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Born in 1940 Helmut Wolf started his education as a precious stone cutter at the age of 14. That is young enough to be introduced in the hidden world of gemstones and the great art of gemcutting. In this, Helmut was like many other boys his age in Idar-Oberstein, a small and friendly town located in the beautiful valley of the Idarbach in Germany. Since agate was found and mined in the surrounding area, some 500 years ago, gemcutting had become an industry in which the local people excel. This tradition has been transmitted from generation to generation, from father to son.
Was young Helmut aware of his extraordinary destiny?
Over the years, he developed the very particular skill of carving dishes and bowls to the extent that these became not only perfect, one-of-a-kind unique pieces and objets d’art, but also exceptional in size and beauty.
Totally fascinated and absorbed by the stones, some of them weigh several tons when delivered, Helmut Wolf has a tense, intense relationship with them to cut, grind and polish the rough material into the most magical and breathtaking bowls and dishes. In his hands, the rough material, opaque or transparent, reveals its true natural beauty at its best and finest. Be it the transparent rockcrystal that displays its inner world of inclusions to mesmerize the onlooker, agate or the opaque jade, jasper and lapis lazuli… you can’t but be in awe when you see the result of countless months of delicate, persistent work. As a matter of fact, some masterpieces took years to finish. As the fear is always there that the bowl may shatter in a split second, due to inner tension or cracks, Helmut had to stop the tough and arduous work more than once because it had become too much of a strain.
Since his early years, Wolf became well known for his superlative gem objects. Some are awarded, others record-setting. The Guinness Book of Records mentions two large objects in rockcrystal.
State visits have been the occasion to present kings, queens and heads of state with one of his creations. Selections are found in national and international museums, in private collections and royal houses.
And there is more than bowls and dishes in his collection. If you are dreaming of a unique coffee table in gemquality and handcrafted, you will find it here. A sensational ‘slice’ of tiger-eye stone in your garden, a splendid jade fountain at the entrance of your house, or why not, a stunning geode of amethyst to decorate a tree… A light-changing obelisk-like sculpture can enhance and soothe the atmosphere in your home, or perhaps, you prefer an aventurine goblet in translucent emerald green to decorate your library? All of this is not a dream or wishful thinking, but “stone-hard” reality at Helmut Wolf’s workshop, which COLLECTION had the chance to explore during a private visit early October 2014.
More than half a century later, Mr. Wolf has established himself as the only one to take on super-sized rough stones. His genius, high degree of sensitivity and mastery are such that he is also the only artist to be able to carve art objects out of them. There will be no one to continue this.
Does Mr. Wolf have a dream for the future?
Yes, he certainly does! ‘The dream behind a museum’ keeps him alert and going. Helmut wants to see some of his best masterpieces together in one collection, in his museum.
At the 30th Intergem Messe a giant lapis lazuli bowl carved out of a 345 kg rough stone, made headlines in the newspaper. When asked what a gemquality stone means to him, whether it is a challenge, a joy, a struggle, an adventure, a friend or enemy, a passion or an ambition, Mr. Wolf replied “It is all of it“. Then added: “When finished, it gives me tremendous satisfaction” lifting his arms to the sky as to show how much. “It is like a child that is born.”
Sure is that the gemstones became part of Helmut Wolf and… Helmut Wolf became part of his crafted gemstones. They will live and shine for eternity.
By Chris Colemont
