gems, beryl, emerald, Austria, Habachtal

A detailed historical study of the emerald mine in the Habachtal, Pinzgau, Salzburg, tracing the exploitation of Austria’s best-known emerald deposit through documentary, archival, and photographic evidence. Schmetzer reconstructs the ownership and operation of the mine, including the activities of early owners and miners, the limited exploitation following the death of Goldschmidt in 1871, the acquisition of the property in 1896 by the London-based Emerald Mines Limited and its mining activities around the turn of the twentieth century, and subsequent changes in ownership and mining after the First and Second World Wars. The study follows the mine through the period of Hans Zieger, the later ownership of Munich lawyer Karl Gaab, and its management since 1985 by the Steiner family of Bramberg. Particular attention is given to the individuals, families, companies, and collectors associated with Habachtal emeralds, supported by numerous historical photographs, documents, maps, specimens, and previously unpublished archival material. Appendices discuss historical Habachtal emerald specimens preserved in collections, including that of the Archabbey of St. Peter in Salzburg, and provide additional documentation relating to the mine and its personnel.