The seventh edition of GemGenève, a trade show tailored for both jewelry professionals and enthusiasts, open to the public, concluded on Sunday 5th November evening, after four exciting days.
The tradeshow was founded by Ronny Totah and Thomas Faerber, themselves dealers of antique jewelry. Therefore, the show is organised by industry insiders who understand the needs of their exhibitors and aim to be a hub of creativity and innovation. Under Mathieu Dekeukelaire’s direction, the cultural offering has gained increasing prominence and quality.
Press conference
I particularly appreciated a space dedicated to the Métiers d’art in partnership with ASMEBI, CFP Arts Genève and École Technique de la Vallée de Joux (ETVJ) which showcased the expertise of enamellers, chain-makers, sheath-makers, inlayers, lace workers, glassmiths and specialists in 3-D metal printing.
Sara Bran, gold lace maker, bangle
Rose Saneuil, Marquetry artist
Rose Saneuil and Laura Astrologo Porché
A total of 3,218 visitors attended Palexpo to explore the exceptional gemstones and novelties showcased at GemGenève. Over the four-day event, exhibitors finalized new deals and the general public had the opportunity to delve into various aspects of jewelry, creating a unique experience for both first-time buyers and seasoned collectors.
The tradeshow brought together 144 professional dealers among a total of 172 exhibitors including Emerging Talents & New Designers, schools, Arts & Crafts, The Pearl Odyssey exhibition, the LetuBooks and Gem Collectors Bookshops as well as laboratories. Yet, despite the slight decrease of visitors the quality of the business was very high. Thomas Faerber declared: “Market conditions remain healthy, buoyed by inflation in many regions of the world, adding to the appeal of high-quality pieces as safe investments”. I interviewed many exhibitors that globally affirmed that this edition was particularly rich for the quality of buyers and affairs. Paolo Valentini, owner of Valentini Gems 1927, affirmed: “This edition of GemGeneve was characterized by the presence of “concrete” visitors who, despite the prevailing atmosphere, came not just with the idea of “taking a stroll” but to conduct business. There was also liveliness among the exhibitors themselves. The sector reserved for designers was interesting and, from what was observed, dynamic and positive. As for us, we engaged with buyers of different levels, all consistently oriented towards quality, substance, and continuity. With some, we concluded deals, while with others, we planted seeds for future collaborations. As always, there were those who exceeded their expectations and those who were extremely disappointed. We can consider ourselves satisfied.”
Paolo Valentini e Laura Astrologo Porché
Mr. Aditya Pawar from SRK from India, whose sustainable company returns at each edition, was globally satisfied about the business and the atmosphere. Mr. Hitarth Dolakhia, President Sales at Hari Krishna Exports Pvt. Ltd. affirmed: “It’s the first time that we are exhibiting in November edition and I am so happy to have come here and showcase what Hari Krishna has been doing for 32 years. This show gives us a lot of great opportunities. I have never seen a show of such quality in our jewelry community, even though I know many others all over the world.” This show was particularly well curated with an astonishing exhibition titled: The Pearl Odyssey.
Pearls are experiencing a remarkable resurgence in the realm of jewelry in recent years. Once deemed outdated or overly traditional, this enchanting sphere of mother-of-pearl now serves as a muse for a new generation of jewellers. As embodiments of wealth, prestige and femininity, pearl ornaments have gracefully traversed ages, fashions and styles, exuding unparalleled elegance. Continuously elevated by the boldest jewelers, pearls hold a distinctive and cherished position in the annals of jewelry history.
“The Pearl Odyssey” embarked on a journey recounting the narrative of pearls and their rich tradition. Showcasing around forty exceptional pieces sourced from the most esteemed private and heritage collections, alongside previously unrevealed projects and archival materials, visitors delved into the boundless creativity and expertise woven around the oldest gem of them all.
As Ronny Totah, himself both an enthusiast and a specialist when it comes to natural pearls, said: “The perfect nature of natural pearls resides in their inherent imperfection, which makes each pearl unique, with its own size, shape, colour and sheen. Pearls can be round, oval, baroque, or even tear-shaped. They range in colour from pure white to dark black via a whole range of shades including pink, champagne and iridescent blue-green resembling insects’ wings”. Under the curatorship of Nadège Totah, Gemgenève featured nine skilled designers in the ‘Designer Village,’ comprising five Emerging Talents and four New Designers.
Celeste Wu, Emerging Talents
Capucine H, Emerging Talents
Shavarsh Hakobian, Emerging Talents
José Maria Goñi (JMG), New Designers
Diva Jewels, New Designers
Serendipity Jewelry, New Designers
Elke Berr, New Designers
For the fourth consecutive time, GemGenève reserved a unique space for the Strong & Precious Art Foundation, featuring six Ukrainian designers.
Strong & Precious, Inesa Kovalova
As a true hub of creativity, GemGenève provides visitors with a comprehensive immersion into various skills within the jewelry industry through a high-level educational program. A wide audience attended the 13 talks and panel discussions, all available on replay at digital.gemgeneve.com. Among them Snakes in jewellery, a lecture given by Gislain Aucremanne, Heritage Curator Director at Bulgari. Another highly relevant panel focused on how AI is disrupting the analysis of precious stones. This talk was chaired by Andrea Machalova, featuring Laurent Cartier, Daniel Nyfeler and Laura Tocmacov. As a part of the “Be the change” project launched at Gemgenève by Laura Inghirami (known also as Donna Jewel) 21 students from Galdus School in Milan were invited to produce their own pieces of jewelry.
The Donna Jewel Award was won by Francesca Quartieri with her kinetic brooch entitled Astraea.
Gemgenève has become a big family to me of which I feel a part. The organisation was perfect, thanks also to the services of a top-tier concierge pawelconcierge.com.
Louise Monnet, la groumette
The next edition will take place from 9 to 12 May, 2024 and I advise all my readers to save this date!
Enjoy even more @ GemGenève
Article edited by Laura Astrologo Porché
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