Constantin Wild - Gem Journal 'THE SAVOIR-VIVRE EDITION'

GEM JOURNAL THE SAVOIR-VIVRE EDITION

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EDITORIAL

LIFESTYLE

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HERITAGE

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SPOTLIGHT

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TRAVELLING

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TEMPTATION

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FEATURE

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EDITORIAL the most magnificent item of

that my treasure chamber holds

jewellery needs a stone that has

numerous items that glitter in

Enchanté ! I’m delighted to be

been cut to perfection: so it’s a

the colours of the Tricolore…

able to present you with a new

good thing that Idar-Oberstein

edition of the Gem Journal. On

is not all that far away. And

this occasion too, we’ll be off

you can enjoy a fairly luxurious

on a fascinating journey. After

life in my hometown too. On

all, what city embodies that

the pages that follow, you can

luxurious attitude to life better

learn plenty of interesting things

than Paris, the capital of haute

about Franco-German gemstone

Sparkling greetings

joaillerie? Having said that, even

history and you will also see

Constantin Wild

Dear gemstone lovers,

IMPRINT Publisher: Constantin Wild GmbH & Co KG, Hauptstrasse 103, 55743 Idar-Oberstein. Germany • Tel.: +49 6781-9450-0 • e-mail: gemjournal@constantinwild.com • Editors: Aisha Camara, Andrea Oechsler, Mandelkern Marketing GmbH, Ursel Haggeney • Art Direction: Stefan Lohmeyer; Forty Two: Design GbR. Translation: Gareth Bartley • Print: Nikolaus Bastian Druck und Verlag GmbH. Picture credits on last page.

The Gem Journal has been compiled to the best of our knowledge. Errors and omissions excepted.

Copyright: © 2017. No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised without the permission of the publisher.

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LIFESTYLE

OF SAVOIR-VIVRE AND HAUTE JOAILLERIE Savoir-vivre: a French expression that denotes the art of enjoying life. German has a similar idiom for this luxurious lifestyle: “Leben wie Gott in Frankreich” (literally, ‘living like God in France’). A claim to the effect that there is no better life than a life in France may be debatable, but there can be no doubt whatsoever that precious jewels should also feature in a life of luxury. So where is the haute joaillerie hotspot? Correct: on the Place Vendôme in Paris. If you look into those opulent display windows you soon see that there is hardly a single splendid item of jewellery that does not have sparkling gemstones in it. And those gemstones don’t actually come from France, but from ... well, wait a minute … where do they come from in fact? Here’s an attempt to find out.

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LIFESTYLE

“Paris is always a good idea.”

Audrey Hepburn

ON THE TRAIL OF LUXURY A pretty necklace, a special bracelet, an unusual ring. People have been adorning themselves for centuries. And anyone setting out to find out about the genesis of jewellery would be best advised to start in Paris, the capital of haute joaillerie. In a leisurely manner we stroll from the Place de la Concorde at the end of the Champs-Elysées, via the Rue de Rivoli, to the Place Vendôme, one of the five ‘royal squares’ of Paris. Here, it’s not just the victory column in the middle of the square that is truly royal, but also the hôtels par ticuliers that surround it – providing a home for numerous luxury-class jewellery and watch makers. From Boucheron to Louis Vuitton: there’s a sparkle in every display window. We find one particular item of jewellery quite enthralling: a fine white-gold ring with a radiant blue stone in the middle. We are told that it is an aquamarine. This member of the beryl family has been associated with the sea since time immemorial. And not without good reason, because the literal meaning of ‘aquamarine’ is ‘water of the sea’. But the friendly salesman doesn’t know where the stone actually came from …

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LIFESTYLE

“Art has a harmony which parallels that of Nature.”

Paul Cézanne

HAUTE JOAILLERIE We continue to gaze in fascination at the aquamarine, admiring the elaborate workmanship of the ring. Lionel Giraud, art director at Chaumet, the famous jewellery house, says that haute joaillerie is not to be defined by its price, but only by its uniqueness. In this way, many different operations and close collaboration between cutters, engravers, smiths and many others are what turns high quality jewellery into genuine art.

