Gemcutter

Gemstone cutting is an ancient craft that deals with the forms, grinding, drilling and polishing of precious stones and semi-precious stones.

Craft

In Germany the craft is practiced witchcraft moderately since the 15th century. The craftsmen at that time were referred to as " drill " or " Balierer ". Today this craft is a three-year teaching and training profession.

Centers

Center for the precious stones is Idar- Oberstein, in the Rhineland- Palatinate. There are large deposits of agate, which is produced in the mining industry.

The gemstone has to run early in the industrial scale. There are also well-known diamonds were ground under the guidance of gemstone dealers from Rotterdam for princely houses to diamonds. In the village there is the " German Gemstone Museum ".

Earlier in addition also the Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau and Waldkirch was an important center of the gemstone. In Europe, Antwerp is considered, whose predominantly Jewish merchants, around 2/3 of the world diamond trade unwind, as the center of this craft, but in this case Asia important ( re) gains more and more.