A Star is
Born
Martin P.
Steinbach, Author of Asterism - Gems with
a Star shares his lifelong passion with star gems
By Helen Serras-Herman
Martin P. Steinbach has become the face
of gems with stars. His over 40-year career dealing with and studying
gemstones, especially those exhibiting the optical phenomenon of asterism,
makes him a de facto authority for these rarities. Martin P. Steinbach is a
tall, imposing German; his English is perfect with a German accent, and his
warm manner makes an instant friend out of you.
Martin P. Steinbach will be set up at the Galleria of the Tucson Convention Center during the AGTA GemFair™,
Photo © Helen Serras-Herman
Some friendships are built upon
years of interaction and relations, while others form by an instant connection.
Such was my bond with Martin P. Steinbach. We met briefly in 2021, but last
year during the AGTA GemFair™ show in
Tucson, we got talking and talking, and then talked some more the following
week during the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® sponsored by the Tucson Gem &
Mineral Society, Inc. I was intrigued by how and why Martin got involved with
these rare gemstones. My late husband, Andrew Herman, also loved gems with
optical phenomena and that was the title of one of his lectures when we first
met in the early 1990s.
I promised Martin to write an
article about him and his lifelong passion with star gems, so recently I sent
him some questions to dive deeper into his life and love for gemstones
exhibiting the rare optical phenomenon of asterism.
The Early
Years
Martin P. Steinbach was born on the
December 2, 1957 in “Heidi Klum City” — the moniker for Bensberg — near the
city of Cologne in Germany. He says he is a typical Sagittarius, loving honesty
and freedom. Although his parents were not involved in the gem business or the
geosciences they supported their only son (or couldn´t stop him) to travel as a
young man to foreign countries. These travels will prove quintessential for
Martin’s future gem business. At 16-years old he visited Venice in Italy by
himself and a year later the whole of Scandinavia.
Martin started his gem business at
13-years old trading opal triplets. He had an uncle, who was cutting diamonds
at home and gave him a citrine —his first cut stone — and started visiting
mines in his hometown area.
Travels and
Gemology Studies
After serving four years in the
army, instead of following his original plan to study at the university, he traveled
overseas to Egypt, Israel, Thailand, and the Philippines in 1982-83. In Thailand,
amongst temples, beaches, culture, food, music, and the jungle, the gem fever got
him quickly, as he jokingly phrased it.
This suite of star spinels was created in memory of English singer “The Starman” David Bowie
Photo © MPS, Idar-Oberstein
Martin graduated from his gemology
studies in 1983 from the Asian Institute of Gemological Sciences (AIGS) in
Bangkok, Thailand. Then he received his diploma as a diamond expert and
graduate gemologist at the Gemological Association of West Germany in
Idar-Oberstein. Martin opened his own company Steinbach – Gems with A Star trading
gems in 1984, which continues to be a global promoter and educator of star
gems. He amassed his gem collection and enormous knowledge during many buying
trips at mines and gem markets in Myanmar (Burma), India, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Thailand,
Brazil, and the USA.
Inspiration, Influences and Gem Shows
The humanitarian and art philosophy
message of German fine art artist and intellectual Prof. Joseph Beuys resonated
with Martin during his travels. Over the years, he visited around 50 countries,
Thailand in particular forty times, becoming inspired by what connects us all
humans – social interaction and the desire for freedom. Beauty, nature, art,
and love, which he calls a “revolutionary power”, are also major sources of his
inspiration.
Meeting a number of gemology
giants, including Prof. Gübelin,
Richard T. Liddicoat, Prof. Bank, Dr. Schmetzer, Henry Ho, and Richard W.
Hughes, and more recently while assembling his book Dr. Lore Kiefert, they all had
a tremendous influence on his way of utilizing gemology.
Author Martin P. Steinbach with the
biggest star diopside, 739 carats, Photo © MPS, Idar-Oberstein
Today, Martin lives in Idar
Oberstein, the German center of gem cutting, with his beloved Thai wife Thapanitta
and his son Julian. Over the past 40 years, Martin has participated in many
national and international gem and mineral shows selling his gems, minerals,
jadeites, and his books. Among his favorite shows are the St. Marie-Aux-Mines
in France, the Hong Kong show, and Tucson. He has visited Tucson at least 15
times since the early 1990s, “trading his star rubies for arrowheads, driving
red convertible Mustang cars in the desert, and meeting a gila monster for the
first time.”