The ‘Sun King’, Louis XIV, was also known for his preoccupation with aesthetics. His predilection for jewellery ensured that his jewellers had full order books. One wonders just how many exquisite items he commissioned for his favourite mistress, Madame de Montespan.

At court it was said that this beautiful woman, who also had great political influence on her royal lover, possessed an item of jewellery with stones to match the colour of each of her evening

gowns. We imagine that Madame de Montespan would surely have worn the noble aquamarine ring to some reception in the Palace of Versailles. We have another look at it: what a remarkable cut!

If Paris is the capital of jewellery, doesn’t that make it the capital of gemstones too? “Paris is many things”, says the jeweller. But to find out everything about gemstones, the best thing to do is to go to Germany or, to be more precise, to Idar-Oberstein.

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LIFESTYLE

FRANCO-GERMAN FRIENDSHIP Idar-Oberstein, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. This small town in the hilly Hunsrück, which was once hotly disputed border country between Germany and France, has for centuries been the only gemstone centre in the world where gemstones of all kinds are processed and traded.

A practical aspect is that from Paris’ Gare de l’Est there’s a train that reaches Idar-Oberstein in just three hours. Getting tickets doesn’t take long at all, so off we go.

It was the 15th century that heralded the gemstone era.

Agates were found, and could be processed using the power of the water from the Idar stream.

There was jasper in the region too, the Wild family even has its own mine. But the really major upturn came after the year 1834: precious raw stones from all over the world found their way

“History is the memory of the world.”

Jean-Baptiste Henri Lacordaire

to Idar-Oberstein. And it wasn’t until they had passed through the hands of highly qualified craftsmen that they became valuable gems. Thus it was that many of these treasures ended up in the magnificent display windows of the jewellers on the Place Vendôme.

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LIFESTYLE

WHERE IT ALL HAPPENS From quite a way off, we can already see the symbol, the ‘jewel’ of Idar-Oberstein: a church built into the rock, enthroned in splendour above the town. We’re amazed – it’s truly spectacular!

The twisty lanes and picturesque houses in the old town are equally spectacular. There are gemstones everywhere! The sparkle of these stones, set in items of jewellery, catches our eye from every second display window. But we want more than that. We want to see more and know more – we’d like to talk to some genuine experts.

Constantin Wild is glad to take time out for visitors from Paris.

First of all, he shows us the gold award received by his grandfather Wilhelm Constantin Wild at the world exposition in Paris in 1937. In the house itself, you can positively inhale the history of Idar-Oberstein. Where the cutting wheel, driven by the power of the water, once stood, WCW built what is now the company’s

place of business. Here, tradition meets modernity, and craftsmanship encounters state-of-the-art technology. We soon discover what we’re really looking for: that same sparkle in a deep sea-blue.

According to legend, the aquamarine came from the treasure chest of the mermaids and is regarded as the lucky stone of mariners. It has the element iron to thank for its colour. The most beautiful and valuable ones, the so-called Santa Maria aquamarines, came from Minas Gerais in Brazil. Unfortunately, the deposits there have been exhausted, which is a great pity. But luckily, Wild is soon able to restore our good humour: he tells us that aquamarines from Mozambique in East Africa have a radiance that is equally beautiful.

So are we going to continue our search for the treasure of the mermaids? Not for the moment.

After all, this is where the glitter and sparkle are at their most beautiful anyway.

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LIFESTYLE

IDAR-OBERSTEIN CITY OF GEMSTONES

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HERITAGE

FRANCE AND IDAR-OBERSTEIN There is probably hardly anyone better qualified to talk about the connections between Idar-Oberstein and France; Ina Roth is the export manager at Constantin Wild’s. And above all, she’s a genuine connoisseur of France!

GEM JOURNAL: Bonjour Mme Roth, where does your passion for France come from?

INA ROTH: It all began in my childhood: as a 12-year-old girl I sang French chansons in a choir in Paris’ Notre-Dame Cathedral. Since then, I have never lost my love for France and all things French. Later on in fact, I lived for over a year in Provence and had the chance to acquaint myself more deeply with the country, the people, the language and the ‘savoir vivre’, and learned to love them.

