GemGèneve (8-11 May 2025), the gem and jewellery event held at the Palexpo in the Swiss city, is becoming even more international. This year, the organisers have accentuated its cosmopolitan character, with a presence from Africa to Ukraine, Armenia, China and Australia, in addition to the traditional participation of European and American brands.
The original project with Thomas Faerber was to imagine a show that would bring together professionals, collectors and the institutional world. The idea was to create bridges between all the players, bringing together newcomers with established figures in the sector. The programme for this 9th edition shows that this spirit has become the DNA of GemGenève.
Ronny Totah, co-founder of GemGenève
In the Palaexpo pavilion, GemGenève will also feature an exhibition of African artisans and designers of African origin or descent. The project, entitled It’s all in our hands, is promoted by the Jewellery and Gemstone Association of Africa (JGAA), the first African organisation that uses education and economic progress to bring together professionals and operators in the jewellery world.
As we all know, Africa is a land of extraordinary gems; however, not everyone knows that in recent years there has been a significant revival of jewellery and the emergence of some wonderful talents to be discovered. Our aim, with It’s all in our hands, is to create a bridge between Europe and Africa for four days.
Nadège Totah, co-organiser of GemGenève
Among the artisans and designers in the exhibition space of the Africa Jewellery Week, visitors will find the work of the artisans of the Nsanshi Art Studio, an experimental CSR project launched in Zambia in 2019, which promotes women’s autonomy, valorises local minerals and gives international resonance to Zambian artisans. Nsanshi Art Studio made its international debut at the World Jewellery Confederation Congress in Jaipur in 2023 and also participated in the Milano Fashion and Jewels fair last year.
Designer Norma J. Banton, who founded the MasterPeace Academy jewelry school in Birmingham, has ties to Kenya. In 2024, starting from the observation that “for too long African jewelers, including those of African origin, have been excluded from the international debate on fine jewelry and precious stones”, Norma decided to open a second school in Machakos, Kenya. At GemGenève she will present the creations of the students of the two campuses of the MasterPeace Academy.
A constant presence since 2022 is, instead, the jewelry that comes from Ukraine. Strong & Precious is committed to ensuring the survival of young creators on the Ukrainian jewelry scene: the space brings together the most promising contemporary Ukrainian jewelry brands and will unveil Hidden Treasures, an exhibition focused on the talents of Ukrainian jewelry and the beauty of the country’s precious stones. Strong & Precious has entered into an unprecedented partnership with Volyn Gems, the exclusive holder of the mining rights to the Volodar-Volynskyi gemstone deposit.
This edition of GenGenève will also host the Armenian Jewelers’ Association (AJA). It will present the work of five independent designers of Armenian origin or working in Armenia: Mike Saatji, Armen Shahinyan, Vladimir Manukyan, Karen Hovhannisyan and Vasken Melikian. A jury of industry experts selected the five artists, based in Yerevan, New York and Bangkok, to exhibit their creations at GemGenève. Shavarsh Hakobian will also be there, the first designer of Armenian origin to present his works during the fair.
The parterre of the New Designer and Emerging Talents area is also international: A.win Siu (Xiao Xintong) returns from China for the third time, with his acid pop style jewelry made of titanium, precious stones and gold. Also from China, but present for the first time as an emerging talent is Richard Wu, who has been creating jewelry since 2005 that he sells under the Liu Guangjia brand. Elsa Jin is Chinese but based in New York, who will present her creations for the first time at GemGenève. Alice Villa, designer of the historic Maison Villa Milano, is expected from Italy, also a veteran of the Swiss event. Among the New Designers, the French Valérie Danenberg, a Parisian artisan Maison based in rue du marché Saint-Honoré, will make her debut. Another debut is that of Lucas Hage, one of the youngest emerging talents to exhibit at GemGenève this year. It is also the one that has to travel less road to get to Palexpo.
Among the emerging talents there will also be the surprising creations of the jeweler William Llewellyn Griffiths, with a laboratory in Melbourne, Australia, the bold compositions of the Turkish designer Arman Suciyan. Finally, a bridge between China and France is represented by the brand Bojem, brand, curated by the designer Zhao Yi.
