Gold there was, in abundance but it was the precious stones, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, emeralds and more notably, opals, that seemed to be having their ‘moment’ in jewellery design.
Open to public and collectors, as well as the trade, this is the biggest fair of its kind in a region known for its love of jewellery and it literally dazzled. The displays presented by the 600-plus exhibitors from 30 countries ran the gamut from loose stones to finished pieces, from low-key, wear-it-every-day pieces to the most haute of high jewellery.
Lending the event added gravitas, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) conducted a series of seminars on topics ranging from diamonds, coloured stones and pearls, to jewellery buying tips and learning to decode the language of GIA grading reports.
Alongside the jewellers, a raft of the world’s most prestigious watchmakers showcased their finest – among them A. Lange & Sohne, Audemars Piguet, Blancpain, Hublot, Patek Philippe, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin – many of them represented by their local distributor, the Bahrain Jewellery Centre.
Like many of the other big houses present, whose work embraces both watches and jewellery – think Cartier, Chopard, Graff Diamonds, Harry Winston and Piaget – the watchmakers showed comprehensive collections from their main lines, as well as special editions, made specifically with the Middle East collectors’ market in mind.
There was drama on the Friday evening of the show, when thwarting the show’s high security measures, two Chinese thieves reportedly stole a 1.2 million USD necklace from the Lebanese jeweller, Chatila.
Mostly though, the drama lay in the work displayed. And this ranged from the grand display at Bulgari – exhibiting for the first time – to a show-stopping collection of diamond pieces by Beiruti jeweller, Nsouli, whose designs were notable for their simplicity, all the better the keep the focus on the exceptional stones.
Jewellery Arabia can be seen as something of a barometer for industry trends, with Wendy Yue once again showing a typically flamboyant display, including nature-themed pieces and animal-inspired designs, Amrapali and Priyanka Lugani representing the increasing global presence of India’s contemporary jewellery designers and the Italian vintage jewellery specialist Veschetti, displaying collectors’ items from David Webb, Chopard, Rolex and others, some of which dated back to the 1940s.
Up-and-coming talents from other parts of the world were given a platform for the first time, among them the Italian designer, Adela Kuhfeldt. Local talent too, is increasingly making its presence felt. Bahraini jeweller Al Zain, for example, featured the arrestingly contemporary work of designer Karima Sharabi, who uses stylised Arabic calligraphy to create 18-carat gold pieces reminiscent of tattoos.
Just one of many exhibitors that reported brisk sales, Al Zain not only won a design award for a rose cut diamond handcuff from its Maharajah collection but also sold it on the first day of the exhibition.
