The fifth edition of GemGenève, the show dedicated to professional jewellers and enthusiasts and also open to the public, closed its doors on Sunday evening, on the eve of the major autumn auctions of the Geneva Luxury Week starting this week. A total of 3,543 visitors travelled to Palexpo to discover the outstanding gemstones and new releases on display at GemGenève. While the exhibitors concentrated on new business over the four days, the general public had an opportunity to find out more about the world of jewellery and its many facets as they moved from one stand to stand another marvelling at the exceptional pieces on show.
GemGenève delivers a unique experience for first-time buyers and seasoned collectors, showcasing exceptional precious gemstones and other unexpected treasures. Of the 3,543 visitors, 1,662 came back for a second look, making for a total of 5,205 visits. A participation that exceeds all previous editions!
For this new edition, the organisers have outdone themselves in bringing Hall 6 to life with an inspired scenography reflecting the unique spirit of GemGenève.
The space has been given a magnificent decorum in orange and purple tones, with a wide avenue and a large boulevard as well as small lounges conducive to business discussions.
Much appreciated were ’le Village des Savoirs’ (hosting the schools and the Villa that housed the Gem Museum of Singapore and the micro-mosaic exhibition), ’le Village des Designers’ (a space bringing together all the contemporary designers), and a digital capsule invested by journalists, youtubers and podcast creators.
Last but not least, a nod to the international Geneva, a mini “Jet d’eau” was set up in front of The Tom & Ronny’s Brasserie, creating surprise and good mood among the participants.
Opening ceremony, left to right: Mauro Poggia, President of the State Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, Ronny Totah, co-founder of GemGenève, Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, Thomas Faerber, co-founder of GemGenève
A total of 176 exhibitors took part in the event. In addition to 144 professional dealers, other exhibitors included designers from the Vivarium Quartet, Emerging Talents, New Designers, the Strong & Precious project featuring Ukrainian designers, school stands, the Villa stand housing the Singapore Gem Museum display, a micro-mosaics exhibition stand, the Bernard Letu and the Gem Collectors bookshops. The 176 exhibitors benefited from a favourable environment for business, discussions, and networking opportunities with connoisseurs and amateur enthusiasts. As organiser and co-founder of the show Ronny Totah explains, “this edition exceeded all our expectations in terms of numbers. We had slightly fewer exhibitors in November (176) than in May (201), but never before have we had so many buyers and other visitors.”
“It’s been a great edition”, adds co-founder Thomas Faerber. “We’ve had positive feedback from many of those taking part about the organisation, design, and layout of the exhibition. Most of the exhibitors were visibly happy as they left the event, a sign of business having been good.”
Visitors travelled from over 70 countries to attend the fifth edition of the Geneva International Gem & Jewellery Show. Most came from Switzerland, France, and Italy, followed by the UK, Belgium, and the USA, as well as some from India, Germany, and the UAE.
As Ronny Totah notes, “This year, GemGenève has further established itself as an authority in international jewellery trading, becoming one of the most sought-after events of its kind.” As a unique platform dedicated to coloured gemstones, outstanding diamonds, antique and contemporary pieces, recognised designers, and emerging talents, GemGenève’s reputation for quality has gone from strength to strength over the years; the event is becoming increasingly popular with exhibitors and buyers alike.
Buyers in particular have shown themselves very keen to make new purchases and negotiate business deals.
In the course of the event, four avant-garde jewellery creators took part in the Vivarium Quartet organised by jewellery historian Vivienne Becker. GemGenève also had a dedicated space for Emerging Talents and New Designers, introduced by Nadège Totah.
For the second consecutive time, at the initiative of Thomas Faerber GemGenève welcomed a Strong and Precious – Ukrainian Jewellers stand featuring pieces by several Ukrainian designers including NOMIS, Inesa Kovalova, BEVZA, Rockah.brand, Sergey Zhernov Art & Jewellery, Drutis Jewellery, LUTIKI, GUNIA, and Denis Music. Also on display alongside these contemporary creations was the antique jewellery of Joseph Marchak, the most famous Ukrainian jeweller of the twentieth century.
The presence of a Ukrainian stand at May’s event had already been noticed by Sotheby’s: the auction house’s Director and Jewellery Specialist Marie-Cécile Cisamolo has decided to organise a charity auction this autumn where a selection of jewellery created and donated by Ukrainian jewellers from Strong and Precious and pieces donated by 3 jewellery dealers present at GemGenève – Faerber Collection, Golay Fils & Stahl, Paul Fisher – and by Margherita Burgener will be going under the hammer. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Superhumans Center charity for victims of the war in Ukraine.
GemGenève, a genuine powerhouse of creativity, offers its visitors a fully immersive experience into the different skills involved in the jewellery industry, with a highly diverse and informative programme:
- 15 talks and a workshop; videos of the talks are available at digital.gemgeneve.com
- 4 special exhibitions: one dedicated to Fabergé by the Igor Carl Fabergé Foundation; another dedicated to micro-mosaics through the ages; the Singapore Gem Museum exhibit featuring a fascinating and educational presentation of precious stones and scientific awareness workshops; and an exhibition staged by the Grand Théâtre de Genève displaying the costumes used for La Juive, an opera by Fromental Halévy
• Several book-signing sessions with authors specialising in jewellery including Rachael Taylor, Carol Woolton, Charline Coupeau, and Caroline Charron
The talks were very well-attended, with an average audience of 40-50.
Videos of all the talks are available online via the GemGenève digital platform.
“It’s been a great edition. We’ve had positive feedback from many of those taking part about the organisation, design, and layout of the exhibition. Most of the exhibitors were visibly happy as they left the event, a sign of business having been good.”
Thomas Faerber, Co-founder of GemGenève
