Groh Ripp - The Magazine

The Magazine

Die Edelsteinschleiferei 

für Ihre speziellen Wünsche 

Dear readers, 

you are holding 

our rst 

magazine in 

your hands. 

Our aim is to provide you 

with new insights via our 

new medium. Insights into 

our manufacture and our 

technical department, but 

naturally also into our lives. 

And we want to share with 

you our passion for the most 

unusual treasures of nature, 

which we are privileged to 

work with every day. 

THE MAGAZINE 

Editorial 

Bernd Willi, Sandra, Nicole and Stefanie Ripp 

(from left to right), a family with a shared passion 

For over 60 years Groh + Ripp 

has stood for gem stones in 

perfection thanks to commitment, 

passion and strong 

family cohesion. 

It is not only our stones 

that are unusual: realising 

customer requests down to 

the smallest detail has always 

been a speciality of 

our establishment. As a consequence, 

we have been familiar 

to you for generations 

as the “gemstone cutters for 

those special requirements.” 

With this magazine we want 

to take you on a journey 

into the fascinating world of 

coloured gemstones. Be our 

guest and accompany us to 

our uncut stones, to the cutters 

and lapidarists and to 

our technical departments, 

in which our products are 

created in the most precise 

manner possible. 

With best regards 

GROH + RIPP 03

there is 

no other way 

in the 

world 

of making a thing 

or being beautiful 

“ 

than to 

love it. 

Robert Musil 

„

06 Groh + ripp 

AStefanie Ripp on heR heaRt Stone 

fresh, peerless neon turquoise 

radiates from the 

necklace of Stefanie ripp, a 

multitude of facets glittering 

vibrantly. The stone appears 

to sparkle in a race to outshine 

the brilliant-cut diamonds 

that surround it and 

hold it fast. 

With each movement the 

stone is bathed in a new 

light, revealing ever-new 

sides to itself. Although the 

colour initially appears almost 

dazzling, it is nonetheless 

a rather discreet, highly 

elegant stone. it is scarcely 

possible to drag the gaze 

away, so strong is the radiance 

and the magic of its attraction. 

“i love 

this stone.” 

No other has such fire, yet 

radiates such serenity and 

elegance at the same time. 

“it is also something special 

for me, and i deal with precious 

stones every day,” says 

Stefanie ripp. 

The stone she wears is a 

paraiba tourmaline. it is one 

of the rarest coloured gemstones 

of all and it receives 

its unusual colour from traces 

of copper and manganese. 

it is said that it is not only 

the wearer that chooses the 

jewellery, but also the jewellery 

that chooses the wearer. 

And both therefore fit together 

wonderfully.

No heart of stoNe 

A union 

for life 

Stefanie and Bernd Willi Ripp have created 

an internationally-successful company 

from a small gemstone cutting operation. 

A portrait of an extraordinary couple. 

the ripps work with 

the finest treasures 

of nature every day 

08 Groh + ripp Groh + ripp 09

010 GROH + RIPP 

“ 

STRENGTH MAKES 

NO NOISE — IT IS 

THERE AND ACTS. 

” 

Albert Schweitzer 

He is only truly happy when 

he is at his company,” says 

Stefanie Ripp, of her husband. 

The success of Groh 

+ Ripp is due in large 

part to the passion for the 

products, but also to business 

management considerations. 

The profits earned 

were always invested in new 

technology and materials, 

which either found use with 

goldsmiths and jewellers 

or served as dials for select 

watch brands. 

Many customer requests 

could be satisfied from 

stocks, however, Bernd Willi 

Ripp was always in search 

of new, interesting minerals, 

gemstones, that special 

Bernd Willi Ripp only buys 

when he is convinced of the 

quality of a product. A simple 

principle, and one that 

has made Groh + Ripp the 

success story that it is today. 

something. He still purchases 

gemstones in a targeted 

manner to this day. In 

the case of unusual requests 

he can resort to his direct 

contacts with mine owners 

and suppliers of rough 

stones. “Depending on the 

customer request, it may 

take a while for us to find 

the matching stone, because 

obviously nature sets limits 

from time to time. However, 

our long-standing business 

contacts often provide 

us with privileged access 

to particular stones,” says 

Bernd Willi Ripp. 

