone engravers Richard Hahn and August Rudolf Wild, explaining that he wants to continue his work successfully in the spirit of his predecessors.

Michael Peuster. Born in 1967 in Kirschweiler near Idar-Oberstein, Michael Peuster studied the profession of master gem carver and engraver from 1989 to 1991. Since establishing his own studio in 1991, he has embraced various styles that reflect his artistic dialogue with each stone. Peuster’s extensive range of creations, including animals and modern art, sets him apart as a rock star among gem carvers. “My aim is to leave a fingerprint with my carvings,” muses Peuster. “I will always first hold a dialogue with each stone. But equally important is the influence of the Zeitgeist.

What makes Michael Peuster stand out, even among his talented fellow master gem carvers, is the unbelievable variety of products: cameos, intaglios, engravings of all kind, small carved objects and gigantic carvings, Art Nouveau styles, faces, animals (frogs, fish, cats, dogs, birds), modern art, flowers, sculptures and much more. “As an artist, I`m continually experimenting, developing and evolving my techniques and designs,” he says.

Gerhard Schmidt. Born in 1953 in Fischbach near Idar- Oberstein, Gerhard Schmidt honed his skills as a gem carver from 1967 to 1971 in Germany. In 1981, his career took him to Japan, where he gained recognition through numerous exhibitions across major cities. In June 1982, Schmidt had his first exhibition at the Yamanashi Prefectural Museum of Art in Kofu, followed by many exhibitions in nearly all big Japanese cities over the next few years. In 1990, he returned to Germany and worked as an artist in his atelier in Idar-Oberstein. International and national exhibitions followed in the coming years in such places as Tucson (USA), Basel (Switzerland), Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates.

The writer Detlev Lax described Gerhard: “The carved, predominantly two-layer agates, mostly being objective, figurative, are a new kind of miniatures in the varied interplay of tinges of light and dark. Depending on the material, of flat areas and extremely delicate details, they are aesthetic compositions penetrating the agate in steps; they are works of art that come to life in the beholder’s hand.” Schmidt’s art continues to be celebrated for its aesthetic compositions that transform the natural beauty of agate into captivating miniatures.

Atelier Munsteiner. Born in 1943 in Idar-Oberstein, Bernd Munsteiner was destined to follow in the footsteps of his father, who had been a prominent gem cutter. But he was not content to adhere to tradition and, early in his career, experimented with new cutting techniques and forms, inspired by the principles of abstract art and modern architecture.

Munsteiner’s breakthrough came in the 1960s when he developed the Fantasy Cut, which involved carving intricate and unconventional facets into gemstones. Unlike traditional cuts that aimed for maximum brilliance, Munsteiner’s cuts focused on creating depth, texture and capturing light in unexpected ways. This innovative approach not only enhanced the natural beauty of gemstones but also imbued them with a unique character and artistic flair.

His creations are a crossover between specialized gem cutting and traditional carving. Bernd was followed in the business by his son Tom, who sadly passed away in December 2023. Bernd passed away in June 2024. The atelier is now run by Tom’s wife Jutta, who is a jewelry designer, and his son Philipp, who are carrying on with the same innovation and creativity.

Other Notable Carvers (in alphabetical order)

Beyond these prominent figures, many talented artisans continue to shape the Idar-Oberstein gemstone carving scene, including Bernhard Becker, Daniela Becker, Thomas Becker, Christopher Dobranski, Patrick Dreher, Rudolf Dröschel, Matthias Fickinger, Norbert Juchem, Udo Juchem, Herbert Klein, Rudolf Köhler, Hans-Peter Lorenz, Elsa Marceau, Gerd Moser, Gerhard Pauly, Ulrich Pauly, Claudia Peuster, Matthias Postler, Andrea Sohne, Udo Stenger, Jürgen Thom, Georg Tita, Alex Veek, Martin Weber, Carlo Wild, Alfred Zimmermann and Viola Zorn. Their collective efforts contribute to a rich tapestry of artistry and tradition.

By the way, the carving/cutting of gemstone bowls is a fantastic art by itself. In Kirschweiler near Idar-Oberstein, Helmut Wolf, probably the best bowl carverin the world, recently passed away. R.I.P. Helmut.

Conclusion

The art of gemstone carving is not just a craft. It is a testament to the creativity and dedication of many generations of artisans. As Idar-Oberstein strives for recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site with efforts led by Ulrich Pauly, it highlights the importance of preserving this unique cultural heritage.

The legacy of gem carving – from ancient seals to contemporary masterpieces – continues to inspire and enthrall those who appreciate the beauty and skill behind each creation. The timeless allure of gemstone carvings ensures that this extraordinary art form will endure for generations to come.

Photos are from the company named unless otherwise indicated.

