The ninth edition of GemGenève ended on 11 May 2025 on a high note. Over the course of five days, the show – unlike any other at international level and open to the general public – transformed Palexpo Halls 1 and 2 into nothing less than a shrine to jewellery.
The latest edition welcomed over 4,970 visitors, with 7,259 admissions in all over five days (including the preview) – the highest numbers in its history. “That’s a 34% increase year-on-year,” explained GemGenève co-founder Ronny Totah.
The latest edition of the show brought together visitors of more than 100 nationalities, dissolving the boundaries between Geneva and the rest of the world for the duration of the event.
GemGenève is an eagerly awaited event all year long by collectors and professionals the world over; not only did the latest edition enchant an increasingly diverse range of visitors, it also defied predictions of a slowdown in the market.
The ninth edition of the tradeshow has proved that demand for outstanding gemstones and jewellery remains high despite a less buoyant economic environment, with Geneva emerging as a key marketplace in the jewellery industry. This edition has been an especially good one in terms of the number and calibre of transactions.
As Ronny Totah recognised during the opening ceremony, “bringing together the best part of 250 exhibitors representing nearly 30 nationalities and almost every religion in the world to work side by side for five days in a unique environment where harmony and brotherhood reign supreme” was no mean feat – one that GemGenève’s organisers rose to with panache. For 124 hours, dealers, traders, buyers, collectors, laboratories, colleges and students, designers, and artists, carriers and other logistics partners, cultural institutions and museums, craftspeople, jewellery historians, specialist bookshops and scientists formed a united community committed to the promotion of jewellery arts.”
Le Village des Designers (Designers’ Village)
Nadège Totah, Curator, Le Village des Designers, keeps close tabs on the work of rising stars and new names as they emerge on the international scene. For this edition, she chose international artists – some of whom thus gained their first ever opportunity to present their work in Europe. Dubbed Le Village des Designers, the project showcased ten promising and inspiring new names: A.win Siu, Elsa Jin, Valérie Danenberg, Villa Milano, Bojem, William Llewellyn Griffiths, Lucas Hage, Shavarsh Hakobian, Suciyan and Richard Wu.
Some snapshots of the arty work displayed at Le Village des Designers:
Strong & Precious
Created by Olga Oleksenko, the Ukrainian artists’ collective Strong & Precious was also present with a selection of 10 brands and independent jewel smiths: Jewelry Lab, Iryna Karpova, Arevik Jewellery, Oleksandra Kuzenkova, Inesa Kovalova, Olha Vynohradova, Olena Yastreb, Kleom, Anton Boyko and Agate.
Ninth edition partners AJA (the Armenian Jewellers Association) were at the tradeshow for the second time with several artists in attendance: Armen Shahinyan, Karen Hovhannisyan, Vladimir Manukyan, Mike Saatji and Vasken Melikian.
Founded by Longo Mulaisho-Zinsner, the Jewellery and Gemstone Association of Africa (JGAA, the first African body bringing together jewellery professionals and stakeholders) sparked considerable interest with its display of original items crafted by students at the Masterpeace Academy and the Nsanshi Art Studio. In giving African creativity more recognition and international exposure, the ninth edition of GemGenève will go down as one of the most cosmopolitan in the history of the event.
Osmium Visionary Contest
Devised together with renowned jewellery influencer Katerina Perez, this new contest highlights research conducted by the Osmium Institute. Osmium. Osmium is one of the rarest precious metals on earth,
featuring unique aesthetic properties and an incomparable sparkle. Katerina Perez is keen for osmium to make fresh inroads into the world of jewellery by introducing this new material to a wider audience – and winning them over in the process. The winner was Bernadette Yodia, Serenade of the Moon; the second prize was bagged by Berke Henny, Osmé; and the third prize was won by Pasquale Rossi, Voyeur.