Many stones are bought 

when they appear on the 

market — over the course 

of the years this has resulted 

in an incredible 

stock of uncut stones being 

amassed. This provides the 

freedom to offer the matching 

colours for every fashion 

trend. 

Stefanie Ripp is also passionate 

about the business, 

which she has grown 

up with from a child: her 

father, Theo Groh, ran an 

agate cutting operation in 

Rhaunen, a village in the 

Hunsrück region, approximately 

25 kilometres to the 

north of Idar-Oberstein. 

The company supplied 

many of the companies in 

the area. At an early age she 

discovered her love of the 

treasures of nature and the 

art of transforming rough 

stones into perfect forms. 

She has retained her feel 

for gemstones acquired 

from those days and she 

looks back fondly on the 

beginnings of the company: 

when she married Bernd 

Willi Ripp 41 years ago and 

he joined the company, in 

1973, that was to become 

Groh + Ripp, the times were 

difficult and challenging, 

GROH + RIPP 011

ut also exciting and filled 

with wonderful moments. 

Bernd Willi Ripp and his 

wife were a good team from 

the word go. Together they 

travelled to customers, discussed 

orders and had numerous 

ideas. Stefanie Ripp 

was always a good partner 

and a good team player by 

his side, not only looking after 

the day-to-day needs of 

the company but also taking 

care of two small children. 

To begin with 

they merely 

supplied agate 

to customers in 

the region. 

However, Bernd Willi Ripp 

dreamed of refining the 

products and expanding the 

range. He soon obtained 

meetings with dial manufacturers 

and received the first 

job orders. 

Gradually the modest workshop 

evolved into a considerable 

company — and Groh + 

Ripp expanded. In 1986 the 

company relocated to Idar- 

Oberstein — and this is also 

where Stefanie Ripp had the 

idea for a geographical realignment 

of the company. 

“Everything in due course,” 


Stefanie Ripp became 

acquainted with the big, 

wide world at an early age. 

She maintains numerous 

friendships with trading 

partners on every continent, 

helping to ensure that 

customers frequently return 

to Groh + Ripp. 

she says, with a smile. “We 

always had lots of ideas and 

gradually implemented 

these.” Idar-Oberstein has 

always been a centre of excellence 

for gemstones and 

gemstone crafts — in other 

words, just the place in which 

to make new contacts and 

maintain existing ones. 

Stefanie Ripp waxes lyrical 

when she talks of the business 

trips with her husband 

and their daughters, which 

have influenced them both 

professionally and in private 

life — even if the border between 

work and private life 

has always been a fluid one 

for the Ripp family. “The 

family has always come first 

with us — and so has the 

firm,” she says, with a wink. 

It is not difficult to see the 

enthusiasm that the family 

has for the company. Dealing 

with the most varied of precious 

gemstones on a daily 

basis is both a profession and 

a passion, many customers 

and trading partners have 

long become friends, who 

treasure the Ripps not only 

for their expertise and the 

quality of their products, but 

also for their warmth and 

openness. 

“ 

THE LIFE OF 

A PERSON IS 

TINGED WITH THE 

COLOUR OF HIS 

IMAGINATION. 

” 

Honoré de Balzac 

GROH + RIPP 013


THE PERFECT CUT 

Where the 

magic happens 

In the workshops of Groh + Ripp the precious 

treasures of nature are transformed into 

works of art. Devoted attention is required 

for them to reveal their full beauty. 

The magic of the stones 

can already be recognised 

in the fine uncut stones, 

such as the amethyst, mandarin 

garnet and rubellite here 

GROH + RIPP 015

Jürgen Brunk 

loves working 

with the colouredgemstones. 

He is 

a part of 

Groh + Ripp 

and Groh + 

Ripp is a part 

of him. 

world, each of them unique. 

to talk about the sheer inexhaustible 

range of coloured 

gemstones, of the crystals of 

the stones, of pleochroism, 

of the origins of the stones, 

of their cuts and how everything 

tails in to one another. 