I still go there regularly today.

GJ: And in spite of that you felt drawn to come back to your homeland?

IR: Yes, Idar-Oberstein has always been my home, and it always will be. And sparkling gemstones will always be my vocation. Besides, I can maintain my close contact with France in spite of living here.

At my workplace, I come into contact with the common history of Idar-Oberstein and France on a daily basis. Not least because the Wild family used to carry on a flourishing trade with Paris. Even during the chaos of war, when trade with France was prohibited, Constantin Wild’s grandfather smuggled gemstones across the border to Paris in goods wagons laden with coal. We have loads of adventure stories like that!

GJ: How and where do you think this common history between

Paris and Idar-Oberstein continues to make itself felt now?

IR: Well, all I actually need to do is look out of the window. The well-known brothers Wilhelm and August Purper erected their stately homes opposite what is now our company office at the end of the 19th century.

Wilhelm’s residential and business premises, ‘Purpers Schlösschen’, were built by a French architect in the country house style. His brother August had a pompous Neo-Renaissance villa built next door, which is home today to the German Gemstone Museum.

The third brother, Louis Purper, went from Idar to Paris as a gemstone specialist and inventor and

opened a gemstone engraving workshop that came to flourish.

He even became mayor of one of the precincts. However, far more important than that was his development of a technique for bisecting pearls, in other words his invention of the half pearl; a natural pearl, cut right through the middle so as to form two identical hemispheres which were perfect for ear jewellery. Natural pearls are individually unique.

Hardly any two are the same, so previously, it was hardly ever possible to find ‘pairs’ suitable for ear jewellery.

It’s stories like this that the remind me every day that France is by no means as far away as one might think!

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HIGHLIGHTS

more than just rare COLLECTION

GREEN SPHENE cushion, star cut yellowish-green Madagascar

Trade name Cut Colour Origin

The name originates from the Greek sphenos, meaning wedge. It is a calcium titanium neosilicate mineral. Traces of iron and aluminium are typically present.

As a gemstone, sphene is loved for its exceptional dispersive power, which exceeds that of a diamond. This amazing yellowish-green sphene is very special in terms of colour, size, cut and dispersion. A unique collector’s gem.

RED IMPERIAL TOPAZ oval, star cut orangy-red Brazil

Trade name Cut Colour Origin

Imperial topazes normally come in colours ranging from yellow to orange. However, the most sought-after specimens are stones with pinkish and reddish hues. This red imperial topaz displays orangy and reddish hues depending on the angle at which it is viewed.

A very rare and beautiful gem.

PARAIBA TOURMALINE oval, star cut neon blue Mozambique

Trade name Cut Colour Origin

The tourmaline family features virtually every colour of the rainbow. The extremely rare paraiba tourmaline, found first in Brazil, later in Nigeria and Mozambique, is typically a small, neon-blue gem. Within a short period of time, its uncommonly vivid colours have made the paraiba tourmaline one of the most popular gems in the world. This one is absolutely unique in terms of clarity, colour and size.

more than just rare COLLECTION

Trade name Cut Colour Origin

INDIGOLITE cushion, star cut saturated blue Brazil

Tourmalines come in a wide variety of exciting colours. In fact, tourmaline has one of the widest colour ranges of any gem species, occurring in various shades of virtually every hue. This tourmaline comes in a highly coveted saturated blue colour. Blue tourmalines are also called indigolites.

Trade name Cut Colour Origin

DEMANTOID GARNET round, brilliant cut chrome green Russia

The sobriquet ‘stone of the tsars’ applies to the demantoid, which literally means ‘diamond-like’. As early as 1900, it was the favourite stone of the famous St. Petersburg court jeweller Carl Fabergé . After the Russian revolution in 1917, the ‘green diamond’ swiftly vanished into oblivion. Especially desirable for collectors are the ‘horsetail inclusions’. These golden-brown crystal threads of chrysotile are the birthmarks of Russian demantoid. Fine chrome-green Russian demantoids above five carats in weight are extremely rare.

