Traditional, water-powered gemstone grinding workshop: cutting, shaping, grinding and polishing of gemstones in the fourth generation
Alte Edelsteinschleiferei Ernstotto Biehl
Asbacherhütte 3, 55758 MörschiedNew on Amplifa
About the Alte Edelsteinschleiferei
The Alte Edelsteinschleiferei Ernstotto Biehl in Mörschied (Rhineland-Palatinate) is a historic, water-powered gemstone grinding workshop where gemstones have been worked using traditional techniques for four generations of the Biehl family. Around 1880, the former gypsum mill was converted into a grinding workshop; the workshop remains a genuine production site to this day. The work is traditionally performed lying prone on the tilting bench, which presses the gemstone firmly against the rotating, water-driven grinding wheel. Working methods include cutting, shaping, grinding, sawing, tumbling and polishing of raw stones and gemstones. The business generates its own electricity via a waterwheel that drives a nearly 100-year-old generator with 100 V DC voltage through a transmission system. In addition, there is an exhibition and sales room with gemstones, jewelry, one-of-a-kind pieces, gift articles and craft materials, as well as guided tours of the historic grinding workshop, which is located on the German Gemstone Road.
- Site
- Mörschied
- Processes
- Cutting (gemstones), Shaping (gemstones), Grinding using traditional techniques (tilting bench, rotating grinding wheel), Polishing (gemstones/jewelry pieces), Sawing (of stones), Tumbling (stones), Historic gemstone grinding (cutting, shaping, grinding, polishing), Guided tours/visits of the water-powered grinding workshop
- Materials
- Gemstones, Raw stones
- Certificates
- ISO 9001
- Founded
- um 1880
- Industries
- Gemstone processing/arts and crafts, Tourism (German Gemstone Road)
- 01
Procuring raw stones
- 02
Sawing the stones
- 03
Cutting and shaping
- 04
Grinding (tilting bench)
- 05
Tumbling
- 06
Polishing
- 07
Exhibition and sales
Materials and Processes
Gemstones
Are processed into jewelry stones with cut and luster.
Raw stones
Starting material that is turned into gemstones through sawing, grinding and polishing.
Locations
Mörschied
DEProduction site, exhibition and sales room, guided tours
- Lot size
- One-of-a-kind pieces
- Materials
- Gemstones, raw stones
- Waterwheel with transmission
- Historic generator (100 V DC voltage)
- Grinding wheel (tilting-bench grinding)
- Stone sawing machine
- Tumbling machine
Components
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cutting (gemstones)Machining | – | – | – | – | Gemstones, Jewelry stones |
| Shaping (gemstones)Forming | – | – | – | – | Gemstones, Jewelry stones |
| Grinding using traditional techniques (tilting bench, rotating grinding wheel)Machining | – | – | – | – | Gemstones, Raw stones |
| Polishing (gemstones/jewelry pieces)Surface | – | – | – | – | Gemstones, Jewelry stones |
| Sawing (of stones)Machining | – | – | – | – | Gemstones |
| Tumbling (stones)Surface | – | – | – | – | Gemstones |
5 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grinding wheel (driven by waterwheel, for traditional tilting-bench grinding) | – | – | – | – | Alte Edelsteinschleiferei, Asbacherhütte 3, 55758 Mörschied |
| Waterwheel with transmission | – | 1 | – | – | Alte Edelsteinschleiferei, Asbacherhütte 3, 55758 Mörschied |
| Generator (100 V DC voltage, power generation) | – | 1 | – | ca. 100 | Alte Edelsteinschleiferei, Asbacherhütte 3, 55758 Mörschied |
| Stone sawing machine | – | – | – | – | Alte Edelsteinschleiferei, Asbacherhütte 3, 55758 Mörschied |
| Tumbling machine | – | – | – | – | Alte Edelsteinschleiferei, Asbacherhütte 3, 55758 Mörschied |
Additional services
Quality
The craft has followed unchanged working methods for four generations; the quality of the stones results from traditional cutting, grinding and polishing on the tilting bench.
| Evidence | Mörschied |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 |
History
- um 1880
Conversion of the former gypsum mill into a gemstone grinding workshop
Grinding workshop in the fourth generation of the Biehl family
Own power generation via waterwheel with a nearly 100-year-old generator (100 V DC voltage)