The cellars are divided into 

opaque and transparent uncut 

stones, with these subsequently 

chosen for their 

different uses. The opaque 

materials are mostly used 

for technical products or objects. 

The transparent rough 

stones are selected and cut 

for premium necklaces, pendants 

or rings. The variety of 

Entering one of these rooms, 

coloured stones on offer here 

the silver-coloured shelves 

is simply inexhaustible. The 

reveal true treasures: lapis, 

rough crystals in the cellars 

various kinds of jade, obsid- 

and the cut coloured stones 

1 

ian, quartz, malachite and 

numerous other materials 

are to be found here. The 

largely opaque stones peek 

out imploringly from the 

coarse jute sacks, waiting to 

be chosen. 

Everything is in its allotted 

place. “With this immense 

in the safes display the entire 

spectrum of colours: 

kunzite, fire opals, rubies, 

coloured sapphires, emeralds, 

aquamarine, tsavorite, 

opals, moonstone, tourmalines 

in every conceivable 

hue, tanzanite, jade, turquoise 

— all are found here 

inventory it is vital to main- 

in select qualities, shapes 

tain an overview. Only then 

and colours. 

The first step in the process 

is always the walk to one of 

the numerous uncut stone 

cellars of the company — a 

storage area that resembles 

a treasure chamber, bursting 

at the seams. Over the course 

of several generations stones 

have been gathered together 

here from all around the 

can we provide our customers 

with optimal service and 

advice in the realisation of 

their requests,” says Jürgen 

Brunk, who has worked as a 

gemmologist and diamond 

assessor at Groh + Ripp for 

over 15 years. He is a dyedin-the-wool 

“coloured gemstone 

person” — his eyes 

light up as soon as he begins 

“The starting point for us is 

always the wishes of the customer. 

As soon as we know 

what the customer wants, 

everything moves very 

quickly. We recommend a 

suitable stone from our uncut 

material. We can choose 

from nearly every colour in 

nearly every material,” says 

Jürgen Brunk. 

016 GROH + RIPP GROH + RIPP 017 

2 

3 1. Jürgen Brunk in one of the uncut stone cellars 2. Mandarin garnet, 

Paraiba tourmaline, yellow beryl, rubellite and tanzanite cut as cabochon 

3. Nicole Ripp and Jürgen Brunk examine uncut stones

In spite of the loud 

whine of the saws used 

to cut the stones and 

the drone of the various 

cutting and polishing 

machines, the workshop has 

4 

5 

6 

a tranquil, almost magical 

aura. It smells of wood, of 

metal and of dust from the 

stones, of oil, wax and spirits. 

Everywhere in the brightlylit 

workshop the precious 

Cutting 

the precious 

stones 

requires 

skill and 

composure. 

stones sparkle and glitter, 

as if trying to outshine one 

another. Turquoise-coloured 

Paraiba tourmalines, orange-coloured 

mandarin 

garnets, imperial topaz, rubellite, 

kunzite, fire opals and 

many more besides — all 

appear to capture the light 

of the workshop and reflect 

it back. Over 100 different 

types of stone are gathered 

here, each with their own 

peculiarities and characteristics. 

Touring the workshop it is 

evident that everything here 

is focused on the realisation 

of the wishes of the customer: 

at the grinding wheel sits 

budding master craftsman 

Mirco Galle, cutting signet 

rings and the matching layer 

stone. “Each job order is different 

and each individual 

stone has its own particular 

character,” says Mirco Galle, 

“This is why the work is so 

incredibly varied and each 

day so exciting.” 

For over 30 years now Groh 

+ Ripp has offered all of the 

8 

9 

7 

4.+5.+6. A green-white layer stone is worked 

into the signet ring 7. Cut layer stone with engraved 

crest and monogram 8.+9. Prospective 

master craftsman Mirco Galle at work 

018 GROH + RIPP GROH + RIPP 019

Brightly-coloured gemstones: 

faceted rubellite, yellow beryl, 

imperial topaz, mandarin garnet, 

aquamarine and green tourmaline 

work stages required, from 

the layer stone to the finished 

signet ring. In a painstaking 

procedure individual 

monograms, family crests 

With the 

perfect cut 

the stone 

acquires 

an endless 

depth. No 

two glances 

at it are 

alike. 

and motifs of the customer’s 

own design are engraved 

into the layer stone, lapis, 

onyx or more unusual stone 

varieties such as sapphire, 

tourmaline or garnet, with 

the stones subsequently set 

in rings of different materials. 

