4,000 Buyers Attend Jewellery & Gem Fair – Europe 2016

The third edition of Jewellery & Gem Fair – Europe brought 4,000 buyers from 77 countries and regions to Freiburg, Germany, according to UBM Asia, which owns and operates the four-day trade fair that ended March 22. 

“The sluggish world economy makes a significant impact on jewelry industry, thus buyers are prudent about choosing which fairs to visit,” said Wolfram Diener, senior VP, UBM Asia. “According to some exhibitors, the quality of buyers at JGF Europe is good; visitors came to the Fair determined to place some orders.” 

The Top 10 sources of visitors were: Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Austria, Brazil and India. About 86 percent of visitors were from Europe, primarily Germany, which accounted for almost half. The rest of the visitors came from other parts of the world.

The Packaging, Tools & Equipment pavilion was popular among the visitors, according to UBM Asia. Compared to last year, this pavilion was 80 percent bigger in terms of exhibition space. 

“We received numerous positive feedbacks about the Packaging, Tools & Equipment pavilion. We are now working on a plan to enhance this pavilion even more in order to answer market demand,” Diener said.

JGF Europe attracted around 280 exhibitors from 27 countries and regions in 15,000 sqm of exhibition space. Five group pavilions (Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Mauritius and Thailand) showcased their market specialties. 

Dates for the 2017 trade fair have been set for March 25 – 28. 

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Jewellery & Gem Fair – Europe Offers Romance and Creativity

Jewellery & Gem Fair – Europe, being held March 19 – 22 at Messe Freiburg, Germany, will include new themes and seminars designed to encourage creative collaboration and business networking. 

One feature is simply called, “LOVE,” which will showcase fine jewelry relating to romance that goes beyond bridal jewels. Another is “DESIGN,” which is an international networking platform for European design students lead by the Hochschule Trier, Campus of Idar-Oberstein, and Hochschule Pforzheim. 

The event offers seminars, hosted by the trade fair organizer, UBM Asia, in cooperation with two jewelry associations. They are as follows:

“Gemstones Seminar: A visit to the world’s largest ruby, emerald and amethyst mines.” Claudio C. Milisenda of DSEF German Gem Lab will discuss the gemstone mines of Gemfields, a mining company based in London. The company is known to own the world’s largest ruby, emerald and amethyst mines in Mozambique and Zambia. This seminar is hosted by the Deutsche Gemmologische Gesellschaft e.V. on 19 March.

“The romantic wedding ring seminars.” Two seminar sessions hosted by USE Uhren Schmuck Edelsteine Bildungszentrum Pforzheim on wedding ring consultation will be held March 20. The seminar speaker, Kaju, is the creative head and founder of the platinum atelier and goldsmith Aurom from Worms, Germany. He specializes with bridal jewelry as well as customer psychology and behavior.

Visitor pre-registration for the fair is available at this link. Pre-registration enables visitors to avoid long lines at the registration counters and save the admission fee of €30. The organizers are offering a free shuttle bus service from various points to Messe Freiburg throughout the fair’s four-day run. The timetable will be announced later. For updates, visit this link. 

In addition, Deutschen Bahn AG is offering a special concession on train tickets (from €99 and up) for visitors travelling from any German city to JGF Europe in Freiburg. Follow this link for booking details.

The Fair's Official Airline, Lufthansa Group Partner Airlines, will offer special air fares and conditions to those flying to Germany from around the globe. To make a reservation, visit this link and enter the access code CNZZQGC in the "Access to Your Special Lufthansa Offer" area. 

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Leibish & Co. Unveils Vivid Colored Diamond Collection

1.44 carat, Fancy Vivid Blue, radiant shape, SI1 Clarity, GIA graded; price available upon request

Online natural colored diamond company, Leibish & Co., has unveiled a collection of 62 vivid fancy colored diamonds at the Hong Kong Diamond, Gem & Pearl Show that opened Monday and will run till Friday.

Covering every color of the rainbow the prices for the gems run from $1,800 to nearly $70,000 for a diamond, not including those where the price is available upon request. All of the fancy colored diamonds in this group have been graded “Vivid,” meaning that it has the highest saturation of color. They are rarest of all fancy colored diamonds, according to the Gemological Institute of America.

