S.E. Branch Conference in Idar-Oberstein

Over the Bank Holiday weekend at the end of May 2004, the South East Branch held its first Annual Conference in Idar-Oberstein, Germany.

After check-in followed by an hour or so to rest and unpack, there was a brief guided tour of Idar-Oberstein together with an opportunity to visit some of the more “tourist-oriented” shops.
	shopping in Idar
The Conference started that evening with an excellent, pre-dinner talk from David Lancaster entitled “Idar-Oberstein’s Influence on 19th & 20th Century Jewellery”. David’s presentation was accompanied by numerous, wonderfully illustrative slides and was warmly received by the appreciative audience which included our dinner guest, the world famous gem cutter and artist, Bernd Munsteiner.
	David Lancaster

Further images of the evening can be found here

On Saturday morning, our first visit was to Atelier Munsteiner to see the studio and workshop of Bernd and his son, Tom who is also a highly gifted cutter and artist with his own unique style. Following a warm welcome with a glass of ice-cold Champagne, we were privileged to be given a guided tour of their premises.
	Atelier Munsteiner
Having to cater with large and small pieces alike, the workshop is equipped with lapidary machines capable of working within fine tolerances.
	Bernd Munsteiner
We were talked through the many stages involved in turning a piece of rough material into a work of art – whether destined to be a piece of jewellery, a sculpture or part of a wall-mounted “Panel-Picture”.
	Bernd with rough quartz

We then had the opportunity to view finished pieces as unset stones or mounted into jewellery designed and crafted by Tom’s wife, Jutta who is a highly talented goldsmith in her own right.

cut stones		finished jewellery

Further images of this visit can be found here.

Some of Bernd’s best-known works are currently on exhibition (“Bernd Munsteiner, Reflexionen in Stein”) at the Rheinisches Landesmuseum in the nearby city of Trier. It is well worth a visit if you are in the area and a review by David Lancaster appears in the September issue of Gem & Jewellery News.

The afternoon saw us at the showrooms of Friedrich August Becker as guests of the internationally renowned Gerhard Becker and his son, Andreas who is himself a Master Gem Cutter. In addition to being able to wander freely around the many showcase-lined rooms to view the treasures within, we also benefited immensely from Gerhard’s great knowledge of Idar’s history as well as his experiences of his many gem-buying trips to Brazil and other localities.

Becker showcase

On show were fine gem carvings and other objets d’art together with numerous cut gems and mineral specimens – not forgetting trays of assorted goodies which proved to be a “rootler’s” paradise!

Becker showcase		Becker showcase

We were delighted to welcome Gerhard back that evening when he gave us a highly informative and beautifully illustrated talk on “The Cameo Carvers of Idar-Oberstein” which dealt with the history and development of the art in Idar.
	Gerhard and Andreas Becker

Sunday was a day of short visits. Our first stop was Steinkaulenberg, Europe’s only gem mine open to the public. Although no longer in production, it was a major source of quartz gemstones which supplied the local cutting industry until the influx of cheap Brazilian material made production uneconomical. Overlooking the beautiful countryside, the mine is a popular tourist attraction.

Once we had kitted-up with a compulsory hard-hat, we made our way with our English-speaking guide to one of the well-maintained entrances set into the hillside.

South East Branch members at Steinkaulenberg		at the mine entrance

Located in a volcanic plug, the mine consists of a warren on hand-hewn tunnels in the hillside. Our guide took us around a small part of the mine, explaining its history and mode of excavation.
	map of the mine
The gem deposits arose when gas pockets that were formed during the volcanic eruption were subsequently filled with quartz minerals by the influx of silica-rich solutions.
	deposit of quartz
The tunnels were not dug in a haphazard manner but followed the linear arrangement of amygdaloidal (almond-shaped) nodules, with the blunt ends of the nodules indicating the direction of the original lava flow.
	quartz nodules showing the direction of lava flow
Just before leaving the mine, there was an interesting exhibit of mining tools as well as several display cases full of examples of the mine’s production.
	mineral samples

Further images of Steinkaulenberg and the mine tour may be found here.

We then visited the Weiherschleife, a working example of one of the traditional cutting mills which employed huge, water-driven gritstone wheels on which all of the early cutting was performed. Being water-powered, the mills were all situated on the banks of the local streams. This image shows the location of numerous, former mills.
	Weiherschleife
In order to ensure a supply of power for the day’s work, each mill would store water overnight in its own pond.
	water storage for the mill
Having first watched a couple of films in the nearby showroom, we walked over to the refurbished mill where we witnessed a demonstration of the working of agate against wheel. The position of the cutter looked very uncomfortable but was apparently adopted for many hours per day and the quality of the finished articles is a testimony to the immense skill of those early cutters.
	lapidary at the mill wheel

Further images of the Weiherschleife visit may be found here

Many fine examples of this early production, together with more modern work were on show at the Edelstein Museum which was our next destination. Spread over three floors, the exhibits consist of wonderful examples of gems from around the globe together with superb, hand-fashioned agate bowls and gem carvings as well as fine, ancient and modern cameos and intaglios. Unfortunately, no images are available as photography was not permitted.

That evening, Jürgen Henn of Gebrüder Henn was our guest for a traditional Spiessbraten dinner. The recipe, which originated in Brazil, was brought back by gem dealers and explorers and consists of specially marinated meats cooked over an open beech-wood fire.
	spiessbraten grill
The end result, washed down with liberal helpings of excellent German wine, was savoured by all of the carnivorous members of the group.
	South East Branch dinner

Further pictures of the evening may be found here.

Monday, being a Bank Holiday in Germany as well as in the U.K., was the final day of the conference. We were very grateful that Jürgen was prepared to open his premises on the Bank Holiday and we were given an entertaining tour around his showroom during which he gave us an insight into how he had acquired the material from which each piece was fashioned.
	Jurgen Henn
Fine gemstone carvings and objets d’art were on display together with mineral specimens of the highest quality. This wonderful piece is a carving of a polar bear in frosted rock crystal and was approximately 12 cm high.
	rock crystal polar bear by Gebrüder Henn

We were also extremely fortunate that Jürgen was able to show us many large, superb quality examples of cut gems such as Tsavorite, spessartine, aquamarine, Paraiba tourmaline and sapphire – all of which are extremely rare in such sizes.

The suite of Tsavorites ranged upwards from 68.58 ct (second from right) to 144.44 ct (left).
	Tsavorites
The aquamarine was from the famous Santa Maria Mine in Brazil. The mine ceased production in 1930 and Jurgen was very fortunate to have been offered a parcel of rough that had been kept safe in a bank vault for many years. The stone weighed approximately 400 ct.
	Aquamarine from the Santa Maria mine

Further images from the showroom visit may be found here

We then had a couple of hours to look around the town and one of the interesting places to visit is the Felsenkirche, a church set into the rock face which overlooks the twin town.
	Felsenkirche
Built in the second half of the 15th Century, it is a brisk uphill walk but the interior is well worth the effort and you are also rewarded with a good view.
	Felsenkirche triptych

Further images of the Felsenkirche may be found here

The afternoon return flight from Hahn brought to an end our first conference which was considered by all to be a most enjoyable and successful event. On behalf of the delegates, the S.E. Branch committee would like to express our gratitude to all of our speakers and to our German hosts for their kind assistance and generous hospitality.