Some pictures of what the stone cutting used to be like: on big wheels, driven by water wheels, laying on a wooden bench, holding to stone up to the wheel. And the arrival of a whole bunch of agate from Brazil, ready to be picked over by the cutters.

Until the 1960's, the beads were drilled by hand, using a bow drill. Can you imagine these long beads, up to 15 cm /6 inches being made like this? The long ones were drilled from two sides. After this, they used ultrasonic drilling.

This church is one of Idar's treasures. It sits high up in the rocks, and can only be reached through a tunnel through the mountain.

We climbed up to the church, and this was our view. Also shown is a small (about 2 to 3 inches) handcarved image of the church, seen in one of the museums.

Julia Wild and her father were very kind and showed me their amazing collection from cutting and exporting agate over a long period. These are some of the highlights.

The book shows the drawings for some of the first talhakimts the Wild company produced. It is from 1875.

I just love this part of their collection with the handwritten notes from Arab dealers (a lot of these bead went through Saudi Arabia and specifically Mecca). These notes were over 100 years old.

Jacob Bengel was an important manufacturer of art deco jewelry, jewelry chains and a whole range of fashion jewelry.
The factory remains largely intact, and we were given a tour by Mr. Braun whose wife's family owns the factory. To this day, they still produce chain and some specialized items, but most machines sit quietly.

This is just one of a dozen or so cabinets filled with molds for metal stamping.
And the second image shows the different steps for making a aluminium crown.

One of the things that always fascinates me, is to know more about the different production methods.

The first picture shows how cilinders were core drilled from a piece of agate to then be made into smaller pieces for beads or knife handles, or other items.

The second picture shows slices of agate, most likely ready for making into cabochons.

More 'half products'.
These (and the previous ones) came from a widow who was running the family business now that her husband had died. He was the one who did the cutting and polishing, so she still had a lot of half finished items.

The cubes were made into round beads.

Some of these shapes may look familiar to you in the first picture.
I love the different shades and patterns in the second set.

One of the questions I had after my first visit to Idar-Oberstein was wether bead production in Idar-Oberstein had stopped.
During the last trip, I came across, just before I had to leave, the company Impexco. According to their website, they were still supplying the Africans and Arabs with agate beads.

This time, Mr. Weinz, the director of the company was allowing me to tour his company and ask all the questions I had. It became a very informative afternoon.

In most literature on Idar Oberstein, it is said that the bead production stopped between 1980 and 1995. The boom period for agate products was in the 1920's and 30's, but had continued for quite some time after that. Cut by hand, polished by hand, drilled by hand. Using Brazilian stones and Idar-Oberstein workers.

However, the market in Africa slowed down, and German labor costs went up. Stone cutters could not interest their kids in taking over the business. Mr. Weinz appears to be one of the first major dealers to move production to Brazil. It makes sense: this is where the stone comes from, so why not let them make the products? So he shipped the machines and the expertise to Brazil, and this is where the production has been done sine the 1990's.

The products are then still shipped to Idar-Oberstein, and sold from there to a variety of buyers.
However, today, this production is slowing down quickly. Only a few dealers from Africa remain, and the quantity is nothing compared to what it used to be.

For the pictures.....
One thing I noticed in his warehouse were 'block stones'. We have discussed them here before, and Russ has shown us examples of production in China. So in my mind, these resin/plastic/stone powder type fake gemstones came from China.
Mr Weinz told me that these were first made in Idar-Oberstein, and when production became considered too hazardous for workers and the environment, production was moved to India. And now, he imports it from India and sells it onwards all over the world. Complete surprise to me, but there was a whole pallet sitting there, with the Indian shipping labels still on them.

Second picture shows the barrels that most of us that have been to Tucson may remember: apparently still the best way to ship large quantities of rough stones across the world.

I'll go into more detail in my book, and Jamey Allen has written about this too: How does the Idar Oberstein agate get it's great colors?
A range of techniques is used, heat, chemicals, actual dyes, to make the natural occurring patterns of the stone stand out. It is considered the main reason why, once Idar-Oberstein started using Brazilian agate, their product became so very popular. The Brazilian stone took coloring methods very well.

Once Mr Weinz understood the type of things that interest me, he said: follow me..... And then we were in a small room, with a normal stove and there he had a pan of agate stones boiling away in sugar water. It would take several weeks for the stone to turn from grey to brown. And then he would put it in the oven underneath.

I asked him about some of the other colors, and he showed me a jar. Inside was the chemical mix they used to color agate as well. If I remember correctly, it was for making it green. he said that the mix in that jar was over 30 years old.

Iron age I 1200 - 1000 bc Etched rock crystal.

Some of these coloring techniques have indeed been around for ages. Thanks for showing that great example.

So, when you go out to buy agate beads or talhakimts from an African dealer in the US, or in Morocco or elsewhere, how do you know if your beads were made yesterday or 100 years ago?

The general rule is to look at the edges and the way the beads were polished. The older beads are completely handmade. Their edges are crisp and you can sometimes see certain irregularities from the fact that it is made by hand.
The newer beads, which includes beads made in Idar Oberstein since the 1960's, were tumble polished. The edges are rounded and soft.
Once you hold them in you hand side by side you start seeing and feeling the difference.

This pictures shows a side by side that should give you an idea.

Idar Oberstein today is home to a school for jewelry which attracts international students and teachers. It is a tourist attraction for those looking for fun stuff to do with kids, and is a huge place for mineral collectors. The picture shows kids from a school trip, using their pocket money for fun stuff, 99% made in China and India ;-)

Last time, I kept asking people for old beads, and what they knew about them. The word for beads in German is 'Perlen', which is the same as the word for pearls. My question was often met with blank stares. When I emailed the Impexco company, they replied by saying they did not sell any Perlen, and included and image of strands and strands of beads.

And then I found that they do not call the stone beads Perlen, but have a whole range of names for them, depending on shape and history. So once I got the language right, things started moving along a lot quicker. So, Krallen, Anhänger, Turmringe, Walzen, etc. And the word they use the most? Afrikanisches Geld, or African Money.

Und die Trauben sehen auch sehr schön aus!

Nel

Great article Floor
Thanks
JP

And so glad you could meet with Julia Wild - I had no idea she was so connected to the history of Idar-Oberstein. I wonder what happened to the letter I sent to her (by snail mail)...

You and others might enjoy this article, written by Julia Wild in German. She describes the trade, and includes some family stories. It has some great pictures too. The family has documented things very well, and I could have spent many more hours sifting through all their pictures and stock.
I am pretty sure that between her and her father I have spoken the most knowledgable people around when it comes to this agate trade.

The link goes to a direct download of a German magazine, which includes the article. The article was made from the lecture that Julia gave at the opening of a 2010 exhibit in the museum on 'African Money'.

Great report Floor! Looking forward to your book!!

Just in time, before the machines are carted away and evidence is buried and before those who remember anything are gone.......Thank You for including us in your discoveries, and for documenting this info for the bead lovers to come. Another much anticipated bead book in the making!

Thank you for sharing your journey.

I have learned many new things again! Thank you, Floor