May/June 2003 • Collective Soul: The Designers of Idar • Tanzanian Ruby Mine Brings Hope • Markets: Selling Naked Gems • News & Updates • In This Issue

An abandoned department store is hardly the place you'd think to look for designer jewelry. But if you'd been strolling through downtown Idar-Oberstein, Germany, last summer, your eye might have been caught by a mysterious-looking building with colorful banners that proclaimed it was the home of the Designhaus project.

Inside, visitors were treated to case after case of jewelry designed to challenge their expectations of what jewelry should be. In one display, there were square rings where the stones could be in the middle of a side, on the corners, or anywhere in between. In another, simple agate carvings hung from sculptured wires. In yet another, the rings were made from carved crystal set with precious gemstones.

ABOVE AND BELOW RIGHT: Edelform member Petra Schwinn's flowered jewelry designs made of silver, steel, amethyst, glass, and pearls. ABOVE RIGHT: Gemstones from Michaela Fernanda Müller in a concave cut, her own invention.

In total, 62 established and aspiring jewelry designers took part in the exhibition, named "Sommerlang" because it lasted only for the summer of 2002 and the Intergem trade fair in October. Organized by professors of jewelry design from the Special College Trier, the project was intended as an experiment to expose these designers to the people who come on day-trips to Idar-Oberstein as well as the jewelers who came to the Intergem show.

Idar-Oberstein— widely known simply as "Idar" — has a history of gemstone cutting that stretches back for centuries. Members of the gem trade will be more familiar with the buying offices scattered throughout the city, but even a casual visitor can't miss the shops that sell everything from tumbled rocks to high-end jewelry.

The local designers are lesser-known. In an effort to raise their collective profile, the young talents of Idar are starting to come together to promote their work as a whole. One of the best known is a collective called Edelform, organized five years ago.

Edelform (literally "noble form") consists of a range of 12 young designers, and although all are firmly committed to the group, they also work and trade on a stand-alone basis. It gives them the best of both worlds: professional freedom with the benefits of group cooperation.

The members of what is now Edelform met while displaying their respective works at the 1998 Edelzeit, an annual jewelry exhibition in the town of Herrstein, just north of Idar. They had been separately invited to participate in the show, but once they met they quickly realized the benefits of cooperation.

"We stayed together because working for this exhibition [Edelzeit 1998] — and doing this exhibition together — was so good that we thought that this group should go on," recalls group member Esther Fuchs.

The advantages of working within the group setup are succinctly summarized by member Natascha Fillmann of Goldsilber Design: "The chance to exchange [our different] experiences, more presentation opportunities, more economical exhibitions through the division of costs . . ."

"There's always someone who can help, as the group is a mixture of jewelry designers, stone cutters, and goldsmiths," adds Fuchs. Because each person has their own area of expertise — be it arranging an exhibit, public relations, or just help with the day-to-day challenges of making and selling jewelry — group members know that they can count on each other for advice.

"We help each other in many ways, but the most important thing is that we are much stronger together than each person on their own," says gem cutter and jewelry designer Michaela Fernanda Müller. "Together it was possible that we could have a good, expressive exhibition at the Intergem fair. Together we are able to offer an extensive, voluminous exhibition to shops, galleries, or [other] special events."

Beyond the professional benefits, it's clear that the camaraderie and interaction between members is of great importance. The group gets together every other month to discuss new projects, and often calls each other in between.

"We're all really good colleagues," says Müller. "Some of us have deeper friendships with others in the group. We are a group of 12 people, and it is not possible for all of us to have close [personal] contact. That said, if it is necessary, we all stay together."

The group clearly thrives on the principle that all can benefit from an umbrella organization where everyone retains creative autonomy — truly the best of both worlds. "The only thing we have in common is we all do it our own way," Fuchs observes.

A Colorful History

The town of Idar-Oberstein is situated in the southwest of the country, not far from the French and Luxembourg borders. For what feels like a fairly compact town, it is surprising to learn that the city limits stretch 20 kilometers (12 miles) from east to west. It's within reasonable reach of several major international airports, yet better still for the intra-European traveler is the nearby fledgling Hahn airport. The dominating geographical features in the area are the Hunsrück Mountains and the Nahe River; yet despite the engaging scenery, the town is principally known for its status in the gemstone trade.