The post The Timeless Art of Gemstone Carving in Idar-Oberstein appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

The history of brooches dates back thousands of years, with early examples found in ancient civilizations such as Greek, Roman and Egyptian. Initially used as functional fasteners for garments, brooches evolved over time to become symbols of status and wealth. During the Middle Ages and Renaissance periods, brooches were often adorned with precious gems and intricate designs, worn prominently by nobility and clergy. By the 18th and 19th centuries, they became more accessible to the middle class with the advent of industrial manufacturing techniques. This democratization of brooches expanded their popularity, allowing them to be worn by a broader spectrum of society. They were also popular in the early 20th century, especially in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco periods. And in the 21st century, brooches are more popular than ever.

One of the most appealing aspects of brooches is their versatility. Unlike many other forms of jewelry that are confined to specific parts of the body, brooches can be worn in myriad ways. Traditionally, they are pinned to lapels, collars, or scarves, adding a touch of refinement to formal attire. However, modern fashion has embraced brooches as versatile accessories that can be worn on hats, bags, or even as hair ornaments, offering endless possibilities for personal expression. Men are also increasingly wearing pins/brooches again in a wide variety of designs and colors. Beyond their decorative appeal, brooches often have deep symbolism and sentimental value or they can evoke whimsy and fun. Brooches can also commemorate special occasions such as weddings through generations. Adorned with symbols, such as flowers, animals or religious motifs, they also convey personal beliefs or cultural heritage. Brooches come in a variety of materials, ranging from classic metals such as platinum, gold and silver to more contemporary materials, e.g acrylic and resin. Gemstones add a pop of color and sparkle. Vintage brooches from different eras are prized possessions, each telling a unique story through its craftsmanship and style. Brooches continue to enchant and inspire, bridging the gap between past and present with their timeless elegance and versatility. Whether cherished as heirlooms, statement pieces, or symbols of personal style, brooches remain an enduring testament to the artistry and craftsmanship of jewelry design. As fashion trends evolve, one thing remains certain – the beauty of a well-chosen brooch will always endure.

Photos are courtesy of the company/brand listed unless otherwise indicated.

The post Beauty and the Brooch appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Dating back to the time of the dinosaurs, the best known amber is from the Cretaceous period and is found in Myanmar. Prized in Asia, this amber is about 99 million years old. The slightly older Lebanese amber (130 million years old) is famous for its interesting inclusions. Much younger varieties, such as Dominican and Mexican ambers from Chiapas (15-20 million years old), are also popular on the market. However, in the Western world at least, the most famous and longest used amber is Baltic amber from Central Europe.

Baltic amber (succinite) is a resin of coniferous trees from the Eocene epoch, and its deposits have been dated at 38-48 million years. Early humans pointed to the Baltic Sea as the source of this material. Today, it is found in deposits in many other places in central and eastern Europe, from eastern Germany, the Baltic coast with the largest open pit mine on the Sambian Peninsula (Russia), eastern Poland (Lublin area) and western Ukraine. Ice ages caused the movement of large land masses and erosion, which is why amber is found today in secondary deposits in many places in Poland and Europe.

Gdansk, however, is recognized as the amber capital of the world. Situated on the Baltic Sea, it is a city with unique links to this stone. The history of Gdansk and amber date back to prehistoric times, when the stone was collected and used by local communities.

More than 2,000 remains of ancient amber processing workshops have been found around the city. The oldest finds from this period date back more than 6,000 years.

Amber was then exported to the Mediterranean and Asia Minor, where today archaeologists find it in excavations, confirming the global trade in ancient times. The finest masterpieces from 1600-1700 were created in Gdansk and sold throughout Europe.

In contemporary Gdansk, there are many companies and independent designers in the jewelry industry (Poland ranks third in Europe in the production of silver jewelry) who place an emphasis on amber.

Finding Amber

Fishing for amber on the beaches of the Baltic Sea is a fascinating and popular activity, especially in Poland and Lithuania, where the Baltic Sea is a rich source of this precious stone. It used to be the main way of harvesting the raw material.

Fishing is most effective in winter and early spring, when storms are more frequent and cold sea water has the greatest density, making it easier for light lumps of amber to move around. Significant amounts of amber rest in deposits beneath the seabed and, when they are washed out by sea currents, they are discarded on the beach along with a mixture of seaweed, sticks and marine debris.

UV torches can be helpful at night because amber shows fluorescence under ultraviolet light, making it easier to find. In Poland, the best beaches for prospecting are in Pomerania, as well as others near Gdansk. Similar methods have been used for centuries by the inhabitants of the entire southern coast of the Baltic Sea and the eastern (particularly Danish) part of the North Sea.

The Polish city of Gdansk, situated on the Baltic Sea, is recognized as the amber capital of the world.

Mining amber from secondary Holocene deposits is an important way of extracting this valuable raw material. The method of leaching it directly from the ground using pressurized water was invented. Released from the sediments of former fossil beaches, amber rises to the surface with a mixture of water and sand, where it is scooped up by miners. The hydraulic method requires the removal of the soil layer, due to the need to protect the environment and rehabilitate the area after mining. And, in the case of amber, environmentally responsible mining is promoted and desired by clients.