Trade name Cut Colour Origin

IMPERIAL TOPAZ pear shaped, star cut orange-pink-red Brazil

In 1735 some topazes found in the Ouro Preto region of Brazil were so beautiful that the epithet ‘imperial’ seemed appropriate. Today the most valuable stones still come from there, and only they bear the name ‘imperial topaz’. This pair of imperial topazes comes in a pretty brownish-reddish-orange colour.

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LIFESTYLE

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| SUSTAINABILITY GEMS. TRUST. WILD.

THEN AS NOW: THE FORCE OF NATURE The world of gemstones is in a continuous process of modernisation, but Constantin Wild still puts his trust in hydropower for the processing of his precious gemstones today.

Water is the origin of everything.

Especially as it relates to the success story of Idar-Oberstein.

For when large agate deposits were found in the Hunsrück in the 15th century, the power of the water in the Idar stream was the only thing that enabled the big grinding wheels to be set in motion so that the raw stones, still grey and matt as they were, could be transformed into sparkling treasures. More and more cutting shops rapidly emerged – and with them, a flourishing industry.

The paddle wheels which rotated in the Idar stream have long since been replaced by

electric motors. But just like his forefathers, Constantin Wild puts his trust in nature when it comes to generating energy: today, natural crystals are processed at his workshop using natural energy. But how does that actually work? By investing in the right energy supplier. And by using purely hydroelectricity.

From the cutting shop machinery to the lighting in the Gem Room, this environmentally friendly electricity flows through all the circuits in the building. In this way, the gemstone connoisseur not only makes a strong statement in favour of our environment, but also put the focus on products of a natural origin.

“The water is a friendly element to a man who is at home in it, and who knows how to deal with it.”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

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SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT ON: AQUAMARINE AND RUBELLITE Aquamarine and rubellite, a clearwater blue and a warm, sensuous red – the perfect contrast! These two coloured gemstones not only feature two of the national colours of France, they also embody the essence of a country which brought the world the rational thinking of the Enlightenment on the one hand, and the instinctive feeling for joie de vivre and pleasure on the other.

Like the precious emerald, the delicate pink morganite, the golden beryl and the yellowgreen heliodor, the aquamarine is a member of the beryl family. The name ‘aquamarine’ comprises the Latin words aqua and mare. Literally, its meaning comes close to ‘water of the seas’. According to an ancient saga, it lay dormant for a long time in the treasure chest of the mermaids and is thus regarded as the lucky stone of mariners.

It is one of our best known and most loved gemstones – in cuts both classical and modern.

It is fine traces of iron that give rise to the colour spectrum of the aquamarine, which ranges from light green to clear blue. The most popular is a pure blue – the more intense, the more valuable. The stone’s good hardness of 7 ½ to 8 on the Mohs scale makes it relatively hard-wearing. Its fine lustre,

which brings out the colour of a perfectly cut aquamarine even more emphatically, is particularly striking. Aquamarine crystals are often given a clear step cut, but they also have a very special appeal in a flattering cabochon cut or with fine inclusions. Whilst in other kinds of gemstone large crystals are extremely rare, now and again a sensationally large aquamarine crystal of good quality is found in the world’s gemstone deposits – a genuine highlight for any creative gemstone artist.

The rubellite, the second of these two gemstones that feature French national colours, is one of the stars of the very varied tourmaline group. It too scores well with a good hardness of 7 to 7 ½, but it captivates us above all with the beauty of its colour. Its name comes from the Latin rubellus, meaning reddish. Having said that, it is by

no means the case that all tourmalines in the red colour range are allowed to call themselves rubellites – that distinction is reserved for specimens of a very particular shocking pink to violet-red. Their colour suggests pleasure and joie de vivre. What makes them so seductive is that blend of shocking pink, positive red and violet. Here too, the more intense the colour, the more valuable they are.

Delicate silk-like inclusions are not merely tolerated; in fact to the connoisseur it is they that render this gemstone interesting in the first place – provided they don’t disrupt the path of the light. Rubellites are cut in many different shapes, often as cabochons too. The cutter always has to pay special heed to the varying intensity of the colour depending on the angle from which the stone is viewed, in order to achieve the perfect colour effect.

