An invitation-only affair held during the 2025 AGTA GemFair Tucson kicked off the “Munsteiner – The Magic Within” exhibit, but it will remain open to all visitors to the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem & Mineral Museum (ANGMM) in Tucson, Ariz., indefinitely.
The 50-piece exhibit was a year and a half in the making, with Violetta Wolf, Director of the ANGMM, and Elizabeth Gass, Exhibits Manager, at the helm. Shelly Sergent, Curator of the Somewhere In The Rainbow (SITR) collection, served as a catalyst while friend, seasoned jewelry designer, and one of the first people to bring Munsteiner-cut gemstones to the U.S., Susan Helmich, provided additional assistance. The goal of the exhibit is to honor the incredible lives and work of the Munsteiner gem-cutting family; father and son Bernd and Tom died in June 2024 and late 2023, respectively, leaving 21-year-old Philipp and mother Jutta to take over the business. Jutta is a master goldsmith and has been part of the business since joining in 1993, prior to marrying Tom in 1997.
“With this exhibit, the museum has been able give our visitors the chance to get to know the Munsteiner family and understand the artistic heritage and vision behind their distinctive work,” explains Wolf. “We hope that visitors can appreciate the exceptional quality of the pieces on display and gain an appreciation for the people who created them.”
Shelly Sergent (lt.), Somewhere In The Rainbow, Susan Helmich, (rt.), Susan Helmich Fine Jewelry
Pieces on Display
Munsteiner works came from private loans and SITR—including its “Visions in Crystal” object of art, which greets guests in the foyer of the museum. “Visions in Crystal” is more than 6 feet tall and comprises 264 60 x 40 mm tiles of rock crystal Quartz, Citrine, and smoky Quartz. Each is cut in Tom’s signature angular facets and framed in aluminum. It was housed for several years at the GIA campus in Carlsbad, Calif., but now takes up residence at the ANGMM.
“Tom’s dream was for ‘Visions in Crystal’ to remain at the Alfie,” observes Sergent. “Munsteiner is more than gems and jewels, it is a legendary global brand that we are privileged to feature in a first-of-its-kind exhibition.”
Other pieces on loan include a pieced dubbed the “Little Dom Pedro,” an Aquamarine cut from the same rough as the original “Dom Pedro” obelisk housed in the Smithsonian. Also on display is the one of the first (“Magic-Eye”) and last pendants (“In Quartz and Osmium,” notes Wolf) carved by Tom, both side by side on the same shelf.
“Seeing so many examples of their work together, you can see the influence and creativity that all four Munsteiners had on each other,” observes Wolf.
More pieces on display include a 101.85 ct. Aquamarine cut by Tom in the “Le Dauphin” necklace made by Helmich (it is a piece of the famous “Dom Pedro” crystal), the “Double Bubble” Morganite pendant and earrings, and some of Helmich’s earliest ring designs featuring gems cut by Bernd.
Upwards of 110 guests attended the invitation-only event, with collectors and loaners—including a group from the Smithsonian—flying in for the affair. Pieces will remain in the exhibit for two years, with a change-out expected prior to the 2026 AGTA GemFair.
“It is a wild and beautiful exhibition, with loaners from all around the world,” says Sergent. “People were so generous and were honored to share their pieces—no one said, ‘You can only have it for six months.’ They said, ‘Whatever you need,’ and we had more material than we could use. Even I didn’t really understand the breadth of their collectors—people who have bought and squirreled away significant pieces from the family, people who take their collections seriously and do it with strong intention.”
“Visions in Crystal”
From left, Philipp and Jutta Munsteiner and Susan Helmich. Photo by Robert Weldon
Personal & Professional
For Sergent and Helmich, longtime collectors and advocates of the Munsteiner Atelier, sentiments shared with the crowd were straight from the heart. Sergent spoke about the family, noting how young Philipp learned impressive techniques from both his grandfather and father, and how he has already debuted five of his own cuts for the brand. Helmich, meanwhile, spoke of her decades of friendship and business with the Munsteiners, and the significance of their contributions.
“All exhibit the inspiration of visionary cutting, and my greatest intention is to bring these gems to the highest level of wearable art,” she says.
Looking to the future, Philipp will carry on the family name as a rising star in his own right in the cutting world.
“He is an extraordinary talent who exhibits a blend of training and inspiration derived from his grandfather and father,” adds Helmich. “Further, his own style is well developed and going forward. His certifications and awards reinforce the expertise witnessed in his work, but more than that, you can see it in his eyes. Philipp’s integrity and talent reach beyond his years.…I believe he will carry on the Munsteiner name and inventiveness with an acute intention to bringing new ideas to the gem-cutting world.”
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