Despite coronavirus fears that cut down on foot traffic, the art fair’s high-jewelry selection was at the top of its game this year.
Of the 280 art galleries and dealers that exhibit at TEFAF Maastricht, only six are contemporary high jewelers. But their contribution to the venerable art fair in The Netherlands has been huge, particularly when it comes to originality and authenticity.
Another influence on this year’s fair, which took place in March, was the coronavirus (COVID-19). It was easy to see that the crowd for the first two preview days was down. Chinese and American collectors were noticeably absent; in the US, some museums made it a policy not to send their staff this year. However, European collectors were in attendance.
For the high jewelers — namely Bhagat, Cindy Chao, Wallace Chan, Hemmerle, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Otto Jakob — TEFAF serves as one of the only opportunities to show their newest pieces publicly. Yet the virus’s effect on traffic will have minimal financial consequences for them.
It’s a somewhat different story for the dozen or so dealers that specialize in vintage jewels, as they depend on the fair for direct sales. Some dealers brought fewer items with them, anticipating the downturn in visitors. Of course, the fact that the show was even taking place was an accomplishment, since art fairs and jewelry trade shows have been postponed or canceled throughout the world.
Breakout for Bhagat
The big news at this year’s fair was that Viren Bhagat was exhibiting. It was the first public exhibition for his eponymous Indian high-jewelry brand, which specializes in refined pieces that feature translucent gems and try to hide the metal as much as possible.
“We’ve had a very good response,” he said on the second day of the fair. “We were waiting to see if people would come, and they did, which was fantastic. We’ve done well business-wise; we are quite pleased with the sales we made. It’s a completely new audience, so we’re very happy.”
The importance of TEFAF grew on him once the show began, he said. “Now that I’m here, I think it’s very important. My business is small. We only produce 50 pieces per year. I never needed to market myself in any way to sell, because we sell anyway. In that sense, I don’t need to come to a fair to sell my jewelry. But it is just the exposure to a completely new crowd — a new market, which is the idea. So I think that’s a great thing.”
Bhagat made 30 pieces for the fair, displaying his flair for creating jewels that reflect traditional Indian themes but are also accessible to an international audience. Among them was a ring featuring a cabochon blue sapphire at its center and flat diamond disks down the length of the shank, with two more blue sapphires bracketing the ends.
Cindy Chao: All about authenticity
Taiwanese high-jewelry artist Cindy Chao presented five new jewels this year, working until the last second to ensure the pieces fit her vision. One is a feather brooch made of emeralds in different shapes and sizes, as well as champagne diamonds. Because it’s set in titanium, it weighs only 49 grams. The edges of the piece curve upward, as if lifted by a breeze, and the diamonds run through the center of the feather as a vein.
Ten or 15 years ago, the fair’s contemporary high-jewelry section was dominated by the large jewelry brands, Chao said. The only one that remains is Van Cleef & Arpels, which shows vintage pieces and a few new high jewels.
“People nowadays who come here don’t want to talk to the gentlemen who wear suits to sell jewelry. They want to talk to the creator, and we are here,” Chao declared. “We bring something very authentic. It doesn’t mean everybody will like it, but we are authentic. This is my second year at the fair, and I feel like I can see its character. I think it’s one of the best fairs in the world, and it attracts all of the best galleries and collectors.”
Wallace Chan and Hemmerle
Hong Kong high-jewelry artist Wallace Chan, who has been exhibiting at the fair for five years, had to renounce the initial theme of his exhibition — “The Keeper of Time” — because he sold two of the main pieces reflecting that theme before TEFAF opened. He brought three new pieces to the show, including The Snowflake: a large titanium brooch that combines yellow diamonds, aquamarines, green tourmalines, sapphires, and Chan’s proprietary unbreakable porcelain. The design examines the change that water undergoes, according to Chan. The piece has two layers, and the snowflake’s appearance changes as the top one moves.
Another exceptional collection came from family-owned German high-jewelry firm Hemmerle. Among the items was a necklace with an 86.05-carat, translucent aquamarine at its center and circular rough aquamarines surrounding it. The cord for the necklace was made of rock crystal and silk, using an Austrian knitting technique.
The dealer market
Statement diamonds were prevalent among dealers this year. For example, London firm Symbolic & Chase featured an emerald-cut, 14.23-carat, fancy-intense-pink diamond that hadn’t been on the market for 10 years. Known as the Perfect Pink, it last sold at auction in 2010 for $23.1 million. It was originally unearthed at the Argyle mine in Australia, which is set to close by the end of this year.
Hancocks, meanwhile, featured an old-cut, pear-shaped, 20.20-carat diamond of H color and VVS2 clarity. Estimates place the gem’s origins in 1900.
Tiaras are popular these days among collectors, and London antique dealer S.J. Phillips presented a circa-1900 piece with yellow diamonds along the top of the curved design and white diamonds below.
There’s also a trend of vintage jewelry dealers showcasing contemporary jewelers. New York-based FD Gallery is the exclusive retailer for Sabba, the high-jewelry brand founded by Alessandro Sabbatini. Among his pieces at the show were large circular earrings in titanium with diamonds. The metal was in its natural grey color, which Sabbatini — who attended the fair — said he preferred (most jewelers who work with titanium prefer to take advantage of its color-changing qualities).
FD Gallery is also the only retailer to sell Bhagat jewels; the only other way to purchase them is directly from the Mumbai-based jeweler.
And Spanish dealer Deborah Elvira, who specializes in jewelry from before 1800, featured pieces from Madrid contemporary artist Luz Camino, who creates nature-inspired jewels that are layered, colorful and vivid. An example is the colorful Betta Fish brooch, which uses a translucent enameling technique. The piece is adorned with sapphires, diamonds, aquamarine and Paraiba tourmaline, all set in silver and gold.
Main image: Hemmerle silver and white gold necklace set with aquamarine and smoky quartz.
Comments are closed.