In the workshops highly 

complex cutting tasks are 

also undertaken: the finest 

rubellite, aquamarine, peridots 

and golden beryl are 

cut into bangles, but also 

highly intricate, detailed 

pieces for different items of 

jewellery are created. 


10 

Some complex projects 

shaped with the aid of CNC 

machines are given their final, 

laborious finish by hand 

in this department. 

Cutting, sawing, 

creation of the 

basic form, cementing 

the 

stone on wooden 

sticks and naturally 

grinding on the many different 

wheels all occurs here. 

Jürgen Brunk selects the 

rough stones and discusses 

them with the cutters and 

lapidarists. Each of the steps 

that follows is a work of 

hand craftsmanship. Time 

and again, the cutters and 

lapidarists apply the stones 

to the grinding wheels at the 

correct angle, carefully 

checking the interim results 

after each facet. Piece by 

piece the precious treasures 

of nature are transformed 

into jewellery of irresistible 

beauty. 

The light breaks into the 

various different angles of 

the carefully-added facets, 

revealing itself in a new 

Time and 

again Rolf 

Cullmann 

holds the 

gemstone 

to the wheel, 

until the 

required 

perfection 

is achieved. 

sparkle from each different 

perspective. 

At Groh + Ripp the stones 

are cut to perfection rather 

than to weight or size, because 

only when the relationship 

between the facets 

and the angles is right can 

the full beauty of the stone 

be revealed. The tour, then, 

takes us from the uncut 

stone store to the cutting 

area and lapidary department, 

with explanation 

of the respective stages of 

work that a stone must pass 

through from uncut stage to 

the perfect stone. 

Not all stones are capable 

of being faceted. Many of 

the precious pieces are also 

cut into cabochons. The 

raw material typical has 

inclusions and it is not the 

precisely-angled facets that 

breathe life into the stone 

here — instead, it is hollow 

channels, small needles or 

a net-like natural appearance. 

In many minerals this 

cut even emphasises unusual 

inclusions, lending the stone 

a very special aesthetic appearance. 

Stones of a particularly high 

quality are cut in the lapidary 

department. Full concentration 

and an unbroken 

fascination for the beauty of 

the cut and uncut stones are 

characteristics of the lapidarists 

as they go about their 

unique work. Rolf Cullmann 

is a master of his craft — 

there are few lapidarists that 

understand their work as 

well as he does. He carefully 

guides a neon-turquoise 

Paraiba tourmaline to the 

cutting wheel and holds it to 

the light, turning it critically 

back and forth before applying 

it. He repeats the pro cess 

countless times, until he is 

finally satisfied. He holds 

the stone, now cut with endless 

facets, to the light one 

last time. And now the full, 

breathtakingly majestic colour 

of the Paraiba tourmaline 

is finally revealed. 

At Groh + Ripp they are 

proud of every member of 

staff, because their perfectionism 

is impressive — but 

they are also the prerequisite 

for satisfying the demands of 

the customers. 

022 GROH + RIPP GROH + RIPP 023 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

10. Perfection from the hand of the master: Rolf Cullmann after 

a fruitful session at work 11+12. Applying facets to a fine Paraiba 

tourmaline 13. Michael Strehblow examines the fine polishing of the 

facets 14. Paraiba tourmaline, fully faceted 15. In their fully-cut state 

the stones resemble small works of art. It is only now that their full 

spectrum of colour and incredible radiance comes into full effect

Nature 

“ 

is 

usually 

More 

imaginative 

than 

„ 

we are. 

Freeman Dyson


SURREALIST ART WITH GEMSTONES 

Welcome to the 

Stone Age 

Every gemstone is a work of art. The fascinating colours, 

the uniquely complex forms and the distinctive radiance 

stimulate the imagination in a manner that is unique. 

