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By Deborah A. Yonick
Gem in title above- Dieter Lorenz of Germany shows his love for the abstract in this drusy agate carving.

Susan Allen’s Kachina is an example of internal carving, a technique revolutionized by North American gem artists.

Although they are separated by thousands of miles, several time zones, and different cultures, Germany and North America share a common passion for gem art. Both regions are producing some of the most innovative lapidary artists on the planet, who in the last three decades have transformed our view of how gemstones can be cut. How are they alike? How are they different? The key to both questions lies in the past.

Germany, particularly the twin city of Idar-Oberstein and its surrounding region, boasts a 500-year-old tradition as a premier gemstone cutting and trading center. Lapidary skills have been handed down through the generations and practiced in a journeyman system that recognizes an individual’s talents and nurtures them through tried and true techniques.

Historically, German gem carvers specialized in one of five areas of expertise — traditional faceting, cabochons, beads, plastique (a tongue-and-groove assembly of gem carvings to create a three-dimensional piece), and relief and intaglio cameo.

Bernd Munsteiner’s first break from tradition was his “reverse cut,” where all of the facets are made from the back of the stone; photo by Lichtblick/Cullmann.

Bernd Munsteiner inspired a generation of new gem artists with his bold new creations, like this sphere.

In the late 1960s, however, German master cutter Bernd Munsteiner of Stipshausen introduced a new concept. His gemstones were fashioned with asymmetrical outlines and faceting patterns that were closer to optical sculptures than traditional, settable gemstones. His method achieved maximum refraction and reflection using the fewest possible cuts. Most of the cutting occurred on the back of the gemstone, leaving a majority of its surface uncut but polished: The end result is known as the negative cut.

It took until the late 1970s for Munsteiner's designs — which were considered crazy by the centuries-old lapidary trade in Germany — to catch on. Part of the reason was the same training system that gave Idar its reputation for lapidary excellence.

Apprenticeships typically lasted three years, combining practical studio work with business courses. But it could take another 10 years to become consummate in one's field.

"We have this old educational system that is good to give you the skills and tools you need in all gem carving techniques, like how to make a painted crystal, or a coat of arms, or a sculpted head," explains Hans Ulrich Pauly, acclaimed artist in faceting, carving, and engraving from Idar-Oberstein. "But you can get stuck in the success pattern as you reproduce patterns. Few venture out of the box to produce different techniques and expressions. Although there are benefits to a disciplined approach, the process keeps it impersonal. The focus is on the skill, not the passion behind the piece."

Dieter Lorenz took a painterly approach to create this abstract face in agate and gold, set with a piece of turquoise.

Through the 1960s, the influence of this professional training was strong. It forced beginners to put an emphasis on realism, says Dieter Lorenz of Idar-Oberstein. When Lorenz entered the scene nearly 30 years ago, many of his contemporaries were carving representational pieces that closely imitated natural objects. But he was interested in the abstract, and built a reputation for free-form jewelry carvings that contrast matte-finished black onyx or polished agate with drusy — a concept foreign to carvers of the day, who discounted the value of drusy as a creative element.

It was around that same time that the Americans came on the scene. Though unrecognized then, a revolution had begun — the only major change in gem cutting in the 400 years since the cabochon gave way to what we now consider traditional faceting.

Bernd Munsteiner’s first break from tradition was his “reverse cut,” where all of the facets are made from the back of the stone; photo by Lichtblick/Cullmann.

While Munsteiner, Lorenz, and Pauly were bucking tradition in Germany, American artists like Glenn Lehrer, Michael Dyber, Lawrence Stoller, and Steve Walters were finding their way in what for them was a brand-new field.

Lawrence Stoller's Chariot of Fire essence bottle; photo by Jeff Scovil.

Prior to the early 1980s, the lapidary field in North America was hobby-oriented. Early artisans in the field were few and far between, isolated in their workshops, with no professional training or access to manufactured tools.

