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Jewelry and fashion show held during Intergem.
© Photo: Bill Kalina
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... For me, I have the most fun visiting with the local jewelry designers, who are using gemstones in very innovative ways. They represent the next evolution in the region’s gem history. A popular trend among these designers is to combine gemstones with non-traditional jewelry components.
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Karin Drochner with her fun line of created gem rings in silver and 18k gold.
© Photo: Bill Kalina
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Among my favorites are Diane Dille of Overath, Germany who showcased rustic rings in carved antler — one set with a green tourmaline in silver and the other with a pearl in gold, dubbed the Forest King and Queen (my eye’s on the Forest King). And, Gaby Wandscher of Idar-Oberstein, who fashions feminine porcelain pendants fused with gems on pearl and bead necklaces.
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The spectrum of colors in Mexican Fire Opal.
© Image courtesy of Emil Weis
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Answering the call for big gemstone jewelry, Andrea Sohne of Idar-Oberstein creates bold layered agate carvings that swirl nature motifs like floral and celestial designs that she sets in silver rings (one of which I landed for myself), earrings and pendants/brooches. I’m also a fan of Esther Fuchs of Morbach, Germany is known for her designs in blackened silver — among her latest styles include carved drusy chalcedony heart and cross pendants.
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Forest King and Queen rings in carved antler and gems by Diane Dille.
© courtesy of Intergem
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Gemstones set in silver-gold combinations also are popular among regional artisans. The husband and wife team of Sibylle Delzeit and Juergen Stellwagen of Idar-Oberstein mix metals and pair them with an array of geometric shaped carvings in gems like lavender jade and pink tourmaline, or green tourmaline and rutilated quartz. While Karin Drochner of Herrstein, Germany crafted a fun line of silver and 18k gold rings and earrings with moving discs in brightly colored synthetic stones and enamel.
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Andrea Sohne
© Photo: Bill Kalina
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If you love gemstones and your travel plans in 2006 include a trip in and around Germany, make it point to visit this magical city. You’ll enjoy sampling the most delectable local wines, mouthwatering grilled steak known as “spiessbraten,” and best cut gemstones in the world. If you’re lucky, you’ll take home a gem of a souvenir!
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Slideshow credits see below article...
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Idar-Oberstein: City of Gemstones
Intergem 2005
By Deborah Yonick
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— Right before the holidays, almost regularly for the past decade, I embark on planes, trains and automobiles to reach Idar-Oberstein. “Idar what,” my friends back home in the States always say. Only 90 miles south of Frankfurt, this quaint and picturesque German twin city is well regarded for the past 500 years as a premier gem cutting and trading center producing the most unique and unusual gem creations on the planet.
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Gaby Wandscher fashions feminine porcelain pendants fused with gems on pearl or gem bead necklaces. © courtesy of Gaby Wandscher
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I venture to the Rhine region in search of the latest and greatest in colored stones, attending in Idar-Oberstein an annual trade fair, Intergem, featuring some of the area’s most prolific gem cutters, carvers and jewelry designers. But I’m not alone in my quest. In addition to attracting jewelers from around the world seeking the distinctive arts and crafts Idar-Oberstein is best known for, more than one million tourists traveling through Europe each year visit this place for the same reason. If you’re into gems, you’ve gotta love a town that’s completely dedicated to the concept. Most business names atop buildings include the word “edelstein,” meaning gemstone in German. There’s a giant gem encrusted globe in the center square. And, some of the streets are literally paved in gem crystals.
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Ester Fuchs
© Photo: Bill Kalina
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For trends trackers, Intergem offers a glimpse of the hottest gemstone colors, cuts and jewelry design directions for the coming New Year. Leading the 2006 palette, the radar points to warm, clear and bright colors, including pink for all seasons, high energy orange, balmy clear blues, nature-based blue-green shades, and yellow to golden tones.
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Werner Fürstenberg Franzmann for the Idar-Oberstein gem house Herbert Fürstenber before a collection of pastel colored gemstones.
© Photo: Bill Kalina
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Although gem traders there hail “color” as the top trend, reluctant to single out favorites, reports from gem houses that carry a spectrum of stones identify pastel colors as strong in 2006. Among the leading gem choices are rose quartz, aquamarine, chalcedony, coral, and moonstone in peach, orange, gray, and green, signals Werner Fürstenberg Franzmann for the Idar-Oberstein gem house Herbert Fürstenberg, which carries over 60 varieties of stones. Peruvian pink opal is also charming more fans, with a few leading firms investing heavily in the gem.