“ 

THE BEST THING 

THAT WE CAN 

EXPERIENCE IS 

THE MYSTERIOUS. 

” 

Albert Einstein 

Finest faceted 

Paraiba tourmalines 

and matching 

pavée stones 

GROH + RIPP 027

“ 

EVERYTHING 

HAS ITS BEAUTY, 

BUT NOT 

EVERYONE 

CAN SEE IT. 

” 

Confucius 

Left: Finest rubies, sapphires and emeralds; This page: Faceted tanzanite and aquamarine 

in droplet form 



This page: Coral with Mozambique tourmalines in berry shades; Right: Mozambique aquamarines 

in a cocktail glass, star sapphire from Sri Lanka 

“ 

LUXURY IS NOT 

THE OPPOSITE 

OF POVERTY, 

IT IS THE OPPOSITE 

OF VULGARITY. 

” 

Coco Chanel

“ 

HE THAT ONLY 

QUESTIONS THE 

PURPOSE OF 

THINGS WILL 

NEVER DISCOVER 

THEIR BEAUTY. 

” 

Halldor Laxness 

Technical segments 

in finest ruby, opal, 

meteorite, lapis lazuli, 

turquoise, Burma jade, 

tiger's eye, onyx, rutile 

quartz 

GROH + RIPP 033

This page: Creation of watch dials in various shades of mother of pearl, synthetic sapphire 

glass and sapphire plates; Right: Small components (as one-off or series production) for 

buttons, rings and chain links in coral, lapis lazuli, tourmaline, onyx, mother of pearl, elements 

for watch cases and watch crowns 


“ 

TIME STAYS LONG 

ENOUGH FOR 

ANYONE WHO 

WILL USE IT. 

” 

Leonardo Da Vinci

“ It Is not 

enough for 

technology 

to functIon well. 

It needs to fIt Into 

the world, 

„ 

too. 

Gero von Randow

2 3 GROH 

1 

1.+2.+3. Insight into 

the CNC-controlled 

processing of gemstones 

WHERE HIGH-TECH MEETS CLASSIC CRAFTSMANSHIP 

Extending the limits 

of the possible 

The material of gemstones places very 

special demands on both people and machines. 

At Groh + Ripp every challenge is faced — 

with expertise, experience and modern technology. 

Coloured gemstones are highly 

versatile with regards to 

their uses. They have long 

expanded beyond the field 

of jewellery, with their various 

characteristics making 

them also of interest for potential 

use in technology and 

laboratories. In addition, 

many of the major watch 

manufacturers also use 

dials made from gemstone 

Machines 

working on 

the µ scale 

open up new 

possible 

areas of use 

for gemstones. 

and mother of pearl, lending 

their watches a highly 

individual appearance and 

a unique character. Groh + 

Ripp supplies a wide range 

of objects to many different 

companies, including leading 

research establishments 

and a large number of watch 

manufacturers from all 

around the world. The range 

+ RIPP 039

extends from thin cover 

glasses used in microscopy 

to accessories for watches 

and movements and on to 

complex large-scale objects 

such as sculptures, plinths 

for statues and cases for 

large clocks. 

In the technical department 

objects are realised whose 

use is only evident at second 

glance: these are purely 

components. The dials or 

case rings made from materials 

such as turquoise, lapis 

lazuli, coral, opal, malachite, 

onyx, mother of pearl, 

meteorite, hawk's eye, jasper 

and synthetic sapphire 

represent just a part of the 

whole. Their elegance is only 

truly unfolded when they 

are processed further. When 

the dial sits beneath a gently 

domed sapphire crystal in a 

metal case, when the hands, 

powered by a quietly ticking 

movement, move across 

the fascinating material in 

composed elegance, then a 

completely different side to 

the beauty of the gemstones 

is revealed. 

Achieving the 

high technical 

requirements is 

often difficult, 

because each 


material places its own demands 

with regard to how it 

is worked. The thinner the 

stone is cut, the more intricate 

the processing required 

and the more fragile the 

finished product will be. In 

addition, different hardness 

of the stones, irregularities 

such as cracks or natural 

inclusions always represent 

new challenges for the company. 