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TRAVELLING

TOUJOURS L’AMOUR – JE T’AIME IDAR-OBERSTEIN A meeting place for past and present, modernity and tradition, culture and nature: it’s not only these delightful contrasts that make Idar-Oberstein a little town with charm and lots of French flair on the side, as you are sure to discover very soon if you just follow my tips on where to go. Amusez-vous bien!

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TRAVELLING

SLEEP bien dormir

EAT bien manger

DRINK bien boire

With its fairytale location in the Mühlental on the Idar stream, the historic castle mill invites you to wind down. There’s more than just a breath of history wafting through this hotel, furnished and fitted out with great attention to detail as it is: in 1804, Napoleon had the castle mill, originally located at the foot of the Kyrburg at Kirn on the River Nahe, confiscated. Even today, you can still walk in the Emperor’s footsteps in the ‘Napoleon Room’ – and of course enjoy an excellent dinner as well!

Not far away from Idar-Oberstein, on the high ground of the Hunsrück and in the midst of some magnificent woodland, lies LE TEMPLE. Awarded a Michelin star for its ‘classical-modern dishes full of taste’, this gourmet restaurant enjoys an excellent reputation. One of the reasons may well be the emphasis LE TEMPLE places on fresh regional produce in respect of its delicious food and in respect of its generous selection of wines.

Tradition coupled with progress: the history of the Van Volxem wine-growing estate goes right back to the third century. Since then, the methods have continued to develop, but the estate has remained a ‘manufacturing facility in the classical sense of the word’.

The grapes are still picked by hand, the wines still made without industrial yeasts or additives.

The result: a fascinating elegance, which has numerous disciples both at home and abroad.

Liller’s Historische Schlossmühle An der Landstrasse 190 55483 Horbruch/Hunsrück www.historische-schlossmuehle.de

Le Temple Saarstrasse 2 54422 Neuhütten www.le-temple.de

Weingut Van Volxem Dehenstrasse 2 54459 Wiltingen www.vanvolxem.com

DREAM belle découverte

SHOP bon shopping

Winding paths, tranquil watercourses and impressive rock formations: the wonderful circular “gemstone cutters’ trail” is a must-see in the Hunsrück, and it is also one of my favourite places. Between the historic Weiherschleife and the only gemstone mine in Europe that is open to visitors, I can tread in the footsteps of my forefathers, enjoy some magnificent views and attain a state of deep relaxation.

Is it a German company? Or a French one that now stands on German soil? Both! The history of Villeroy & Boch goes back to the 18th century, and back to Lorraine.

Today, the group, with its headquarters in Mettlach, is one of the leading premium manufacturers of tableware and bathroom ceramics.

Mettlach is also the location of the adventure centre and the factory outlet: a veritable Mecca for ceramics fans – and a really special destination for everyone else as well!

Traumschleife Edelsteinschleiferweg Starting point: Historic Weiherschleife Tiefensteiner Strasse 87 55743 Idar-Oberstein w w w. s a a r- h u n s r u e c k- s t e i g . d e / traumschleifen/edelsteinschleiferweg

Villeroy & Boch AG Saaruferstrasse 66693 Mettlach www.villeroyboch-group.com

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| TEMPTATION

MORE THAN JUST RED AND BLUE: FANCY SAPPHIRES Rubies and sapphires are amongst the world’s most precious gemstones. Their fiery reds and radiant blues are unmistakable. Less well known are the facts that both these stones are members of the corundum family, and that this family has much more to offer than just red and blue.

The corundum family, in fact, has everything you could want in a valuable gemstone: gorgeous colours, great brilliance, and an excellent hardness of 9 on the Mohs scale, putting it right behind the diamond – our hardest natural mineral – and that means it has excellent wearing properties. Its refraction is unusually high too, as evidenced by the wonderful brilliance of perfectly cut specimens. Experienced cutters know that the colour looks markedly more intense when the stone is viewed from one angle than it does when viewed from another.