"The industry grew out of a tradition of trial and error," describes one of its pioneers, Glenn Lehrer of Lakespur, California. "We were flying by the seat of our pants. There was no one there to tell us what to do, and no preconceived notions of what we should do."

Many, if not most, of the American gem carvers on the scene had no experience with gemstones, and in fact were self-taught gem carvers with a background in other fields. Lapidary artist Michael Christie of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, who specializes in unique, functional essence bottles that incorporate jewelry, came from a background as a forklift mechanic, welder, automotive restorer, and race car driver. Susan Allen, Christie's wife and a master of internal gem carving, boasts a background as a painter and sculptor in clay. The late Gil Roberts, known for his carved gem essence bottles, was a furniture and cabinet maker and wood sculptor. Michael Dyber of Rumney, New Hampshire, a master at creating optical illusions in gemstones, came from metal sculpting and jewelry making.

Henry Hunt is considered by many to be the godfather of North American lapidary arts, having given the field a jump start in 1980 with the publication of the first reference book on the topic: Lapidary Carving for Creative Jewelry.

Charles Ellias, owner of the North American Lapidary Arts Laboratory in Birmingham, Michigan, and also the director of Spiralz, a contemporary jewelry design and lapidary arts studio, says a lot of North American lapidaries got their start from Hunt's book.

Left: A more recent work by Michael Dyber, this one in a rare bi-color beryl. Right: Michael Dyber's trademark Optic Dish is displayed in this ametrine; Dyber was an influence on many North American cutters.

Hunt, known for a carving style that features undulating curved lines, in turn credits the Tucson gem shows and their growth since 1980 with attracting people to the field and fostering camaraderie among artists eager to meet and exchange experiences.

"The continual growth of the Tucson shows has been a boon," Hunt wrote in a later reprint of his book. "Lapidaries from all over the world show up, as well as manufacturers showing their new tools and machines. For three weeks, a vast amount of information is traded about."

The Tucson shows also provided a place for North American and German gem artists to interact, helping to bring these two very different worlds together. It sped up the process of mutual influence that began in the early 1980s, when the North Americans discovered the gem riches of Idar-Oberstein.

American Glenn Lehrer has been exchanging ideas with German artists for decades; pictured is one of his heliodor sculptures.

Meeting of the Minds
"Glenn [Lehrer] introduced me to the world of Idar-Oberstein in the 1980s," recalls Lawrence Stoller, a master of "mega" gem carvings, based in Bend, Oregon. "At that time, it was all happening there. What a marvelous experience it was to hang out in and explore an entire city dedicated to the focus of gem carving!"

Lehrer first visited Idar nearly 20 years ago, and he describes himself as having a leg in both continents. "I knew no one there, but knew from my schooling at the [Gemological Institute of America] that this was the place to be for gem art." Lehrer immediately made connections after showing some of his carvings around town and meeting the likes of Munsteiner, Bernhard Becker, and Dieter Jerusalem all in one day. "They were impressed with my polish and amazed that I was self-taught. I was invited to work with them. I wanted to know what they knew, and they wanted to know what I knew. It was the beginning of 15 years of cross-fertilization."

Most striking for Lehrer was how much more forthcoming the Germans were with him than each other. Stoller concurs: "In Idar it is very secretive and competitive, but when I was there I had access to almost everyone."

Pauly says the only possibility to share things is with artists who've already found their style. He admires the open dialogue North American carvers share, something he experienced firsthand in what is perhaps the only transatlantic gem art collaboration to date.

Hans Ulrich Pauly of Idar-Oberstein demonstrates the German mastery of realistic carvings in this lion’s-head intaglio.

After meeting at the Tucson shows in 1995, Pauly and Lehrer began working on a series, Visionary Gem Art, which combined classic approaches with modern visions.

Pauly describes the experience as phenomenal. "Working with Glenn was great. He had new, unconventional ways to approach the stone. We shared our concepts and techniques, and created pieces out of the norm, beyond the visual patterns used to treat a gemstone."