Step by step, 

complex 

plans are 

transformed 

into the 

most precise 

products at 

Groh + Ripp. 

4 

This is why Bernd Willi Ripp 

and his daughter Sandra, 

who together manage the 

technology department at 

Groh + Ripp, are always 

looking to expand opportunities 

for processing gemstones. 

They are in constant 

search of solutions in order 

to realise projects that were 

previously thought inconceivable. 

This is why a great 

deal has been invested in 

computer-assisted production, 

which comprises, 

amongst other activities, annular 

sawing, surface grinding 

and milling machines. 

This machinery enables the 

creation of highly-complex 

pieces with tolerances in the 

range of 1/100 mm, in some 

cases even µ. The equipment 

used in the final inspection 

is also state of the art. Every 

development on the market 

4.+5.+6. The highest standard of precision 

in all production processes 

is monitored — and where 

practical, the corresponding 

equipment is acquired. 

The result is an impressive 

machinery park in which 

mighty apparatus is used 

to create the most intricate 

objects, to the most precise 

specifications. Here, for example, 

we can see how a 

special saw is used to saw a 

large block of lapis into extremely 

thin discs. Through 

6 

5 

GROH + RIPP 041


7 

the inspection window of a 

five-axis milling machine it 

is possible to see a tiny attachment, 

cooled by a jet of 

water, moving repeatedly 

over a plate of onyx barely 

one centimetre in size, slowly 

altering the shape of the 

jet-black stone in the process. 

And yet machines are 

incapable of performing all 

of the tasks. “Without the 

traditional craftsmanship 

the technology alone would 

not be sufficient. Despite all 

of the precision and care, the 

work of our cutters is indispensible,” 

explains Bernd 

Willi Ripp, “Craftsmanship 

and state-of-the-art technology 

need to complement 

one another. Only then is it 

possible for both to develop 

further.” 

The fact that 

both are to be 

found to a considerable 

extent 

at Groh + Ripp, 

that innovativeness meets 

dedicated craftsmanship, 

Only when 

high-tech and 

hand craftsmanship 

intertwine is 

it possible for 

both to advance 

further. 

resulting in the ability to 

work almost any material required, 

means that the company 

is now in a position to 

fulfil nearly every customer 

request. Many customers of 

the company travel to the 

Ripps from all around the 

world, just to convince themselves 

that ideas can be realised 

and fulfilled with the required 

degree of perfection. 

Groh + Ripp has established 

a reputation in the trade for 

mastering the extremely difficult 

task of transforming a 

technical drawing into a finished 

product. 

8 

9 7.+8. Master craftsman Stephan Lorenz during the inspection stage 

9. View of the technical CNC department 

GROH + RIPP 043

“ The source 

of all ThaT is 

beautiful 

consisTs of 

a cerTain unison of 

opposites. 

Thomas Aquinas 

„


SO DIFFERENT AND YET SO SIMILAR 

Sister Act 

Nicole and Sandra Ripp have completely different 

approaches to their work — and this is precisely 

why they complement one another so well.


“ 

EVERYDAY I AM 

ASTONISHED 

ANEW BY THE 

ENDLESS BEAUTY 

OF THE STONES. 

” 

Nicole Ripp 

They love the beautiful things. 

Nicole and Sandra Ripp 

love jewellery and fashion, 

colours and forms, individual 

designs and versatile 

combination options. They 

love nature, landscapes, the 

mountains in Idar-Oberstein, 

the forest that they 

walk through with Nicole’s 

dogs. And this is why it is 

not surprising that they also 

love gemstones. The roots 

of this passion lie deep: in 

the agate cutting firm of 

their grandfather they saw 

how large, uncut stones 

were gradually transformed 

into genuine works of art. 

They recall the children of 

the customers with whom 

they played on the meadow 

outside the workshop, the 

bubbling pans on the stove, 

giving off their sweet smell 

Nicole Ripp has never lost 

her eye for the beauty of 

gemstones. Despite her 

daily contact with the valuable 

materials of nature, 

she still appreciates every 

one of them. 

when grandfather cleaned 

the agate, and the numerous 

journeys around the world. 

