In May, some of our team headed to Geneva in Switzerland to visit gemstone trade show GemGenève. They returned with reports of positivity, an increased focus on sustainability and a sense that the Swiss city is becoming ever more central to the European jewellery industry.
After visiting the GemGenève show, which was held in Geneva from May 11 to 14, 2023, Dimexon executives described the show as growing in importance for the European jewellery industry, with this season’s event attracting top-tier buyers. They also noted an increase in focus on ethics and sustainability among exhibitors, and strong demand for coloured gemstones.
“Not only was the show physically larger this year, with more exhibitors, there was also an impressive turnout from the major European luxury brands, which visited the exhibition to seek out gemstones for future creations,” says Christopher Bull, Dimexon’s European director of sales. As well as the gemstone buyers from most major brands being in attendance, the creative teams were also at the show. This suggests that GemGenève is not just acting as a sourcing platform, but also as a source of inspiration.”
As a sustainable diamond producer, and member of both the Responsible Jewellery Council and the Watch & Jewellery Initiative 2030, our team had an eye on developments in sustainability and ethics at the show, and found there to be an increased focus on this area.
“As well as the well-crafted talks programme, which had some interesting sessions on sustainability and ethics, there was also an increased focus on these areas from exhibitors at the show,” says Morgane Winterholer, general manager of strategic brands and sustainability at Dimexon Diamonds. “Many exhibitors used media such as video and virtual reality to help explain to buyers exactly where their gems come from and how they are mined. We very much applaud such efforts to increase transparency in our industry.”
With the news that there will be a second GemGenève in 2023, with a follow-up show planned for November, it is clear the Swiss show is becoming increasingly important for the jewellery industry. “At the show, we saw lots of key industry figures using it as a platform to meet and network,” continues Morgane Winterholer. “GemGenève has become about so much more than simply buying and selling stones, it really is shaping up to be a very valuable moment for the European industry to convene, exchange ideas and reconnect with colleagues across the entire supply chain.”
Dimexon director Vihal Mehta, who also visited the show, describes witnessing “a real sense of positivity” at GemGeneve. He continues: “While the trade has been lukewarm for the first four months of the year, we expect a more robust second half. There was strong interest demonstrated at the show for exceptional diamonds, and we were part of some encouraging discussions regarding potential business for the remainder of the year for certified and melee diamonds. For exceptional colored gemstones, we understand that there was strong demand with successful transactions executed at the show."
Show photo credits: András Barta/GemGenève