The Museums

The museums in Gdansk not only provide wonderful samples of amber, but also conduct important scientific research along with other institutions. A very unique museum on a global scale is the Museum of Amber Inclusions, operating at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Gdansk. The permanent exhibition Life in an Amber Forest features particularly beautiful arthropods that are perfectly preserved in fossilized resin. The museum’s main attraction is a diorama, a three-dimensional model of an amber forest on a 1:1 scale. The museum staff also runs a workshop where they scientifically process and polish the amber that contains animals inclusions.

The second most important museum is the Gdansk Amber Museum, located in a medieval mill erected by the Teutonic Knights around 1350, which is one of the largest historical buildings in Gdansk. Visitors learn about the process of amber formation and can see nearly 300 varieties of resin of various ages and colors, from all over the world. The museum primarily presents historical objects created in Gdansk hundreds of years ago as well as contemporary designs of amber jewelry, which differ significantly from stereotypical beads.

Treatments and Testing

Like any gemstone, amber is also subjected to various types of treatments and enhancements. The fun fact is that the first reports of modifying Baltic amber date back 2000 years to the Roman author, Pliny the Elder. At that time, people discovered that the transparency and color of amber could be improved by boiling it in fat. And, today’s methods have remained similar, although modern equipment is used to obtain more predictable results. Other processes are now also used to alter the appearance and durability of amber.

Testing methods of amber have also been modernized. Destructive techniques such as the hot needle test are no longer employed in laboratories. Instead, typical gemological testing methods are used, among them are magnification, visible and UV light and infrared spectrophotometry (FTIR), which is crucial for identification. It is also important to build up a collection of raw material reference samples from different locations, as well as analyses of market available modifications.

Amber Art and Jewelry

A fascinating material with a rich history, amber continues to inspire artists and designers. Its unique properties, including its softness, aroma, and the animal/insect inclusions it often contains, have made it a prized and easy to work with gemstone for thousands of years.

From ancient inspiration to modern art, Gdansk is today a center of amber design. The city is famous for the Amberif Fair, held twice a year, where the latest jewelry and amber art collections are presented.

This event attracts designers and companies from all over the world, showing how versatile amber is as a material.

Gdansk designers combine tradition with modernity to create innovative designs. They use the natural forms of this organic gem as a starting point for their creations, while experimenting with new techniques and styles. Thanks to the lightness of amber, artists can create both monumental objects and delicate, filigree ornaments.

In the hands of contemporary artists, amber is given new life. From traditional jewelry to avantgarde art installations, this ancient material continues to delight and surprise.

Gdansk artists prove that, despite its long history, amber remains a material with unlimited possibilities in the world of modern art and jewelry design.

The post The Gold of The North . A View from Gdansk, Poland appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

Background

One of the key criticisms of the gemstone industry towards gem labs is their lack of consistency. Gem testing laboratories produce reports that might differ regarding color, treatment or country of origin. Not only do different gem labs show diverging results, but also the reports issued by one lab at different points in time might vary. The reasons for such differences are manifold.

Every lab has its own analytical equipment, with slight variations in hardware and software, and its own testing protocols and guidelines for data interpretation. An even higher risk for inconsistent results is induced by the reference collection, its availability, completeness and level of authenticity of the stone samples, i.e. the relative certainty of their true provenance and treatment status ¹.

Finally, another main source of inconsistent lab results is the human factor, i.e. individual gemologists having different backgrounds and experience levels, hence making different observations and weighing them differently, possibly leading to different results.

The rapid development of analytical technologies over the last two decades has multiplied the number of data points gathered in today’s modern gem-testing laboratories, further increasing the complexity of evaluating the wealth of data in a consistent way. Advanced trace and minor element analysis by ICPMS alone adds more than 20 additional data points for each stone. To recognize consistent patterns in a realm of a high double-digit number of data points poses a challenge even for the most experienced human experts. Such overburdening can lead human experts to respond in unwanted manners, e.g. oversimplification. The use of binary plots to interpret trace element chemistry, the search for – wrongly assumed – “diagnostic” features, or sequential decision making are examples of how human experts tend to reduce complexity. Or, they might become reluctant to take a final conclusion, resulting in the unpopular “not determinable” calls on lab reports.

Modern machine- and deep-learning algorithms have revolutionized the analysis and interpretation of large and complex datasets in various fields, including earth and material sciences allowing for more accurate and efficient data processing.

However, their application to gemology so far has mostly been restricted to handling a single data type at a time, such as chemical element concentrations or image evaluation. The more challenging tasks, involving the simultaneous evaluation of multiple data sources, still rely heavily on human expertise.

