News September 2023:
Idar-Oberstein stretches along the southern edge of the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park and has been known for centuries as a center for gemstones and jewelry. In autumn, the city will be hosting two highly interesting events:
The 2nd Workshop of the German Gemmological Society
Under the theme: “Opal – the stone that sparks fire”, the 2nd DGemG Symposium 2023 will take place on September 30 at the House of the German Gemmological Society. So the focus here is the opal, it is one of the most famous gemstones in Australia and belongs to the mineral group of oxides and hydroxides. Already in ancient times, the opal was respected as a particularly valuable gemstone. In India, it is considered a lucky charm.
Dr. Tom Stephan will speak on the characteristics, origin, syntheses, imitations and treatment condition of the stone. We would also like to take this opportunity to congratulate Dr. Stephan on receiving the Science Award for the Advancement of Gemstone Research.
In the Opal Workshop at the Workshop, those interested can learn more about microscopic methods for identifying natural, treated , synthetic, or composite opals and imitations.
At the end of the day, participants of the meeting will visit the Long Night of Gemstones. An event in cooperation with the gemstone trade fair INTERGEM 2023.
Intergem - the international gemstone trade fair
INTERGEM from September 29 to October 1 expects around 90 national and international exhibitors. Signed up are top-class names such as: Groh + Ripp OHG, Karl Faller e.K., Hermann Grimm KG, HC Arnoldi e.K., Arnoldi International e.K., Kreis Jewellery GmbH & Co KG, Emil Weis KG.
Long night of gemstones
The second edition of the “Long Night of Gemstones” will also take place within the framework of INTERGEM 2023. After last year’s successful premiere, many gemstone actors will open their doors on Saturday evening (9/30/2023) from 7pm to midnight. The event is free of charge and there will be a wide-ranging programme with many guided tours in different locations. The German Gemstone Museum, with the Steinkaulenberg gemstone mines, and the German Gemmological Society will be there again.
So it’s set to be an interesting autumn in Idar-Oberstein with exciting events that should ideally be marked in the calendar.