gems, agate, Germany, Idar-Oberstein, history, lapidary, fashioning, chalcedony, quartz

Surveys the gemstone and jewelry industry of Oberstein and Idar during the closing phase of the First World War, describing the district’s long-established specialization in the cutting and manufacture of agate and other colored stones and the close relationship between lapidary production, jewelry manufacture and export trade. Leyser places the industry within the broader economic life of the two towns, emphasizing the highly specialized division of labor among cutters, manufacturers and merchants and the dependence of local workshops on imported rough and foreign markets. The article also considers the effects of wartime disruption on supplies, production and commerce, while presenting Oberstein-Idar as a major German center for gemstone fashioning and related jewelry manufacture.