The annual Intergem trade fair, which features the latest in lapidary art and jewelry design, will be held at Idar-Oberstein from Sept. 30 to Oct. 3.

Idar-Oberstein, some 90 miles south of Frankfurt, is a gem cutting and trading center with a long history. The region around this picturesque and quaint German twin-city is home to more than 500 businesses in the gem and jewelry trade. The region is known for superior craftsmanship, and the unique and unusual in color.

Intergem’s 130 exhibitors represent a diverse cross section of work from carvings, cameos, engravings and beads to cultured pearls, fancy color diamonds, gem-set jewelry, and equipment in an intimate, salon-type setting.

Among the leading lapidary artists exhibiting at the show are Manfred Wild, Hans Ulrich Pauly, Dieter Lorenz, and Tom Munsteiner.

In the last decade, the region surrounding Idar-Oberstein has become a hotbed for budding jewelry designers—students and graduates of the gemstone and jewelry design department at the local University of Applied Sciences. The hottest talents are showcasing their work in a design forum, established three years ago at Intergem, called “Creativum.” Buyers can find artists on the cutting edge of gem-set jewelry design featuring styles from contemporary classic to avant-garde—often pairing gems with unconventional material like rubber, silicon, steel, textiles, and porcelain.

Industry experts in the field of gemology, gem cutting and carving, gem-set jewelry design, and the healing powers of gemstones will host several lectures during the trade fair. A fashion show, highlighting new designs by exhibiting companies will be held Oct. 3.

For more information about Intergem, held at the Budau Exposition Grounds in Idar-Oberstein, contact Intergem Messe GmbH, telephone 49 (0) 67 81 41015, fax 49 (0) 67 81 42418, email office@intergem.de, or visit www.intergem.de. Or, contact media liaison Deborah Yonick telephone/fax 1 717 227 9823, mobile 717-891-1339, or email daycopy@blazenet.net.

JCK