It is that freedom of expression that Pauly admires most in North American carvers. "They are not coming up in a long heritage of craftsmen trained on models to reach a certain skill level to copy a masterpiece. Americans are freer, more adventurous in their expressions. I see a lot of experimentation that has manifested itself beyond borders. I'm always fascinated with the many new talents coming up."

Many American carvers say that this "Wild West" spirit has allowed them to evolve very independent, creative ideas. "I believe that this lack of generations of training has helped American carvers have a somewhat less conditioned mindset, and it shows in their creative styles," explains Christie.

Lehrer says he admires the German work ethic in that they're focused and productive, and strong on the business side. But in the same breath, he points out that the formal training does not inspire multi-disciplinary work.

Lawrence Stoller’s Harbinger is typical of his large, dramatic pieces; photo by Gary Alvis.

"In Germany, it's rare to see a carver who is also a cutter and setter. But in order to keep my stone carving habit alive, I was forced to learn platinum- and goldsmithing, and stone setting. You might see that in others, like Michael Dyber and Steve Walters. I also do large gem sculptures. Had I come up in the German trade, I would not have had that opportunity to be multi-disciplined, although I see that is changing."

Transatlantic Touches
It's difficult to encapsulate either German or North American carvers into just one style.

Lehrer describes, in the broadest sense, a tendency among Germans toward Bauhaus expressionism, an architectural style that combines geometric forms, while the Americans are inclined toward more fluid designs. But there are exceptions on both sides.

For example, the proliferation of free-form cutting had its genesis with Bernd Munsteiner, but the North American gem carvers helped to broaden the genre, according to Elise B. Misiorowski, graduate gemologist and director of the Gemological Institute of America Museum. She organized a successful lapidary art exhibition of both German and North American carvers at the Carlsbad, California, facility in 2002. "Munsteiner expanded everyone's mind. North American carvers in particular saw what he was doing and ran with it in their own way."

Left: Steven Walters’ organic lines in chrysoprase. Right: Steven Walters is sought out for his signature flowing lines, as seen in this agate.

Misiorowski notes that the internal gem carving revolution had its origins in America. She also cites the unique work of artists like Arthur Anderson, who combine many carving and cutting techniques in one piece.

Richard Homer used a technique he pioneered, concave faceting, to create this concave focus emerald cut in aquamarine.

No doubt, influences have crossed borders, says private jewelry and lapidary art dealer Mona Nesseth of Laguna Beach, California. You can find a German focus on optics and precision in Dyber's Optic Dish, in the linear concave cut of Richard Homer of Kent, Ohio, and in the figurative work of Canadian Tom McPhee. The fluid and undulating forms of Lehrer and Walters share influences with Lorenz. Ellias compares the gem animals by Slava Tulupov of New York City that look as if they're about to move, to the lifelike masterpieces of Manfred Wild of Emil Becker in Kirschweiler, Germany. Wild's work emulates real-life objects, from a massive flower bouquet to candies carved in petrified palm wood and jasper that would fool the most discerning sweet tooth.

"As the world becomes smaller, and the work of many artists are presented at international exhibitions and jewelry shows, the influences and cross-influences will be stronger in the future," notes Lorenz.

Artists on both sides of the Atlantic are continuing to broaden minds. In Germany, design academies, or Fachhochschulen, are encouraging students to look at lapidary arts in new and innovative ways. Likewise, pioneers in North America have established their own tradition of lapidary art that new generations can follow.

Canadian Thomas McPhee adopts a figurative approach in his internal carving Cant Nude.

Munsteiner is optimistic that there are more possibilities today than ever before. "Since the 1960s, our lifestyle, the whole social attitude has changed considerably, at a tempo not known before. Today is already past; tomorrow is our reality. Individuality is the slogan. There is a good chance for the future for all of us to do extremely individual things. Thirty years is nothing. In my eyes, we're just beginning."

September/October 2005 • Style: Common Ground - German vs. No. American cutters • Selling: PATRIOT Games • BONUS: How to comply with the PATRIOT Act • News & Updates • In This Issue

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