The Baselworld 2015 experience was bittersweet: Firms invested in beautiful modern styles, there were lots of one-of-a-kinds, and I now have an arsenal of inspiring new designs to share with readers, but all the beautiful jewelry in the world can’t compensate for the show’s diminished traffic. The main watch hall on opening day was shockingly empty, whereas show goers are normally elbowing their way into the fair. Vendors griped about business being down in Russia and China, and there weren’t as many Americans (the only U.S. retailer I ran into this year was the crew from Bernie Robbins with stores outside of Philadelphia and in Somers Point, N.J.). Baselworld management claims that attendance was down just 3 percent, but that number seems way off. So while the new collections were thrilling to see, I hope the lines will actually make their way into stores as opposed to remaining a happy memory.

Trends spied at the fair include loads of colorful earring jackets, more front-to-back earrings (a pair from Utopia that I posted on Instagram piqued the interest of a retailer from southeastern Pennsylvania, who inquired about purchasing them for her store), one-of-a-kinds galore, bib necklaces, and plenty of blues, reds, and purples. Gold sales remain strong, and while there were still some gold-only lines, color in gold had a bigger presence. Some of my favorite looks were from Carla Amorim, Christina Debs at LUXE Intelligence, and Greek designers Ileana Makri and Nikos Koulis.

Did you attend Baselworld 2015? Please weigh in with your take on pieces seen and overall mood.

Nikos Koulis pearl and diamond earrings and jackets debuted at Baselworld 2015.

The Style 360 blog is your editorial source for jewelry trends, market analysis, trade show insights, designer profiles, and more.

JCK