A History of Gemstones

When Alexander Kreis, our master gem-cutter, began his career, he represented the coming together of two distinguished generations of gem-cutting families. For over five hundred years the finely-honed skills and trade secrets of turning rough stones into things of beauty have been passed down from generation to generation.

Alexander began learning long before he started any traditional education, just as his father had before him, and his father before him. Alexander spent hours sitting patiently watching his grandfather at work. He loved to watch and listen to the stories that his grandfather would tell him about where the rough stones came from, how, if you looked closely you could see the beauty shine individually in each one, and how, with careful and painstaking work, a person could bring out their beauty in its entirety.

Knowledge Passed Down Through The Generations

Alexander’s passion for cutting gems began there and continued to flourish as slowly but surely he began the work himself, first cutting and then polishing the gems. Alexander is, like the generations before him, an experienced craftsman in his own right. He has taken the inheritance that is rightfully his forged his own unique style.

We continue our gem-cutting tradition where it all began, in the town of Idar-Oberstein. The first gems were discovered here in the 16th century and the area has long since been synonymous with gem-cutting. The level of knowledge accumulated since then has left this area unmatched in the world for gem expertise.

From the four corners

We do not limit our gem finds to the local area, however. We travel the world, often in the sorts of circumstances that others would shy away from, in order to find what we consider to be the absolute finest rough stones from which we can hew our wonderful pieces of art or jewellery, both for those that simply want the pleasure of wearing or beholding a beautiful gem, as well as those that want to make a wise investment.

We do this because we are so passionate about what we do; our love for the gems transcends any dangers that we might face on our travels. And our customers come to us for that very reason – our commitment to the utmost in quality and our ability to turn the gems into one of a kind pieces.

Every gem has a story

We continue to be a family business. With Stefan’s expertise and relationships in sourcing the first rough stones, Sonja and daughter Vanessa then transform Alexander’s beautifully cut gems into exquisite pieces of finished jewellery. Using each gem as their muse, Sonja and Vanessa sketch from instinct, knowing, after all these years, exactly how to bring the cut gem to its full glory within the realms of jewellery.

Every gem has a story. Those that buy the gems from KREIS Jewels, whether as jewellery, objet d’art or investment piece, know the exact mine that it came from, the inspiration for its cutting, and the end result – a piece that no one else in the world will have.

Recognised by the World's Leading Authority

We value and cherish the expertise that comes with knowledge and experience. This is why KREIS uses in addition to its own resources, the knowledge of institutions such as the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) or the German Gemological Institute (DGemG). Be it the training of our certified gemologists, or the additional testing of stones. We aim to provide our clients with the same security and information we would wish for, if the roles were reversed.

Established in 1931, GIA is the world’s foremost authority on diamonds, colored stones, and pearls. A public benefit, nonprofit institute, GIA is the leading source of knowledge, standards, and education in gems and jewelry. The world leader in gemological research, GIA’s breakthrough discoveries deepen our understanding of gemstones and the world. Through research, education, and unbiased gem grading and analysis, GIA strives to protect the gem and jewelry buying public by setting global quality standards.