The jewelry offerings at the 2014 Baselworld fair were a feast for the eyes! In summation of everything seen, I have to give props to jewelry exhibitors (JCK’s editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky covers watches) for the incredibly beautiful and creative offerings presented to buyers. The following is a compilation of final thoughts with regard to trends and design highlights.
High-Quality Colored Stones
The gem selections at the show were stunning, to say the least. Beverly Hills, Calif.–based Ivy Jewelry is known for its color, and seeing the quality in person is mind-boggling. At Jewellery Theatre—which was back this year after a brief absence from the fair—a collection of unheated Burma ruby jewelry stunned in a front case. Styles from Cicada, which also exhibits at the JCK Luxury show, are exquisite but the firm declines to allow photography or provide professional images, so I am unable to share their work with you. And Arun Bohra of Arunashi offered electrifying Paraiba styles, among others.
The Color Pink
Many vendors also had pink on the brain. Mikimoto had conch pearls, pink opals paired with white South Sea pearls, and morganite mixed with aquamarine. Eduardo Bruner of Brumani showed smaller versions of his famous oversize pink gemstone styles, Sutra had angel skin coral pieces as well as kunzite numbers, Jewellery Theatre had baroque pearls with subtle peachy-pink tones, and Yoko London had yummy shades of pinkish-purple freshwaters in jawbreaker-like proportions.
Inventiveness
The ingenuity at the show was astounding! Chopard showed secret watches in which dials were concealed by gem-studded disks, and absolutely everything that Stephen Webster did was a masterpiece of creativity in colored stones. Shawish’s innovations—a diamond-studded mushroom-motif memory stick and a light-up octopus cuff—were also impressive, as were Mattia Cielo’s silicone-filled gold styles that permitted a big look that wasn’t tinny to the touch.
Fine Pearls
The variety of pearls at the show was impressive. Arunashi had a necklace featuring tawny-colored natural pearls, Yoko London’s selections of natural-colored freshwaters was beyond compare, and Mikimoto’s one-offs and collections served as a reminder as to why the brand is the king of pearls. Plus, it appears that baroque pearls have finally earned respect for the unique beauties they are, considering that Mikimoto showed a new collection of them; Jewellery Theatre set some into masterful designs; and even Italian firm Verdi Jewelry—which typically dazzles with its gemstone and diamond looks—offered some pearl pieces as well.
The Color Purple
Purple was a big hit at the show! Mikimoto has purple sapphire and amethyst styles, Sutra had purple spinel and tanzanite, Carla Amorim showed lavender spinel and tanzanite, even the new Dani by Daniel K line showed man-made purple spinel, Palmiero showed amethyst with icy diamonds, and Roberto Coin offered lavender jade.
The Style 360 blog is your editorial source for the newest jewelry, trends, market analysis, trade show insights, designer profiles, and more.
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