Project Gemtelligence

In 2020, the Gübelin Gem Lab started a project to build a deep learning-based method that automates the determination of the country of origin and detection of heat treatment of gemstones, in cooperation with CSEM ², and with government funding by Innosuisse ³.

The resulting software, called Gemtelligence, takes on the task of handling varied and multi-modal analytical data acquired from different testing devices. It determines the country of origin of ruby, sapphire and emerald, and detects heat treatment in ruby and sapphire.

The primary innovation of the proposed approach lies in its multi-modal design, custom-tailored to effectively process and integrate diverse analytical data acquired from different instruments, FT-IR and UV-Vis for spectroscopy analyses, and LA-ICP-MS and ED-XRF for chemical analyses (Figure 1).

Gemtelligence deploys of a combination of strided convolutional neural networks and a variant of the Transformer architecture, the latter being well-known from its application in Large Language Models such as ChatGPT.

The software was trained on several tens of thousands of datasets collected in the Gübelin Gem Lab over the decades, both using data from client stones and from reference stones. We applied a so-called supervised learning approach, i.e. the software was fed with the available analytical data and the final result. It did not get any indication of what features to look at to determine origin or treatment. This approach guaranteed that the software had to establish its own pattern of features, avoiding merely reproducing the logic of the human experts.

One major task that kept us busy during the three years of the project, was the cleaning of data. Although, for many years, we have applied a relatively high level of standardization of data collection in our lab, significant amounts of data still had to be filtered from the training set. The reasons included variations in hardware and software settings, changes in data processing methods or quality of the collected data that was sufficient for the visual interpretation by a gemologist, but not suitable for machine reading and learning.

The entire process of studying data quality and identifying faulty data and its reasons was a fascinating journey back into the recent history of the gem lab. Seemingly minor changes in testing protocols, standard operating procedures and changes in lab staff became evident. We now have a much better understanding of our past data, and the requirements for data collection in the future. The current version of Gemtelligence comprises data of more than 50,000 stones.

Not every stone has the complete dataset, i.e. for some stones, some of the data types (e.g. ICP-MS) are absent, hence Gemtelligence can cope also with incomplete datasets. On the validation set, a range of additional criteria was applied to reduce the risk of ground truth errors; among others, multiple expert gemologists had to independently reach the same conclusion through visual microscopic inspection, and results obtained from ICP-MS had to align with the findings of visual inspection.

Results

The results ⁴ are highly satisfying for the task of origin determination for a substantial portion of high-quality ruby, sapphire and emerald, and for the detection of heat treatment in ruby and sapphire. We demonstrated the capability of Gemtelligence to provide confident predictions on a substantially larger share of stones than human experts. A stone is considered being confidently classified if the calculated probability of the stone belonging to a certain origin or being heat treated exceeds the threshold value.

The threshold has been determined by calibrating the model on the training data to match or surpass the accuracy levels reached by human experts on the test data. A stone is considered confidently classified by human experts if they are certain enough to reach a single, unambiguous conclusion, for example, assigning one country of origin and one thermal treatment state.

Different threshold values yield different trade-offs between accuracy and automation.

A lower threshold value results in more stones reaching automated classification, hence less further analysis by human experts but, at the same time, lower accuracy and potentially higher error rates. For Gemtelligence, a lot of emphasis was put into defining threshold values for the tasks of origin determination and treatment detection for the three types of gemstones.

The current version of Gemtelligence comprises data of more than 50,000 stones.

Gemtelligence demonstrates that the interpretation of gemological analytical data can be automated while achieving comparable or even higher levels of accuracy (Figure 2). This is noteworthy because in professional gem labs, which need to adhere to best practice benchmarks, the time dedicated to the assessment and evaluation of the raw analysis is significant, and inconsistencies in this process are unavoidable.

Since gemstones often are analyzed multiple times during their lifespan, inconsistent results can raise doubts about the authenticity of the asset, leading to legal and financial complications. Hence, we evaluated whether Gemtelligence provides consistent results for the same gemstone when data is collected from different instruments, at various times and under varying conditions. We have evaluated some 200 blue sapphires that we have tested multiple times in the last ten years. The application of our confidence thresholding methodology was highly useful to optimize the model in order to reach a high consistency of predictions, and to avoid inconsistent classifications that the model is not highly confident about.

As stated above, the supervised learning approach prevented the software from simply applying gemologists’ established evaluation criteria. Instead, it forced the system to recognize a new, own pattern, which allowed for better results than expected. Not only does Gemtelligence achieve highly satisfying performance in terms of confidence and accuracy compared to the human experts, but it is also able to reach equally good results with less input data. In the practical application in laboratory work on client stones, this allows for a shortening of the testing pipeline for a significant share of the gemstones.

In this case, the two most labor-intensive analytical methods – optical microscopy and LA-ICP-MS – can be waived, as Gemtelligence is able to reach a qualified confidence level (i.e. matching the performance of human experts evaluating the complete dataset) on the basis of the datasets of the less complex – UV-Vis, FTIR and XRF – methods alone.

