Will the new designers at the Geneva jewelry show become the next auction stars?
While the second edition of GemGenève was hailed a success after its attendance rose by more than 11%, its crowning achievement was offering a platform to young new designers. Many buyers, journalists and connoisseurs who work in the international jewelry industry have noted the extraordinary talent on display in the Designer Vivarium space, which was again painstakingly curated by Vivienne Becker. She highlighted a refreshing selection of younger houses that are known to collectors and connoisseurs, but less so among the general public.
A display of innovation
Becker chose 11 designers and four emerging talents who craft modern, high-quality jewels. These houses also represented some of the most dynamic centers for jewelry design, such as London, Geneva, Hong Kong and Paris. The show has allowed us to discover beautiful designs but also to revisit brands that we enjoyed last year. Among our GemGenève favorites are Nadia Morgenthaler, Tatiana Verstraeten, Racine, Ninotchka, Cora Sheibani and Mr. Lieou.
In her Geneva workshop, Nadia Morgenthaler manufactures jewels set with dazzling colored gemstones and rare natural pearls. Skillfully mixing silver, gold and rock crystal, her creations subtly combine the charm of antique jewelry with a contemporary feel.
Another Swiss house, the young brand Racine, caught our eye with its gorgeous selection of gems (including cat’s-eye chrysoberyl, Burmese rubies and cashmere sapphires) and rings whose complex settings make you want to snap them up.
Cora Sheibani of London enchanted us with her Glow collection, playfully displaying stones under UV lamps. Especially memorable were her new necklaces evoking pills, a look that required the expertise of talented gem-cutters to achieve perfection.
Arts and craftspeople
On the technical side, it is worth noting that all the houses in the exhibition offered pieces requiring a thorough knowledge of the trade and extremely competent craftspeople. One of the most technical pieces was the gold, Russian nephrite and amethyst ring by designer duo Eugene Glagolev and Tima Ibragimov of Ninotchka, whose naturalist pieces were extremely gorgeous.
Tatiana Verstraeten, formerly from the Chanel Jewelry studio and who now heads her own brand, introduced her statement earrings, already promoted by celebrities such as Emily Clarke, Eva Longoria and Tina Kunacey.
Finally, we were thrilled to discover the bold pieces by Mr. Lieou, who was the director of design for high jewelry and custom design at Tiffany & Co. for three years. His brand, launched few months ago, is already on collectors’ radar, with its high-quality, high-end jewelry.
Main image: Silver and gold earrings featuring tourmaline, spinel, diamonds and natural pearls by Nadia Morgenthaler.
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