«Arnoldsche published «Art Deco Jewelry, Jakob Bengel, Idar-Oberstein» in 2002. Until then entirely unknown, the costume-jewellery maker Jakob Bengel was thus introduced to the annals of jewellery history. The discovery of this Art Deco collection, that is unique in 1930s European jewellery, focused public attention on the business (est 1873). Comprising a factory, with a villa for the proprietor and housing for the workforce, it had been preserved in its building, replete with machinery and tools as a relic of 1870s boom era costume jewellery. Turned into a cultural monument through the establishment of a foundation in 2001, today it makes 130 years of costume jewellery history come alive and is being successfully transformed into a centre for contemporary art jewellery. Rotating exhibitions, 'artists in residence' and studios for young artists in jewellery link tradition and future at a unique place.»