As the calculation process for such machine-learning models is basically a “black box” that is impossible to interpret, the exact criteria of the recognized pattern cannot be determined, not even by the engineers or data scientists who created the algorithm. However, some insights can be gained through the concepts and tools offered by Explainable AI or Interpretable Machine Learning.

The software was trained on several tens of thousands of datasets collected in the Gübelin Gem Lab over the decades.

Figure 3 is an example, suggesting which areas of an FTIR spectra in blue sapphires contribute to the determination of heat treatment status. While human experts are mainly focusing on the area between 2500 and 4000 wavenumbers, the algorithms seem to retrieve information also from areas above 4000 wavenumbers. It can be speculated that it is these regions, which go largely unnoticed by human experts, that contribute to the relative outperformance of Gemtelligence compared to the human experts.

Table 1. Definitions

Machine Learning: A subdomain of artificial intelligence, machine learning is concerned with the development and study of statistical algorithms that can learn from data and be applied to unseen data, to perform tasks without explicit instructions.

Supervised Learning: A subcategory of machine learning and artificial intelligence, it is defined by its use of labeled datasets to train algorithms to classify data or predict outcomes accurately.

Accuracy: A metric in machine learning for the performance for classification task (e.g. determining the country of origin). Accuracy is the percentage of correct classification.

Confidence: This metric represents the likelihood (typically expressed as a percentage) that the output of a machine-learning model is correct.

Ground Truth: Refers to the correct or “true” answer to a specific problem or question. In our case, the true country of origin and the true treatment state, i.e. heated or unheated.

Explainable AI: A set of processes and methods that allows to comprehend and trust the results and output created by machine-learning algorithms that are often black-box by nature.

Gemtelligence provides consistent results for the same gemstone when data is collected from different instruments, at various times and under varying conditions.

Conclusions and Outlook

Gemtelligence has a series of positive outcomes; the initial goal of increasing the consistency of results, through automatization of data interpretation, was accomplished. The human factor in the work step of data evaluation can be massively reduced.

A welcome additional benefit is the shortening of the analytical pipeline for a share of gemstones, which makes the microscopic assessment by gemologists and/or the application of LA-ICP-MS analysis partially obsolete. This leads to gains in efficiency, and can be applied in new, less expensive services for some gemstones. Furthermore, it frees gemologists for more rewarding tasks such as research and development, project work or fieldtrips.

Not only does Gemtelligence achieve highly satisfying performance in terms of confidence and accuracy when compared to human experts, but it is also able to reach equally good results with less input data.

Notes

1 A more comprehensive article on the importance of reference collection for gem testing laboratories is seen in: Pardieu, Vincent (2020) Field Gemology – The Evolution of Data Collection. InColor 46 p 100-106.

2 CSEM (www.csem.ch) is a public-private, non-profit Swiss technology innovation center, developing and transferring world-class technologies for the industrial sector.

3 Innosuisse (www.innosuisse.ch) is the Swiss Innovation Agency. Its role is to promote science-based innovation in the interest of the economy and society in Switzerland.

4 A scientific article describing the detailed results of the Gemtelligence software for a subset of the blue sapphires will soon be published in Nature Communications Engineering. To access data and code relating to the article, click: https://github.com/TommasoBendinelli/Gemtelligence. A preliminary version by Bendinelli et. al. is accessible on the open access platform Arxiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.06069.

CSEM and Gübelin Gem Lab hold the copyright of the figure and images shown here.

The post Gemtelligence appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

In past issues, InColor has delved into the world of lapidary artists, illuminating the intricate processes of cutting, polishing and engraving gemstones. In this article, we take a more detailed look at the relationship of the successful gemstone cut in terms of depth and critical angle.

As most people know, gemstone cutting is not only an art form; it is also a scientific study. Having a badly cut stone can have multiple consequences, especially in the pavilion area resulting in fisheye, dead zones, an asymmetrical look, windows, etc. When dealers put a price on a gemstone, all these factors are taken into account. It’s important, therefore, for cutters to understand the critical angle in a gemstone.

What is critical angle?

The critical angle is, well, critical for a good cut! In a sense, it’s the shallowest angle you can cut a gemstone with, so that the light can be reflected back. That’s right, a gemstone doesn’t shine, it reflects. (Take that, Rihanna!)

If you go under the critical angle when cutting, you will get a window in the stone and the stone will lose color at its center without any facets to reflect the light back. If you play a bit and add a few degrees to the angle while cutting the stone, then you can get the perfect refraction inside, and the best reflection of the light as the gemstone will show good color back from all angles, and not show dead zones or windows.