The company, founded by Leibish Polnauer in 1979, sells to dealers and consumers primarily online but through more traditional channels as well. Polnauer said he released this collection to allow a broad group of people to buy the gems.

“They are seen as an ultra-luxurious item, one that is tempting, desirable, and out of the reach of most people,” he said. “As a company we have always worked to change that perception of color diamonds. With this in mind, we have released these special and unique diamonds with the precise understanding that they are available to anyone to buy, not just those few auction goers. Anyone with an Internet connection, or happens to be visiting the Hong Kong show, can shop for our vivid color diamonds.”

Polnauer said the stars of the collection are:

* 1.44 carat, Fancy Vivid Blue, radiant shape, SI1 Clarity, GIA graded; price available upon request (top photo)

* 1.08 carat, Fancy Vivid Purplish Pink, cushion shape, GIA; price available upon request

* 5.01 carat, Fancy Vivid Yellow, emerald shape, VVS2 Clarity, GIA; price available upon request

* 0.79 carat, Fancy Vivid Orange, radiant shape, VS1 Clarity, GIA; $276,600

“These four diamonds … are exactly the ones that are most popular at auctions today, and that make headlines,” he said. “These colors at these sizes are the most difficult to find, and the intensity makes them even more precious.”

These four as well as the entire collection are available by following this link.

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China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair – Shanghai Attracts More than 7,000 Visitors

The 10th edition of the China International Gold, Jewellery & Gem Fair – Shanghai ended with more than 7,000 visitors from 32 countries.

The event held November 6 – 9, at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition and Convention Center, also featured 340 exhibitors from 21 countries.

“We always strive to make the Shanghai Fair an ideal springboard for jewelers who aim to enter China's vibrant jewellery market,” said Celine Lau, director of Jewellery Fairs, UBM Asia Ltd. “This year, we introduced a new element to the fair—the first-ever Korea Pavilion and the preview of Mineral & Gem Asia. This new feature joins other fair attractions, among them the Premier Pavilion, the largest Sri Lanka Pavilion in this fair’s history. Other group pavilions housing exhibitors from United States, Thailand and Taiwan region. The exhibits offered visitors a wide range of jewelry, diamonds, gemstones and jadeite from world-class suppliers as well as unmatched opportunity to network and see the latest trends.”

UBM China Holdings Ltd., hosted a seminar titled, “Investment and Collection of Mineral Crystals,” that provided information on the latest market information on gems and minerals.

“Shanghai is an important market for the jewelry trade, which is why we’ve been participating in the Shanghai Fair for many years,” said Safraz Jabir, color stone specialist of Safaiyers, a gemstone exporter of Sri Lanka, exhibiting at the fair. “We met many buyers, mainly from China, and received some orders with them. We are happy with the overall result.”

Con Arsenikakis of Olympic Opal Co Pty Ltd from Australia, said it was his first time at the fair.

“I am a retailer in Australia and I came to update myself with the latest trends,” he said. “The fair offers buyers a wide array of quality exhibits; I met my suppliers, mostly from Hong Kong.”

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Cautious Optimism Fills Baselworld Buoyed by Asian Demand for Luxury

A fractured arm kept me from attending Baselworld this year. Fortunately, I know some of the best writers and experts in the jewelry and watch industry. One of those folks is William George Shuster who has kindly agreed to take time from his busy schedule to write a few stories from the tradeshow. Below is his first report from the event.

By William George Shuster
Special Correspondent

BASEL, Switzerland – Baselworld, the world’s largest and most important watch and jewelry trade show, opened March 8 amid optimistic expectations by many for good business in 2012—but not too optimistic.

“We’re confident about 2012” because of strong business results in 2011, especially in luxury due to China’s appetite for it,” said Francois Thiebaud, chairman of the show’s Swiss exhibitors and president of upscale watch brand Tissot, echoing many vendors, “but we’re not overconfident. The Eurozone crisis and debt problems elsewhere could still have effects [on business].”