They learned at an early 

age where the stones came 

from, met the mine owners 

and their children — an experience 

that still affects the 

sisters to this day. 

After leaving school they 

both studied Business Management. 

Nicole Ripp ini- 

tially went to America and 

Switzerland and completed 

an apprenticeship at a bank. 

She planned to return there. 

Torn between the sober 

world of the banker and the 

glittering world of the coloured 

stones — she finally 

decided on the company, due 

perhaps in part to the fact 

that she missed the sparkle, 

the shine and the euphoria 

of the material. Her passion 

for the coloured stones has 

remained with her to this 

day. “My sister and I have 

always loved the stones. 

Even as small children we 

were fascinated to see what 

our father and grandfather 

would do with the stones. 

We spent our childhood at 

the cutting workshop and 

this is probably where our 

enthusiasm comes from,” 

says Nicole Ripp. 

As similar as the sisters are, 

the material has been used 

in very different ways. 

Nicole’s eyes sparkle when 

she talks of the riddles of 

nature, of buying the uncut 

stones, of the different fundamental 

substances which, 

with the influence of colouring 

trace elements, become 

different coloured stones, 

such as the chrome deposits 

that make an emerald 

out of a beryl, but a ruby 

out of a corundum. She enthuses 

over the harmony of 

chemical structures and how 

they influence the structure 

and colour of the different 

stones. “It is the entirety of 

the different forces of nature 

that influence the stones,” 

she says, “And this complexity 

ultimately forms their 

beauty. Nature is a precious 

commodity — we know how 

to treat it appreciatively.” 

GROH + RIPP 049

Her enthusiasm for the precious 

stones has also made 

Nicole Ripp a highly discerning 

buyer. She recognises 

the beauty of the stones 

immediately and knows exactly 

what she wants. And 

she refuses to compromise in 

any way: “Groh + Ripp 

stands for perfect products. 

And this is why the uncut 

stones and the subsequent 

processing have the highest 

priority.” 

Sandra Ripp loves 

plans. She, too, is 

fascinated by the 

beauty of perfectly-cut 

gemstones, 

but her focus is upon the 

technical processing of those 

stones. As a consequence, 

her attention is dedicated to 

the technical department at 

Groh + Ripp. She organises 

the work on the CNC machines, 

supports her customers 

and, above all, is constantly 

in search of 

opportunities to expand the 

ways in which gemstones 

can be worked. Figures and 


Gemstones present high 

demands; they are hard, 

but fragile and the various 

inclusions mean that the 

material differs from stone 

to stone. For Sandra Ripp 

these are not obstacles, 

but challenges. 

plans have always interested 

her more than the jewellery 

itself. As a consequence, she 

approaches her work in a 

completely different way to 

her sister. Whilst Nicole Ripp 

sees an uncut stone and recognises 

how it can become a 

jewel, Sandra Ripp firstly 

looks at the plans of the customers 

and the respective 

models. Then she considers 

how those plans can be implemented, 

what material 

specifications can be determined 

and what work stages 

are required. Each job order 

and every repair represents a 

new challenge to her. This 

makes every working day an 

exciting one. 

The two sisters pursue two 

completely different approaches 

to their work. They 

frequently use the same 

starting materials and give 

them a new face in the form 

of different projects. 

As different as Nicole and 

Sandra Ripp may be, they 

complement each other very 

well. With their completely 

different approaches, their 

completely different eye for 

the uncut stone they cover 

both sides of the work with 

the gemstones. Bernd Willi 

Ripp is extremely proud 

when the subject turns to his 

daughters. “Even though 

every opportunity was open 

to them, it was really always 

clear that they would go on 

to manage the company,” he 

says, with a smile, “The 

course has been set for the 

future.” 

“ 

I LOVE THINKING 

ABOUT HOW 

A PLAN CAN BE 

TRANSFORMED 

INTO A FINISHED 

OBJECT. 

