On a sunny morning I made my way to 'that London' to attend this year's jewellery show, a trade event for retailers, buyers, jewellers, designers and manufacturers in all elements of jewellery. Some of the largest names were in attendance from diamond dealers, suppliers such as The Curious Gem and Cookson Gold as well as packaging companies and display items. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it was a day out and I got to geek out over shiny (and oh my word was there shiny!!) jewellery.
I was immediately met by security guys doing the standard checks - understandably, I would have been surprised if there wasn't checks as when I walked into the exhibition the sparkles were overwhelming. I've never been one for all that but even I was amazed at the variety of precious gems, diamonds and pure statement pieces that wouldn't have looked out of place on a red carpet.
One of the current trends that was very prominent is the use of pearls. Showcased on several stands was a range of natural and cultured pearls in a wide range of colours. I found myself drawn to the greys and blues. Another was gemstones beads. The stall at Ilona Biggins Beads was an array of colour from a massive range of semi precious gemstone beads. It's clear to see that gemstones have been an important part of jewellery design for many centuries and they are certainly going to feature for many more to come.
It was good to see so many independent stands from jewellery designers, it would be good to see more non-traditional jewellery styles represented (yes, I'm looking at you chainmaille).
It wasn't just all glitz and glamour though. I attended a couple of talks from industry experts talking about the decline of jewellery design in the UK in terms of manufacture, especially compared to the rise of Italian and Asian imports. It was interesting to hear how this was having an effect on the market and how we should be proud of our craftsmanship. Of course there are many reasons for this from Brexit, lack of opportunities due to manufacturers leaving the UK as well as more hands-on skills and creativity not being encouraged as much in schools.
However one development within the UK that was very well represented was the growing use of technology in jewellery design. There were demonstrations from CAD developers who work with designers to create resin moulds, allowing for more intricate designs than have traditionally been created using wax carvings and sand moulds. Could this be the direction we are moving in as designers?
Overall, I think the jewellery show is an amazing opportunity to visit suppliers and industry experts within traditional jewellery design, or if you fancy a day out just being wowed by the sheer amount of sparkle. For myself, I was hoping to meet a more eclectic crowd with a wider variety of jewellery styles being represented.
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