Atelier Munsteiner

Known to jewelry aficionados as “the Picasso of gems,” Bernd Munsteiner – whose last name includes the word “steine,” or stones – was destined to be a stonecutter. Born in 1943 in Moerschied, Germany, he grew up near the lapidary Mecca of Idar-Oberstein and trained at his father’s lapidary workshop. From 1962 to 1966, Bernd Munsteiner attended the arts and crafts school (now the academy for design) at Pforzheim.

Bernd Munsteiner’s son, Tom, followed his father into the world of jewelry design learning to cut and polish gems literally on the knee of his father and grandfather. A fourth generation gem cutter, Tom Munsteiner has taken his skills on a path towards his own style, however, and has earned a reputation as a master gem cutter in his own right.

Tom’s stones are often set by his wife and creative foil, Jutta, a goldsmith and innovative jewelry designer who has attracted attention for her own creativity. Jutta’s designs epitomize the motto “from having to being.”

Today, women prefer to wear jewelry to show who they are rather than what they have. Therefore, the design of the jewelry, rather than the value of its gems and metal, has taken on much greater importance.