But if you add too many degrees to your critical angle, there is a risk of causing dead zones in the gem, i.e. dark spots where no light gets reflected back. This is also why it is important to know the refractive index (RI) of the stones. The RI describes the optical density of a gem, i.e. when light enters a gemstone, it is refracted (bent) depending on the density of the material, and that refraction is measured. The RI can be found easily for most gems. In faceting, it basically indicates the usable angles you can cut into the stone so that it sparkles.

For those interested in calculating the critical angle,= below is a simple formula:

Sin-1 (1/N)
N= RI (Refractive Index)

Using the critical angle was perfected in the diamond cutting industry, and is also why all the round brilliant cut diamonds with the same diameter and quality will have similar depths.

The colored gemstone world has not yet made it a standard, and commercial quality gemstones often show poor cutting, but professional cutters try their best to cut their gems with the perfect angles.

Why is my stone so shallow/deep?

I’ve often had clients ask me why this or that gem was so shallow, while another was so deep? Why don’t all gemstones have the same calibrated depth? Why would two emeralds of the same diameter have different depth and pavilions? There are a few reasons:

1. Choice of the cutter or the customer
2. Retention of rough weight, or not enough rough
3. Critical angle variations
4. Dependent on the jewelry design
5. Repair work
6. Optical phenomenon and color

Choice of the Cutter or the Customer

Cutters can decide on any design they wish for their stones. Aesthetics can sometimes win over the retention of weight, as does the desire to test a certain type of cut even if the rough called for another shape. As an example, we can cut a “bluff stone,” a gem with a bigger diameter but shallow and light, instead of multiple smaller stones, with normal depth.

Or we can take the portrait cut as an example, where we want the biggest window possible for the stone. If the stone is opaque, there is no specific angle to follow since no light is reflected inside the stone. On these occasions, the customer or the cutter will decide what to do with the stone.

Retention of rough, or not enough rough

Sometimes, the only intent behind a cut is to lose aslittle rough as possible. In these cases, critical angle can rarely be achieved. The best scenario is to cut the biggest stone possible, as deep as possible, so that it can sell more for the weight than the stone itself is worth. This often happens for medium to lower quality corundum, where stones sell at a lower price per carat. The result is a fatter stone that costs more.
What can also happen is that you have a rough stone that is on the thin side, and there is no choice but cutting a gem with a window in it in order to be able to sell it at a desired price point. In the end, the cutter must decide if he/she wants to try faceting a larger stone with less than perfect proportions, or a smaller one with perfect proportions. It will depend on the price of the rough, and the price for the finished gem.

Critical Angle Variations

Cutting with the critical angle in mind helps cutters understand where and when they have to stop, or where they have to cut to have the best results. The light must be reflected on the inside facets of the pavilion, bounce around a little, and then come back towards the crown/table.

For example, a spinel will typically be cut with a deeper pavilion than a diamond. Quartz, beryl, zircon and topaz are other stones that you often find with a deep belly. Otherwise, they will be windowed or dark. Moissanite can be cut shallowly enough without getting a window. Its critical angle is low, but that doesn’t mean it is the best angle to cut it at!

Dependent on the Jewelry Design

Sometimes, the cut has to fit the jewelry setting, so the cutter must respect the dimensions asked, no matter the type of stone. That can sometimes result in an asymmetrical or subpar cut. If the space in the setting is too cramped or the prongs are too short, the lapidary artist may have no choice but to cut a shallow stone to fit inside. Commercial quality jewelry will often have shallow stones set in order to save on production costs. In these cases, the results are obvious to the trained eye – windows, windows everywhere!

Repair Work

An example of cutting for repair work might involve a ring or other piece of jewelry that loses or breaks its stone and a replacement is needed. Most of the time, commercial quality jewelry will be set with commercial quality gems. This means that the original gemstone may not have had the best cut. So, when a replacement is needed, the lapidary artist doesn’t have a lot of legroom. They cut miracles when they can, otherwise, they cut the gem to fit.

Optical Phenomenon and Color

Sometimes, the color in a gemstone will not be evenly distributed. When faced with color zones, a cutter has to make some choices. The placement of the facets will ultimately impact the color and therefore, the value of the gem. This dilemma often happens with sapphires, citrines, amethyst and tourmaline, among others. The same thing will happen with optical phenomena, such as pleochroism, or gems with asterism and cat’s-eye. The cutter must be very careful with the direction of the cutting, the angle with the best color, and/or the angle at which the inclusions must be in order to have the best cat’s-eye possible after the stone is cut.

In-Depth Knowledge

It’s important to understand why the depths of a gem can be so different from one another in order better evaluate the gemstone. Knowledge is power in the jewelry business. After all, customers don’t simply want jewelry. They want a story with bits of information and trivia sprinkled in with well-placed wisdom. Gemstones offer these multi-faceted stories.

All images are courtesy of the author unless otherwise indicated. ◊

The post Cutting It Close and Critical appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

In the realm where art meets gemstones, few names shine as brightly as Bernd Munsteiner. Renowned for his revolutionary approach to gemstone cutting, he transcended the traditional boundaries of lapidary art to create awardwinning and breathtaking gem sculptures that blur the line between mineral and masterpiece.