” 

Sandra Ripp 

GROH + RIPP 051

Nicole Ripp oN heR heaRt stoNe 

i 

t is only on the second or 

third glance that it becomes 

evident what kind of stone 

Nicole ripp is wearing on 

her finger. it is a peach-coloured 

tourmaline from Mozambique, 

with a touch of 

cinnamon visible, depending 

on the way it is rotated. 

Like the stone of her mother, 

this tourmaline is also something 

special. particularly 

due to the fact that Nicole 

ripp selected the stone herself 

from a large number 

of uncut stones. “it was a 

nondescript brown colour, 

not at all attractive at first 

glance.” But Nicole ripp 

could already tell what the 

stone was capable of becom- 

ing. “i had it assessed by our 

master lapidarist,” she says. 

“We discovered that the oval 

shape was best suited to the 

stone.” 

Facets upon facets glint in 

the light, lending the stone 

an incredible depth. The 

tourmaline is surrounded 

by two interwoven oval ring 

shanks, set with cinnamoncoloured 

brilliant-cut diamonds. 

These provide the 

stone with a particularly 

luxurious frame. 

“This is 

now one of 

my favourite 

pieces.” 

Groh + ripp 053

4 

1 2 3 

5 

6 

7 

8 

1. Art Director Katja Herz and Nicole Ripp take a break in the safe room 2. Photographer 

Markus Abele loves his camera 3. Stylist Nina Lemm on the set 4. Sandra and Nicole Ripp during 

the shoot 5. Editor Christoph Hoffmann with a large tourmaline 6. Jürgen Brunk decorates 

a coral 7. Stefanie Ripp during the shoot 8. Layout wall meeting at Untitled in Hamburg with 

Nicole Ripp, Christoph Hoffmann, Katja Herz and Christian Jürgens (left to right.) 

Sometimes you 

meet people 

and just click 

with them. 

Four years 

ago, when i 

paid my first 

visit as publisher of the GZ 

to the prestigious company 

Making-of 

Groh + ripp in idar-oberstein, 

i came armed with a 

healthy dose of respect. But 

at the end of an extremely 

pleasant meeting Nicole 

ripp said to me: “We're 

going to co-operate well together, 

for a long time.” And 

so it turned out, because not 

only does the ripp family 

keep to its word at all times, 

actions also speak for themselves. 

They are reliable people, 

the ripps, hardworking 

and determined, whilst 

at the same time creative, 

passionate and, above all, 

incredibly magnanimous. 

Genuine merchants, in the 

best sense of the word. i 

think that the pictures on 

this page illustrate very 

clearly: creating the Groh + 

ripp magazine was a lot of 

fun. A document of a great 

partnership. 

Christian Jürgens 

Published by 

groh + Ripp 

Proprietor Stefanie Ripp e.K. 

Tiefensteiner Straße 322a 

55743 idar-Oberstein 

Phone: +49 (0) 6781 / 93 500 

Fax: +49 (0) 6781 / 93 50 50 

E-mail: info@groh-ripp.de 

www.groh-ripp.de 

Responsible 

Nicole Ripp 

THE MAgAziNE 

imprint 

Realisation 

Untitled Verlag und Agentur 

gmbH & Co. Kg 

Medienpark Kampnagel 

Jarrestraße 2 

22303 Hamburg 

Phone: +49 (0) 40 / 189 881 0 

www.untitled-verlag.de 

Managing Director 

Dr. Christian Jürgens 

Art Direction 

Katja Herz 

Editor 

Christoph Hoffmann 

Photographers 

Markus Abele, Bernd Westphal, 

Dirk Weyer 

Staff 

Martina Drignat, Thorsten Fuerst, 

Nina Lemm 

Translation 

AD REM Sprachdienstleistungen 

Printing 

D+L Printpartner gmbH 

Schlavenhorst 10 

46395 Bocholt 

germany 

054 Groh + ripp Groh + ripp 055

Tiefensteiner Straße 322a 

55743 Idar-Oberstein 

Phone: +49 (0) 6781 / 93 500 

Fax: +49 (0) 6781 / 93 50 50 

www.groh-ripp.de

Groh Ripp - The Magazine

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