Frankfurter Rhein-Main-Edelsteintage

Attendees, exhibitors & solutions

Who this event is for

Industry trends

Key trends shaping this market and its wider industry.

Arrival airports

Choose from the following airports, with convenient access to the event and venue.

Hotel tiers

A range of accommodation options near the venue and across key areas.

Local transport

Get around the city with these convenient transport options.

Frequently asked

Glossary

1

Edelsteinboerse (gemstone bourse)

The German term for a gemstone and mineral fair or dealer bourse: a hall of dealer tables where rough, cut and collector material changes hands, usually open to the public as well as to the trade. The Frankfurt edition is held at the Jahrhunderthalle and sells a two-day general admission ticket.

2

Rough

Uncut gem material as it comes out of the ground or as it is traded between dealers. Buyers at a bourse judge rough on colour, clarity, crystal shape and the percentage of clean finished stones it will yield, so rough is normally priced per gram or per piece rather than per carat.

3

Cabochon

A gemstone cut with a smooth, domed top and no facets. Standard for opaque or translucent material such as turquoise, malachite, opal, jade and many agates, and one of the most common finished forms sold at gemstone fairs.

4

Faceting

Cutting flat polished planes at calculated angles to maximise brilliance and colour return. Faceted stones are the classic brilliant, emerald and step cuts, and the quality of the facet junctions is the first thing trade buyers check on a dealer's tray.

5

Lapidary

The craft and trade of cutting, grinding and polishing stone. Lapidary suppliers at a bourse sell slabs, preforms, dop wax, diamond grit, saw blades and polishing compounds alongside finished stones.

6

Mineral specimen

A naturally formed crystal or mineral cluster kept for collection rather than cutting. Value depends on crystal form, colour saturation, damage, matrix aesthetics and locality - a labelled locality (for example a named mine or quarry) is a core part of the sale.

7

Micromount

A thumbnail-to-microscope-sized mineral specimen mounted in a small box for study under magnification. A specialised collector niche with its own dealers, trading boxes and swap tables at European mineral fairs.

8

Fossil

Preserved remains or traces of organisms, traded as collectibles and preparation material: ammonites, trilobites, fish plates, plant impressions and petrified wood are standard bourse stock. Buyers should ask about preparation, repair and restoration, which materially affect price.

9

Gemstone treatment

Any process applied after mining to improve appearance or durability, such as heating sapphire and citrine, oiling or resin-filling emerald, or irradiating topaz. Disclosure is expected in the trade and should be asked about explicitly at the dealer table.

10

Synthetic and simulant

A synthetic is a laboratory-grown material with the same composition and crystal structure as the natural stone (for example flux-grown ruby); a simulant merely looks similar (glass, cubic zirconia, spinel). Both are legitimate products when declared, and both appear at consumer-facing bourses.

11

Carat (ct)

The standard weight unit for gemstones, one carat equals 0.2 grams. Price per carat is not linear - it steps up sharply at familiar size thresholds, which is why a two-carat stone can cost far more than twice a one-carat stone of the same quality.

12

Mohs hardness

A 1-10 scratch-resistance scale used to judge whether a stone suits a ring, pendant or display-only collection. Quartz sits at 7, corundum (ruby and sapphire) at 9, diamond at 10; softer stones such as fluorite (4) and opal (5.5-6.5) need protective settings or cabinet display.

13

Bead strand and hanks

Temporary strings of drilled, polished stone sold by the strand or hank (a bundle of strands). A staple of bead and jewellery-making buyers who attend gemstone fairs to match dye lots and drill sizes.

14

Slab and preform

A slab is a slice of rough cut for inspection and further work; a preform is a trimmed, roughly shaped piece ready for final cabochon or facet work. Both let a lapidary judge pattern and inclusions before committing to a finished stone.