DREHER CARVINGS - turning Nature into art
A passion for gemstone carving
Our ideal is the unfathomable beauty of Nature
For five generations, the name Dreher has been synonymous with animal carvings of the highest quality, executed in precious gemstones. These unique works, whose quality was already appreciated in the 19th century by amongst others Peter Carl Fabergé, chosen goldsmith of the Russian Tsar family, are found in numerous private collections and public museums worldwide. Patrick Dreher continues these traditions today at the family headquarter in Idar-Oberstein. He learned the secrets of the trade and craft from his father. Especially how to select and “read” the precious stones – the structure and colour – correctly to bring out the hidden animal.
“Time is one of the most important elements of our carvings"
It can take time to find the right gemstone to match a certain idea – and while the quality of the gemstone may be suitable, it may not have the exact measurements or layer pattern to reveal, or exhibit, an intended motif. The basic philosophy of the Dreher family is to accomplish all in a given time, from the procurement of the raw material to the artistic inspiration and the detailed realization. Comprehensive studies of the movement and silhouettes of animals are necessary, preferably done by direct observation of the animals in their natural habitat.
Himself an avid diver, Patrick Dreher has for years been particularly enamoured of underwater creatures. With spectacular engravings of seahorses made of ruby, or starfish made of three-coloured tourmaline, he interprets the Dreher family tradition in his own way. What fascinates and simultaneously challenges Patrick Dreher time and time again is the unification of the vivacity of both worlds: The task of finding the right motif from the seemingly infinite animal world as well as its depiction in its own movement, matching the colour scheme of the gemstones, thus making each object a unique piece of art.