Surprising – above all for the layman – is the colour diversity of this gemstone group. For corundums are ‘capable of’ far more than ‘just’ blue and red. As a matter of basic principle, only a red corundum has the right to call itself a ruby: if the stone features a velvety, more or less intense blue, it’s a sapphire. All other sapphires which cannot be assigned to the blue spectrum are known as ‘fancy sapphires’. In the trade, their gem name is still pre-

ceded by a precise statement of their colour. They are thus referred to as yellow, pink, shocking-pink, green or orange sapphires. For all that, they’re certainly all ‘fancy’, because the wealth of their colours cuts such delightful capers that it inspires jewellery designers to new creations time and again.

Mother Nature certainly dipped pretty deeply into the paint pot when it was the corundum’s turn to be created. So these capricious sapphires are uniquely colourful and wonderfully brillant – and that makes them just perfect for individualists.

For all that, corundum is strictly speaking a ‘mere’ oxide of aluminium. It is in fact small traces of elements such as iron, chromium, vanadium or titanium that turn this stone, which in its basic substance is actually colourless, into a red, blue, shocking-pink, orangepink, yellow, greenish or violet gem. Traces of chromium produce the fiery red ruby, titanium is responsible for the pure blue of the sapphire, whilst iron and vanadium can cause yellow or green

hues. The interplay of chromium and iron can lead to an attractive shocking pink or orange. If they are joined by a tiny hint of vanadium, furthermore, Nature creates a real highlight, a wonderful variety with the mellifluous name of ‘padparadscha’, highly esteemed above all in Asia. The word comes from the Sinhalese and depicts the colour of the lotus flower, an orange ennobled by a very slight hint of shocking pink. Traditionally, this gemstone comes from Sri Lanka.

Having said that, the name is now also used to refer to the colour itself, so that sapphires with a colour like that of a lotus flower can also come from elsewhere.

sapphire

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| MEET CONSTANTIN

INTERGEM the international trade fair for gemstones, gemstone jewellery and gemstone objects, has been taking place in Idar-Oberstein annually since 1985 on the first weekend in October.

Intergem Messe GmbH John-F.-Kennedy-Strasse 9 55743 Idar-Oberstein Tel.: +49(0)67 81-568 722 00 E-mail: office@intergem.de www.intergem.de

TRADE FAIRS INTERGEM – MY PERSONAL TIP AMONG THE GEMSTONE FAIRS INTERGEM is viewed worldwide as a kind of personal insider’s tip: small, but exquisite, and with a long tradition. For over 30 years, INTERGEM has been drawing gemstone lovers to Idar-Oberstein from near and far. It’s not for no reason that this small town in Rhineland-Palatinate is internationally acknowledged as a centre for outstanding gemstone art: nowhere else have so many companies, specialists and institutions of worldwide renown established themselves. And nowhere else have gemstones been cut for more than five centuries, finding their way to buyers from all over the world. At INTERGEM leading cutting shops and dealers offer exclusive gemstones, whilst experts from the trade offer practical approaches to answering questions on all aspects of the processing, assessment and marketing of gemstones. A multi-faceted support programme with specialist talks, workshops and forums rounds off what INTERGEM has to offer.

Kai-Uwe Hille, managing director of INTERGEM: “INTERGEM is a trade fair with a calm bustle to it: as regards space it’s fairly manageable, so visitors have lots of time to indulge in an intensive exchange of views with the exhibitors – perhaps hearing an interesting story about some special stone while they’re at it.

In terms of content it has great value, thanks to the tremendous competence gathered at the Idar-Oberstein location and the tremendous range of gemstones presented at the fair. Traditional, because craftsmanship continues to be important here, but also innovative, because experts keep coming up with new techniques.

All these factors make INTERGEM a pioneering platform for the gemstone community worldwide.”

Constantin Wild: “INTERGEM is still very much a highlight in the trade fair calendar for me because I was one of the original exhibitors, and because I’m a genuine Idar-Obersteiner. And because it not only builds a bridge between the powerful traditional industry of my home town and the dynamic world market; it also gives my customers a chance to get to know me personally, which is a far cry from the kind of anonymous small talk that otherwise goes on in the major cities of the world.”