This 40th annual BaselWorld fair, in Basel, Switzerland, Mar. 8 – 15, has 1,815 exhibitors (608 in watches, 689 in jewelry and 518 in related products and services) from 41 countries. More than 100,000 buyers and visitors from 100 countries are coming, and all is being reported on by more than 3,000 print, TV, radio and Internet journalists from around the globe.

The reason for their interest is obvious: Because Baselworld is, in the words of Show Director Sylvie Ritter, “a microcosm, where the players from the world’s watch and jewelry industry gather for a week.” It is an important bellwether of products, innovations and trends affecting the industry, consumers, and the retail business worldwide for year ahead.

Bullish. The cautiously bullish mood among exhibitors and analysts at the show is based on strong—even record-breaking—results for watch and jewelry exports and sales in 2011, especially in the luxury sector. That’s due largely to sharply rising consumer demand in Asia, especially China, say industry analysts in Basel. These strong business statistics for 2011 came despite many economic problems affecting sales and profits worldwide, they say, including the dramatic debt crisis in many Eurozone countries, the uncertain U.S. economy and the strong Swiss franc (which weaken Swiss watchmakers’ profits). Still, “[even] in this far-from-encouraging environment,” said Jacques J. Duchêne, long-time President of the Show Exhibitors’ Committee and former Rolex SA executive, at the annual pre-show press conference, “one industry has been able to stand up well and even break numerous records—the watch and jewelry industry.”

Indeed, it has. The year 2011 was “historic,” as Duchene put it, for the Swiss watch industry. Their exports totaled 19.3 billion Swiss francs (about $21 billion), an increase of 19.2 percent, making it the best year ever in the industry’s history—rebounding from its worst in 2009. Actual pieces exported were just under 30 million.

Unquenchable. Much of that was led by the seemingly unquenchable demand in Asia for fine watches: Over half (55 percent) of the Swiss exports went to Asia, primarily China, up 48.7 percent. (North America got 14 percent while Europe got 29 percent).

Duchene was quick to point out, however, that the Swiss success is not only due to the Far East. “It’s true demand was very buoyant in Asia,” he said, “but the watch industry has built up a good reputation in all emerging countries and succeeded in creating demand, especially in the luxury-products segment.”

So, “even in the face of a rather unfavourable economic environment, we envisage export growth in 2012,” Duchene said.

The Swiss aren’t the only ones feeling bullish about 2012. Spokesmen for the German, French, Italian, Israeli and Hong Kong delegations (the latter, being the show’s second-largest) also report good sales and export results in both watches and jewelry in 2012, despite the economic challenges, again especially in the luxury sector (and again, buoyed by record Chinese consumer consumption of revelry and watches). They too were upbeat about business results for the industry in 2012. As Gaetano Calvalieri, president of The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) and spokesman for the Italian delegation, noted, “consumers in Asia, especially China, will carry Italian jewelry industry to new heights.”

Even if Chinese consumption slows slightly in 2012, as some reports suggest, “Even a one digit increase in demand this year is more than last year,” said Thiebaud.

"Excellent.” Those in the gem and diamond business also expressed upbeat predictions for 2012.

Eli Avidar, Managing Director of the Israel Diamond Institute Group of Companies, told its annual Baselworld luncheon that 2011 was “an excellent year” for the Israeli diamond industry, which exported $7.2 billion of polished diamond, and has “emerged from the crisis [of the 2008/2009 recession] stronger.” Again, some of this is due to Asia. “There is a steady rise in demand for large diamonds in China and we believe it will go much further,” especially is the international industry invests significantly in promoting diamonds and diamond jewelry in China. He also noted that there are “signs of recovery in the U.S. economy”—unlike Europe, where was no visible increase in diamond demand in 2001 or 2012—and we expect significant rise in demand in diamond jewelry in the U.S. this year.”

William George Shuster is a multi-award winning writer—including three Jesse H. Neal Award, business journalism's highest honor. He has 40 years experience as a journalist, author and editor. He is considered one of the world’s top watch industry journalists, covering the world of timepieces for the past 30 years.