This bright light went out, sadly, on June 6, 2024, when Bernd passed away from cancer, surrounded by his family. He was 81. His son, Tom Munsteiner, a talented gem artist in his own right, died of cancer on December 28, 2023 at the age of 54. Tom’s wife Jutta and their son Philipp are now at the helm as they continue the remarkable Munsteiner legacy.

Instead of a formal obituary listing Bernd’s numerous accolades, awards and contributions to the gemstone world, which you can find in every major gem and jewelry publication and which have found homes with collectors and in museums around the world, I would like to share a personal story about my wonderful encounters with this true legend over the past couple years. A story that is not unlike that of so many others who have been fortunate to meet this incredible man.

It all started on a hot and sunny afternoon when I decided to change my usual route and walk down some steep rocky old steps from Mid-Level West to my Sheung Wan design studio in Hong Kong. These old pathways, known mostly to the locals in their 80s, date back to my grandmother’s time. On this day, I was surprised to find a new small fancy-art bookshop in an area that was rapidly becoming gentrified. I ventured in and found a world of attractive coffee table books. Most were visually stunning, yet often more decorative than informative.

Among the glossy displays of books, a monolith of a transparent green stone against a white background caught my eye. At first glance, I wondered if it was a Donald Judd piece, with a carved-out column resembling a modern Brancusi sculpture. But the cover read Bernd Munsteiner: Reflexionen in Stein in crisp Helvetica font. Intrigued by this beautifully designed book, I picked it up. With my non-existent German, I could only guess that Stein meant Stone. With its color, was it an emerald, or maybe tourmaline, or even glass? Captivated, I couldn’t take my eyes off it. That was my first encounter with Munsteiner’s work, albeit in print. I was transfixed.

Fast-forward a decade. After years of political turmoil and a severe downturn in Hong Kong in 2020, I returned to the United Kingdom, where I had launched my jewelry company years earlier. I packed up my life and business and set sail for my new and hopefully permanent home. Through my network of gem friends, I was introduced to Ingo Henn of Henn of London. In 2022, as the world began to reopen after Covid, Ingo told me about his family business based in Idar- Oberstein, the heart of Europe’s cutting sector.

One of the most important cutters from this region was Bernd Munsteiner, who created the famous Dom Pedro, now in the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC. Seeing images of his creations brought back memories of that vibrant carved green tourmaline on the cover of the book I saw in Hong Kong so many years ago.

In the spring of 2022, Ingo showed me a few gems that had been cut by Bernd and Tom Munsteiner. Although I was not yet in a position to invest in new stones, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to purchase a few of Bernd’s important pieces. I insisted on one condition, though; I wanted to meet the artist. To my delight, a meeting was arranged, and within weeks, I was on my way to see this gem legend.

In July 2022, I visited the Munsteiners at their studio in Stipshausen, a small town near Idar-Oberstein. Bernd’s warmth and genuine kindness affected me deeply. He was really down to earth for someone with so many amazing accomplishments. He was willing to teach, share, exchange ideas, and was open to being a partner in the future with a virtually unknown designer.

Tom showed me around their immaculate workshop, with staff that have been with them for generations, and proudly presented his Guinness Record for the Largest Cut Paraiba Tourmaline. And, Jutta’s incredible smile will stay with me forever as she showed me her pieces created with such deep love and understanding of the Munsteiner gemstones. They showed me trays of gems of many sizes; some were crystals with inclusions, amethysts, quartz and other less expensive materials.

Their focus is on the artistry and how they manipulate the material, creating a dialogue with natural inclusions and patterns. Bernd and Tom shared the inspiration behind their pieces, the story of their decades-long journey, including their collaboration in creating the very important agate mosaic panels for a 400-year old church. Father and son worked together, with shared ideas. You can see Bernd’s influence and the strength of Tom’s personality in their later works.

Munsteiner is a multi-generational design house. Bernd continued his father Victor’s legacy, who was a skilled gem cutter as well, yet he carved out his own path. Tom then followed, and his son Philipp began winning gem cutting awards already in his teens. Throughout the generations, there is a strong thread, steeped in modernism.

While others might want to copy their style, Bernd’s work has a spirit to it, much like seeing a sculpture and walking around it in person; you feel the artist at work, and you follow his thinking. He treated gems as an experience, with subtlety and uniqueness, each as an individual performing its own, and living its purpose. Size did not matter. I saw displays ranging from the size of a room to whisky tumblers to gems destined to be placed in fine jewelry. There’s a strong mid-century influence, which perhaps has something to do with the 1950/60s stylistic sensibility that is so ingrained, leading to his breakthrough Fantasy Cut and Freeform Cut in the 1960s that liberated the way gems are to be seen, used and lived with.