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FEATURE

THIERRY MARTIN MEETS CONSTANTIN WILD As a designer, creative director and consultant much in demand, Thierry Martin is on first-name terms with the top names in the jewellery trade. He has known Constantin Wild since the late 1990s – and knows for sure that he can always rely on Constantin’s unbeatable expertise in the field of coloured gemstones.

First great love Aged just five, French-born Thierry began to develop a passion for minerals and gemstones. Ten years later he went to his first jewellery exhibition in Cannes, and it was there that he became truly aware of his vocation: to become a jewellery designer. For the world’s big labels. Shortly before the end of the millennium he gained his diploma as a gemmologist. So now his passion had become his profession.

At home in the world Meanwhile, Thierry Martin has lived more or less all over the world, working for what looks like a Who’s Who of the industry. The numerous awards he has received for his enchanting work and the many prominent admirers who love to wear his pieces on special occasions also bear witness to Martin’s creativity. And he derives that creativity from everything that surrounds him: an architectural detail, a flower, even a stone. If Martin sees something that inspires him, there needs to be a crayon on hand

so that he can get the idea down on paper at once. And a drawing like that can swiftly develop into a brooch, a bangle or a necklace.

Colourful jewellery meets colourful gemstones Items of jewellery which Martin also likes to adorn with coloured gemstones – most of all with stones from Constantin Wild. He’s impressed by Wild’s stones not only because of their magnificent colours, but also because of their outstanding quality and sheer size. The designer is well aware that some very special jewellery items can be created with large coloured gemstones. Take the multi-coloured set he designed with coloured gemstones from Constantin Wild. Consisting of a ring, a necklace and a pair of earrings, the set comprises 12 stones in a great variety of hues which are, in truest sense, high carat, yet there’s not a single diamond among them. This set shows just how magnificent jewellery items consisting exclusively of coloured gemstones can be.

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| GEM JOURNAL

Picture credits: Jürgen and Hiltrud Cullmann, p. 1, 3 (single gemstones), 10, 12 (aquamarine), 18-19, 22 (aquamarine, garnet), 25 (tourmaline, aquamarine), 30-31 (sapphires), 37 (red topaz) • p. 8 Château de Versailles, France / Flammarion / Bridgeman Images (© Francoise-Athenais de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1640-1707) Marquise of Montespan, as Iris (oil on panel), Elle, Louis Ferdinand (the Younger) (1648-1717) (after)) • Fotolia: p. 3, 6 (© s4svisuals, shopping model), p. 9 (© aterrom, Château de Versailles), p. 3, 16-17 (© Netfalls, Paris Notre Dame), p. 22-23 (© weseetheworld, watermill), p. 25 (© orpheus) p. 3, 26, Arc de Triomphe Paris), p. 3, 30-31 (© anyaberkut, Paris, Couple), p. 39 (© Tim UR, Cherry with leaf) • p. 28 Le Temple (Restaurant) • p. 28 Liller’s (Historische Schlossmühle) • Stefan Lohmeyer p. 6-7 (collage), p. 10-11 (historic panorama collage) • p. 3, 9, 36-37 Thierry Martin (jewellery paintings) • Heike Rost, p. 1, 4-5, 12-13 (background image), p. 17 (portrait) p. 20-21 (rough gemstones) p. 23 (lapidary), p. 34-35 (gemstones) p. 39 (portrait) • p. 14-15 Fabio Santelia (Idar-Oberstein) • p. 28 Tourist Information Idar-Oberstein (agate mine) • p. 29 Villeroy & Boch AG (showroom) • p. 26-27 Weingut Van Volxem (landscape) p. 28 (wine glass), Constantin Wild, p. 3, 6-7, 40 (Place Vendôme) p. 3, 36 (portrait of Thierry Martin) p. 32 (Intergem booth), p 39 (group, the Eiffel Tower), p. 40 (cherry blossom)

MEET ME ONLINE Although I do prefer to show people my treasure chamber in person, I would also be happy to know that you were visiting my website and reading my blog. For connoisseurs. For gemstone lovers.

For up-to-the-minute news on all aspects of my world of gemstones.

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