As part of the second Idar-Oberstein Advent Glow, which will take place on Schleiferplatz from 11 to 13 December 2025, five well-known jewelry businesses in the heart of Idar will be opening their studios and inviting visitors to take a very special look behind the scenes. Under the motto "Advent sparkle", interested visitors can visit the workshops of Andrea Sohne, the company Ulrike Weyrich together with the jewelry designer Ester Ackermann, Gaby Wandscher and Wolfgang Wild on Saturday, 13 December 2025 from 11 am to 6 pm and be enchanted by the pieces of jewelry. Here, craftsmanship meets festive magic, creativity meets sparkling gemstones - and visitors can experience at first hand how small works of art are created from precious materials. Anyone looking for special Christmas gifts is sure to find something suitable here.
Jewelry art up close - the participating studios
Andrea Sohne is known for her one-of-a-kind gemstone pieces and unique gemstone engravings. With her jewelry, she wants to combine the individuality of the wearer and the gemstone, and she is particularly fascinated by the combination of nature and art. In her work, Sohne wants to present gemstones in a new form and thus create extraordinary jewelry for extraordinary people. She is looking forward to welcoming visitors to her studio at Kiesstraße 28 in Idar.
For the Ulrike Weyrich company, the focus of the work is primarily on the colored gemstone, which Peter Weyrich carefully selects with a trained eye exclusively for his one-of-a-kind jewelry. The master goldsmith and jewelry designer from Idar-Oberstein has a passion for this precious material. "Colored stone jewelry should enter our lives with a self-confident lightness," is one of his guiding principles. His playful use of color and material repeatedly results in an appealing and innovative range of works that are unmistakable and yet in line with current trends. Imaginatively designed gemstone necklaces are complemented by individually crafted clasps in gold and silver, ring and ear jewelry. Owner Peter Weyrich presents his unique gemstone designs in his company premises at Hauptstraße 72, in the middle of Idar's pedestrian zone. Esther Ackermann also presents her jewelry on the premises of Ulrike Weyrich's company. "For me, creating jewelry is like a journey of discovery that begins with a thought and undergoes constant change until the work is finished. It is important to her that the interplay of metal and stone creates a unified image that works as an aesthetic whole," she says, summing up her enthusiasm for jewelry. Esther Ackermann loves stones. At first they are still in a rough, coarse form, given by nature. As soon as the designer finds a stone that she likes, she starts to work on it: What is possible with it? Because every stone has its own specifications. For the designer, it is always an interplay with the material. Stone cannot be bent, cast or melted. No, Esther Ackermann shapes and accompanies it and emphasizes its advantages by grinding and polishing it. The metal then forms the frame for the stone so that it can be worn on the body.
For Gaby Wandscher, jewelry means passion, tradition, joy, memory and luxury. Jewelry tells her stories and perspectives, it connects people, makes them happy or brings them luck. Her approach to jewelry is to transfer values and traditions into the modern age. Since 2001, porcelain has become a suitable means of expression in her jewelry, which can be found as a core element on its own or in combination with precious metals and gemstones. Just like jewelry, porcelain objects are passed down from generation to generation and stories are told about these special objects and their owners. For Wandscher, porcelain has become an important jewelry material because it is an exciting and sensitive material with an incredible number of processing possibilities. She works with white, black and also colored porcelain, which is fired at 1230 °C in a small kiln. For example, various rings are created, painted with underglaze colors, dyed with ochre pigments from Provence, printed or drilled. There are cast amphorae, which are processed in different ways and worn as pendants, as well as dripped cloud porcelain earrings and, of course, much more. Gaby Wandscher's jewelry can be admired in her studio at Hauptstraße 143.
The pieces of jewelry made by Wolfgang Wild in his workshop are unique. He sees "the aim of his design as understanding the stone as a work of art in itself without losing sight of its very own character". Characterized by the variety of gemstones in special colors, unusual shapes and processing methods, he creates pieces of jewelry, small works of art, almost sculptures, in clear, reduced lines and shapes which, despite their abstractness, do not appear cold but radiate a timeless charm. Wolfgang Wild's workshop with its extraordinary pieces of jewelry can be found at Hauptstraße 24 in Idar.
This means that the "Idar-Oberstein Advent Glow 2025" will once again be a feast for all the senses: enjoy, be amazed and be enchanted. Come along and experience an Advent weekend that you won't soon forget!