History - Dreher Carvings

For five generations the Dreher family have been engraving gemstones:

Karl Dreher (1861 - 1943) founded the tradition, which was continued by his son, Hermann (1886 - 1960). Hermann already created animal statues based on plaster models which had been provided by Fabergé to the local industry. Such a plaster model is still owned by the family today.

Paul Dreher (1910 -1968) was the third in line. He apprenticed for the gemstone engraving profession at his father Hermann. He managed to gain such expertise and quality in his animal sculptures crafted after his own ideas and designs, that two of them were included in a famous book on Fabergé published in 1962 in London, in which they were presented as Fabergé’s own design.

Gerd Dreher (1939 – 2018), continued the family tradition, and was again apprenticed to his father, Paul Dreher. Gerd Dreher became specialised exclusively on engraving animal sculptures. He worked together with his son, Patrick, born in 1970, the fifth gemstone engraver from the House of Dreher.

The objects created by Gerd and Patrick Dreher are of course much coveted collectors’ items for those buyers interested in wildlife or in sculptures in general, but also gemstone lovers are quite keen on these objects.