Gem Virtuosos: The Drehers and Their Extraordinary Carvings

the father-and-son team of Gerd and Patrick Dreher are remarkably lifelike. Agate toads appear bumpy, glistening, and slippery. Brimming with personality, their eyes appear to follow the viewer around the room. A carved tiger lily emerges from banded agate (figure 1) as a velvety, dappled flower, its petals enticingly curling inward. And on the backs of these petals, details of the flower’s physiognomy are scrupulously maintained. Much like the gem materials from which they are carved, these works are one-of-a-kind creations. Decades of experience between the two imparts virtuosity to their work, as well as a sense of humor often depicted in the subjects. Today, Gerd is globally acknowledged as a master of the craft, while Patrick has emerged from the younger generation, adding new carving techniques to the family repertoire. This enhances the formidable range of skills that have been passed down through the Dreher family for 13 generations. Following in the path of their ancestors, the Drehers’ ability to render the anatomy of flora and fauna in astonishing detail demands an intimate knowledge of their subject matter, not to mention a deep understanding of the characteristics and attributes of the gem materials they carve. The Drehers study rough gem material, sometimes for years. From these observations they conceive a three-dimensional outcome and then set to work bringing the stone to life (figure 2). A growing collection of diamond-sintered tools, and a thorough understanding of how to use them, underpins their closely guarded lapidary techniques.