Seminar Presentation by Martin Steinbach
When
The Asterism Phenomena in gemstones looks just like rays of angel´s hair in a star-like shape, beams of light hovering over about the surface of a gem. Gems that contain stars have fascinated people of all cultures, continents and religions since ancient times.
This presentation invites you into a deep journey in the mesmerizing world of about 60 different gems with a star phenomena, as well as double stars, 12-, 18- or 24-rayed stars, network of stars and trapiche varieties. Their history, a scientific approach, synthetic stars, imitated and treated asterism, as well as famous star rubies and sapphires, a touch of Hollywood, - will be shown. The Corazon (heart) of this lecture, however, are the precious stargems themselves. Common stars, rare stars, and very rare stars, as well as a superb chapter of 'Stars in Exceptional Jewelry' will make your heart beat faster and your eyes glitter.
About the Speaker:
Martin P. Steinbach is one of the world’s leading experts on common, rare and very rare gems with a star effect (asterism). He is also the author of two books and a number of articles in trade- and gemological magazines. Already as a teenager, he was looking for crystals in mines and old pits. In Bangkok, during his first travels to Asia in 1982, he was captured by the passion for gems and graduated from the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) as the first German ever. Back in Germany, he moved to Idar-Oberstein, the old gem city, and graduated at the Deutsche Gemmologische Gesellschaft (DGemG) there as gemologist and diamond expert, too. In 1984, Steinbach´s own gem trading and gemology consulting company was subsequently established. In 2016, he received the title of an „Accredited Senior Gemologist“ from the Accredited Gemologist Association, San Diego, USA. Also in 2016, his lifetime dream had finally come true: In more than 30 years of hard work, the realization of his huge (4kg) book “Asterism – Gems with a Star” about absolutely every known aspect of star gems, took place. In Fall 2023, the next ultimate star was born: Martin´s new book „Star Gems – A Fascinating World“.
As a gem dealer, a lecturer and an addicted collector too, he travelled the world about more than 40 years now, looking for star stones, especially also for extending his private stargems collection, one of the biggest of its kind. Until february 2025, several extraordinary stars are being beautifully displayed in our Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum. Mr. Steinbach is always trying to create new interests and new
collector- and trade markets for the captivating sixty or so asteriated gems