The area enjoys a rich gemstone history that dates back some 500 years, with discoveries of both amethyst and agate going back as far as the 14th century. The town is home to numerous dealers and designers, and many of them are carrying on the work their families have been doing for decades or even centuries.

It's not uncommon for such people to have local roots that date way back. Take Rolf Goerlitz, a gem wholesaler who runs his eponymous business in the town's Mainzer Strasse: "We [the Goerlitz family] have been residents of Idar-Oberstein for nearly 200 years. I myself grew up with the business that I've now been handling for over 40 years." Such stories are not atypical in Idar, nor is it hard to see why Goerlitz refers to Idar as "the cradle of the European gemstone world."

ABOVE: A green specrolite beaded necklace from Idar designer Ulrike Weyrich, who took part in the Sommerlang exhibition. ABOVE RIGHT: Edelform member Thomas Stoffel with his unique ring designs; photo by Bill Kalina. LEFT: A silver and quartz crystal brooch from Diane Dille.

With its rich gemstone history, Idar-Oberstein acts as both an inspiration and an influence on the members of Edelform. Partly this takes a tangible form: With so much in the way of gem cutting, dealing, and design going on in the town, it's the ideal place for a gemstone professional.

"Through the abundance of high-value, high-quality jewelry stones, Idar-Oberstein is a jewel metropolis," says Fillmann. "That has a large influence on my work."

This assertion is amplified by Fuchs, who notes, "Everything you need for your work as a jewelry designer you can buy or get in Idar-Oberstein."

Mechanics of the gemstone trade aside, there's something less palpable about Idar that makes it feel like a good place to work in the gemstone trade. With a population of less then 35,000, it is just big enough to avoid feeling cut off from the rest of the country, yet avoids being overcrowded. It has virtually all of the amenities that anyone could reasonably want, yet is also close to expanses of beautiful countryside. The surroundings definitely play their part in the work of those in the town, and Edelform members are no exception.

Reflecting on the influence and duality of the town, Fuchs notes that "Idar-Oberstein is a very silent place, so you can work away quietly without being disturbed too often. On the other hand, people from all over the world come here and bring their culture with them."

This contrast can extend into the actual details of the work of the young designers. Fuchs — whose father worked locally as a stonecutter — is keen on trying out new designs, but nonetheless acknowledges the history of the town. "For me, the things done [in gemstone design] in Idar were too conservative. . . . I prefer to make my own innovative things, but the influence of the tradition is always there."

RIGHT: Silver "Aladin" ring with pearl and fire opal from Esther Fuchs. ABOVE: Fuchs holding one of her innovative pieces; photo by Bill Kalina.

If there's a negative aspect of the town for the young gemstone professionals, Edelform members agree that while Idar is a fine place to work with gemstones, it's not a particularly fruitful place to sell their finished products. Both Fillmann and Fuchs point to the need to travel outside of Idar, be it near or far.

That's another benefit to Edelform, who as a group can share traveling and exhibition costs as they take their work around Germany. Sometimes they stay local, as with the Intergem fair, but at other times it has meant traveling further afield. They do between one and three exhibitions a year together, traveling all around the region. With few jewelry fairs nearby, they often have to get creative — setting up at a wine show, for example, or in a local castle.

Being able to present themselves as a cohesive group helps Edelform negotiate with galleries and other exhibiting venues — with a range of work from 12 separate professionals, there's virtually a ready-made exhibition in place for any potential promoter.

With local opportunities for sales somewhat limited, one might expect it to breed professional competition. But group members agree that their work is individual enough that there's not too much crossover in their clientele. "The only competition we have is a good competition," says Fuchs. Sometimes they'll see one of their fellow group members trying something new, "and we'll say, 'Oh, me, I have been so lazy.' " In that way, they spur each other on to new accomplishments.

The group stands as an example of how young professionals can help themselves — and each other — without the need for a huge financial outlay. The main commodity they put their faith in is imagination.