Star Gems
Martin admits that “the emperor of all asteriated gems is the star sapphire"; this perfect Thai sapphire is 14.0 carats,
Photo © MPS, Idar-Oberstein
For Martin, “the emperor of all
asteriated gems is the star sapphire. You can get it in all colors (when it is
red it’s a star ruby), in all sizes from 0.50 carat to 6000 carats, in all cuts
and shapes, in all transparencies, with stars of 6, 8, 12 rays, double/twin
stars, in bicolor and tricolor, from about 26 different countries with several
mining areas, including commercial sources in five countries”. But he revealed
that his secret favorite star gem is the star spinel. “Always beautiful, with a
clean surface, with even color distribution, nearly always sharp stars, star
spinels are commercially much underrated.”
Martin shared that, “Star gems,
like other phenomenal gems, are appreciated by connoisseurs and dealers, but it
is sort of a niche product, not the normal mainstream gems, therefore not so
easy to sell. You also always need a spotlight, a penlight or the sun,
otherwise no star.” I totally understand the concept of niche market where
carved gems also belong, and the difficulties of getting proper appreciation
for these unique gems.
He has delivered educational talks
at the 2018 Symposium of the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), at the Gem
and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (GIT), at the Gemological Institute of Great
Britain (Gem-A) and several other conferences around the world.
His Office
in Idar-Oberstein & Photographing Star Gems
In Idar-Oberstein, Martin has an office,
a gallery and a lab. He doesn’t do any lapidary work himself. The lab is
equipped as a classic gemological laboratory, along with a huge library for his
books’ research, and a very good photo lab, where they create a lot of pictures
of asteriated gems.
Photographing star gems is probably
the most difficult of all gem photography Martin shared, as with this amazing
star rose quartz in transmitted light, Photo © MPS, Idar-Oberstein
“Photographing gemstones with stars
is probably the most difficult of all mineral and gem photography” Martin
shared. “Technically, photographing in reflected light, you have to get the
star focused and sharp with an additional light source or the sun, and also get
a good depth of field. You have to watch the exact color, which can change with
the stone under different light conditions.” Martin and his team are extremely
proud of their starry pictures, especially those with star rose quartzes
photographed with red, green and blue lasers in transmitted light.
The Star Books
Martin P. Steinbach’s first book Asterism – Gems with a Star is a comprehensive
900-page tome with 1000 dazzling photos, published in 2017, featuring every
possible gemstone with asterism. It is definitely a monumental, mind-blowing
work – a labor of love – reflecting his passion for these niche gems.
Martin P. Steinbach’s new book Star Gems – A fascinating World will be available in Tucson
Photo © MPS, Idar-Oberstein
His new book Star Gems – A Fascinating World is a smaller and lighter version,
with over 700 photos, graphs and drawings, describing over 60 different gems
with a star. The upcoming book features chapters on History, Scientific
Approaches, Synthetics, Imitations, Treatments, and a chapter about Famous Star
Rubies and Sapphires. “The Corazon (the
heart) of the book”, Martin continues, “are the stars themselves, the chapter
of Common Stars, Rare Stars, and Very Rare Stars, as well as a superb chapter
of Stars in Exceptional Jewelry.”
Advice for young lapidaries and
gemstone collectors
I asked Martin what advice he would give young
lapidaries and collectors. “It can emotionally be very satisfying to work with these
substances. You are trading and dealing and working with relatively precious
materials. From our earth. From the one and only existing earth. Hopefully, they
will follow some ecological and environmental standards. Collectors, in
general, have the cash to trade beautiful mineral and gems against the ugly
bank notes. Collectors are on the bright side of life and can relative easily
afford to buy.”
A breathtaking star rhodochrosite sphere, 15.51 carats from the Sweet Home Mine in Colorado
Photo © MPS, Idar-Oberstein
You can meet Martin P. Steinbach in person at
the Tucson 2024 gem shows. He will be set up at the Galleria of the Tucson Convention
Center during the AGTA GemFair™ show from January 30 to February 4, 2024.
Remember that the Galleria, where gemological institutes, magazines, labs, and
authors set up, is open to everyone, no wholesale license required. You can
look at and possible purchase one of his books, or at the very least ask him to
sign a copy of your 2024 Tucson EZ-Guide with my article about him. Martin will
also be set up at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show® February 8-11, 2024.
You
can also visit Martin P. Steinbach’s website at www.star-sapphires.com.
Two proud authors – Helen & Martin – at
the TGMS 2023 show. Martin is holding his first book Asterism – Gems with a
Star, Photo courtesy Helen Serras-Herman
I am very thankful to Martin for his friendship and for sharing his thoughts and passion for star gems with me.
Helen Serras-Herman, a 2003 National Lapidary Hall of Fame inductee, is an acclaimed gem sculptor and FGA graduate gemologist with over 40 years of experience in unique gem sculpture and jewelry art. See her work at www.gemartcenter.com and her business Facebook page at Gem Art Center/Helen Serras-Herman
