deutsches edelsteinmuseum

a jewelery lovers dreamworld, any gemstone you can imagine plus replica of real famous gems ( like the Cullinan diamond) very nice display and special attractions, they change from time to time

Passing through Idar-Oberstein, without seeing what the place is famous for the world over, would have been a shame. So I came to this museum to see the treasures on display. Every gemstone collector knows about the place, the famous agats, and the geodes (German: Drusen) with amethysts inside, so it is great to come and see and read about the material at the place of origin.

you have to visit the Mineralienmuseum in Oberstein and the Edelsteinmuseum in Idar. Breathtakingly beautiful pieces of the wonderful world of minerals are on display.

What a wonderful display of a variety of magnificent gemstones found all over the world... and displayed here under one roof! Anyone interested in geology, jewelry, or gem crystals would enjoy spending a couple of hours here!

In the middle of Oberstein you can find the German Gemstone museum. A small four-story museum dedicated to the cultivation of gemstones from the raw form directly from the mines to the polished stones of master jewelers. This museum is great, even for kids, who will enjoy the very large gemstones throughout the museum including the flourescent gemstones on the upper floor. Also located on the ground floor is the inner workings of the water wheel located outside. Water is used to turn the wheel outside which powers and turns the grinding stones inside. To finish the museum, a nice giftshop has a collection of gemstones from the small pieces for kids to refined jewelery for Moms and girlfriends. A nice complement to the Felsenkirche.

We stopped at the gem museum with our 3 and 5 year old and they had a wonderful time. The museum is 3 floors and took about 20-30 minutes to explore. We paid 12 euro for the family, and the kids were each given a little baggie with a small stone in it as a gift. They were thrilled. Plenty to look at for the kids and adults alike. The kids especially loved the kaleidescope on the 3rd floor by the elevator. Even the stones in the gift shop were reasonably priced and our kids were excited to pick one out (about 3euro a piece). It is a little far from the pedestrian area if you do not have a vehicle, but parking was easy and close if you are driving.

3 floors of amazing "stones" and amazing craftsmanship. really crazy seeing all the colours our earth produces...Definitely worth a visit if in the area. Admission price was fair, but fella's if you take your wife or girlfriend with you, don't forget your credit card ;-)

What a great find! Wonderful collection for cut and uncut gemstones. Very few signs are in English (bringing a dictionary is a good idea), but one of the best rooms (replicas of famous diamonds) does have translations.

This is a very interesting museum. I am not much of a museum person to begin with however I was intrigued to see what they would have at the museums in the area. Although there are several this is the ONLY one worth visiting. There is one closer to the tourist information which is good but smaller and every museum here is basically the same. So save yourself some time just go to this one. I rate this a 5 specifically because it is the only one worth seeing. Great information at the tourist info center on how to get her via the bus.

Great museum if you enjoy earth science and rock and gemstones. Very well laid out and professional, displays were great. Helpful staff as well. Would visit again if i was in the area.

This museum has exhibits comprising almost all the Gem families used in jewellery. Rough, crystals and cut stones all figure large in its collections. There are film loops running nonstop, mostly in German so take your dictionary. In addition, every year the museum organises a special exhibition. This year it is "German and Russian Master Gem Carvers". Worth making a detour for!

the colours of the stones were more than I imagined. Mostly museums are boring, but this one I could visit again, The ladies at reception were also very nice.

we alleready visited many times idar-oberstein but never this museum; this month we went to this museum and were surprised about the quality of the exhibition (unique pieces, thematic overview, temporarily exhibition of top level going to the Hermitage in Saint Petersbourgh at the end of the year

5 euros to enter the museum. Lots of rocks and gemstonesto look at, but most all of the explanations were in Germanonly. If you're into gemstones, this is for you. If not, skip it.A lot of the things they sell in the gift shop are cheaper at the markets in Oberstein.

small, old, not a lot of explanations in english. It's worth a visit.