Bernd Munsteiner has left an indelible mark on the world of gem cutting. From an early age, he exhibited a keen interest in challenging the conventions of gem cutting (as with Philipp since childhood according to Jutta). Bernd sought to challenge the mundane and conventional commodities standards.

Not only did he innovate, he literally turned stones upside down to create blockbuster rock stars for the history book. Although a gentle soul as I ever encountered, he was bold and daring, measured but playful, and he sought to create something that tantalizes and excites with light and color in unprecedented ways.

Departing from the symmetrical facets of traditional gem cutting, Bernd embraced asymmetry and irregularity. Bold and avant-garde, his designs emphasize geometric precision and the interplay of light and shadow. His cuts revealed the gemstone’s natural characteristics in new dimensions, enhancing its beauty and allure. Essential to his approach was a deep understanding of optics and his ability to manipulate a gem’s internal structure to maximize its brilliance. By carefully planning of each cut and facet, he transformed rough gemstones into dynamic works of art that resonated with depth and emotion that begs the eyes to explore.

Clearly, the Munsteiners treat gemstones as materials for art, not merely as commodities. Jutta has been their resident jewelry designer for decades. Highly sensitive and charged with German aesthetics, she offers one of the sleekest points of view of the gem and elegantly transmits the family gems to the jewelry world. This is where the alchemy and unity of being part of the family really translate into designs that elevate and transport her own visions of modernism into a different realm, where these pieces can be felt, worn and interact with the body. She creates everything from full bodice-size large necklaces to singular pieces that simply enhance the narrative.

I left our visit with a profound sense of wellness and love. I fondly remember that Bernd walked me to my car, opened the door and then waved goodbye. That memory is still fresh in my mind. I will treasure the autographed books and the Dom Pedro scarf that he draped around my neck that fine summer day. I’m humbled to actually own gems created by Bernd Munsteiner.

The years following, I kept in touch to learn more about their work. I met Jutta and Tom in Geneva once more in 2023, the last time I saw Tom. Nine months after I came back from the visit to Stipshausen, Bernd replied to my email question asking about the design of the Dom Pedro, and what does “Inside Selecting” really mean. He said, “The cut itself can be compared to music. Different highs and lows are playing together and reveal an inner beauty. Attached for you is the Lapidary Journal of November 1995. The article published by Si and Ann Frazier should explain the whole story.” Those were the last words I had from him.

Bernd’s legacy is carried on by his family and his dedicated team. Jutta will continue to guide and lead Philipp, definitely a young star to watch. They are moving into a new era and will undoubtedly reach new heights as they build on the daring and visionary approach of Bernd Munsteiner.

The post Remembering Bernd Munsteiner appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

The Gem Passport is a new service that leverages the achievements of Gemtelligence, the deep learning software developed by the Gübelin Gem Lab for interpreting analytical data, the determination of country of origin and the presence or absence of heat treatment. Gem Passports are available for a highly competitive fee of THB 8,000 (CHF/USD 200), making them attractive for small stones. Now, thanks to Gemtelligence, gemstones of moderate size or value can also receive a genuine Gübelin Gem Lab document.

Gem Passports are A5-sized documents that contain the main identification features of a gemstone, i.e., species and variety, country of origin, and a simplified disclosure of the treatment status. Due to its reduced testing protocol and radically new way of data evaluation, the Gem Passport is different from a standard Gübelin Gem Lab Report. The visual inspection by a trained gemologist is reduced to a quick plausibility check. As no comprehensive description of the microscopic features is provided, Gem Passports do not feature any signatures or the Gübelin Seal. Gem Passports use simplified wording for treatment, applying a simple “present or absent” logic: A ruby or sapphire is either heated or unheated, and an emerald either shows indications of clarity enhancement or does not. Gem Passports do not specify the exact degree or extent of treatment. Furthermore, Gem Passports do not include any quality and rarity additions, such as trade colors, ratings, appendices, information sheets, or rarity comments.

The team at Gübelin Gem Lab (Thailand) works closely with their colleagues in Hong Kong and Switzerland to ensure a reliable and swift service to the gemstone trade in Bangkok, both for Gem Passport services and traditional lab reports. (info@Gubelingemlab.com)

The post Gübelin Opens New Gem Lab in Bangkok appeared first on Incolor Magazine.

The $15,000 Open Prestige Jewellery Award, sponsored by Cody Opals (Australia) Pty Ltd, Iris Opal Pty Ltd and True Blue Opals Pty Ltd, was won by Artisan Bespoke Jewellers for their piece Khroma.

“The winning piece Khroma was unique in design and meticulously crafted with a very clever use of colored gems to enhance the opal,” said Gary Coffey from Giulians Fine Jewellery who judged the award entries alongside Cameron Marks from Percy Marks and Terry Coldham from Intogems who is also the Patron of the Gemmological Association of Australia.

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