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Dieter Lorenz
© Photo: Bill Kalina
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The Idar-Oberstein gem house, Hermann Grimm, is kicking off the New Year with an extensive collection of pink opal in special cabochon cuts, beads and floral carvings. ...
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Stone Buttons by Hans-Ulrich Pauly.
© Photo courtesy of Pauly: The Art of carving.
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Andrea Sohne ring in layered agate and silver.
© courtesy of Andrea Sohne
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... Next to pink, orange continues to be a hot color, with Mexican fire opal a designer favorite. “The popularity of orange in fashion is fueling strong demand,” explains Jürgen Schütz, principal in Emil Weis Opals, Idar-Oberstein. In the same color family, mandarin garnet is especially popular. Blue to green tourmaline, green and lemon beryl, morganite, and red spinel also rank as top picks, according to Alexander Wild, principal in the Idar-Oberstein based gem house, Wild & Petsch. Other gem notables include pink tourmaline, peridot, rutilated and smoky quartz, and turquoise. Rich raspberry-hued rhodolite garnet is especially trendy, adds Thomas Lind of Lind Granat, Idar-Oberstein.
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Mandarin garnets,
© image by and from Thomas Lind of Hermann Lind II
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Because of the unique assortment of gem companies located in and around Idar-Oberstein, visitors can expect to find new and unusual gem products. The local gem house of Constantin Wild & Co., debuted at Intergem a limited collection of tourmaline discovered last May in Mozambique. The find produced only a select amount of stones cut in 1- to 6-carat sizes in natural bright colors ranging from pastel to shocking pink, mauve, lavender, violet, blue, greenish-blue, and pure green.
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Natural Unheated Tourmaline, Constantin Wild
© Photo: Bill Kalina and C.Wild
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Among the sought after gemstone styles are floral carvings, bold cabochons and an array of interesting cuts (often combining faceted and rough parts of a stone). Beads continue to be popular, especially in more affordable gemstones like citrine and prehnite. Long necklaces in all gem types, medium to large sizes remain the rage, reports Alfred Edlinger, marketing director for the gem bead house, Rohm of Linz, Austria.
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Pink Peruvian Opal
© Images courtesy of Emil Weis
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But the reason you come to this region is to find the world’s leading lapidary artists like the pioneering Hans Ulrich Pauly and Dieter Lorenz of Idar-Oberstein, Tom Munsteiner of Stipshausen, and Manfred Wild for Emil Becker of Kirschweiler. For 2006, Pauly debuted at the fair a collection of carved gem cufflinks called Stone Buttons in striped and drusy agate, petrified palm wood, lapis, picture jasper, and blue chalcedony. Lorenz showcased a new series of carved agate bangles and bowl-shaped chalcedony pendants. Munsteiner highlighted an architectural prism-cut quartz art object with internal features resembling a zigzag staircase, as well as a range of gem carvings for jewelry including an opal and amethyst ring and prehnite and peridot pin/pendant. While, Manfred Wild’s piece-fit-for-a-king is a rock crystal carving with gold lizard and removable fly pin, both diamond and gem encrusted. ...
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carved citrine ring, named the Magic Eye, by Tom Munsteiner.
© Photo: Bill Kalina
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Slideshow credits:
One of Idar-Oberstein looking down from the site of the Intergem fair. © Photo: Bill Kalina
Manfred Wild for Emil Becker carving of lizard and fly on rock crystal. © courtesy of Intergem
An architectural prism-cut quartz art object with internal features resembling a zigzag staircase by Tom Munsteiner. © Photo: Bill Kalina
Husband and wife team Sibylle Delzeit and Juergen Stellwagen of Idar-Oberstein mix metals and pair them with an array of geometric shaped carvings in gems like green tourmaline and rutilated quartz. © courtesy of Intergem
Editor
Deborah Yonick is a veteran jewelry journalist who writes regularly for many trade magazines worldwide.
She also pens a consumer column known as The Jewelry Lady, which can be accessed at
http//:www.thejewelrylady.info or http://www.jcoc.net.
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© Created by ICA Gem Bureau Idar-Oberstein
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