This is the second time I've been to this gem, jewelry and watch show and I know I'll definitely be back. For the first time in 2023 it was so unprepared, I had a mini plan of what I wanted to see and what gems I had to buy, but when you see more than you expected and spend almost all of your money on the first day, you realize that you need a list of priorities when going here. So in 2023 were such a debut, with a lot of excitement and turned heads in the world of gems.
Now about INHORGENTA itself. It is the largest and leading exhibition of jewelry, gems and watches in Europe. The first one was opened in 1974. In Munich, so INHORGENTA 2024 was the anniversary and the biggest. About 1,300 participants took part in it, which was a record number. The exhibition area is 65,000m2, for imagination it is ~6 times bigger event than Litexpo's Art Vilnius exhibition or Vilnius book fair. This area is divided into 6 halls, where each one is dedicated to a certain spectrum. One hall is designer jewelry, the other is a hall of watches, the third is a hall of the most mature and famous names in jewelry, and for me, the most important and the most popular ones are the halls of precious stones and the most innovative technologies and tools.
So the second time around was more nerve-wracking, even choosing a hotel opposite the Messe Munich exhibition hall was a weighted decision. We ended up at the exhibition only when it opened, and after the day's impressions and walking, tired, we didn't take long to return (we traveled together with my sister, Šarūna). Of course, this time we stayed for 1.5 days to get to know Munich, even though that full day in the city was missed - practically no one was working.
The exhibition, if you are interested in jewelry, watches or precious stones, I recommend that you visit it sometime, even if you are not going to buy anything, although it is hard to resist. You can find not only one-of-a-kind emeralds, rubies or diamonds costing hundreds of thousands, but also cheap jewelry, details and necklaces that are weighed and sold by the gram, with a set price per gram no matter what you choose. These cheap ones were really surprising, it was hard to understand how it is possible to do something like this when the price of the product is almost equal to the cost of the material. Well, I didn't even wait there.
The goal was to buy gems in a planned way, to look at and take a look at some innovative equipment (a couple of them will soon arrive in my studio), as well as to see what is becoming popular, where jewelry fashion is moving. Imagine a hall the size of the entire Litexpo and there are only gems in there. Stands only with sapphires, opals, pearls, different stones, polished and natural, from different parts of the world. For example, emeralds are bought from suppliers whose business is passed down from generation to generation. 3 generations worked at one time and only with emeralds. The principle is as follows - you enter the stand, sit at the table, a consultant sits in front of you, of course they offer you water, coffee, some champagne or wine. Tell him what you are looking for and what you would like (size, carats, shape, cut, quality, color). They bring, give a tray, lip, tweezers and then the work begins. You look, you research, you choose the best options from that pile, you ask for something more similar to the selected ones or you don't find it at all and you ask for something slightly different. He always goes to the safe and brings what he needs. So he sits leaning against piles of emeralds and scratching. They are selling, you have to resist, because the offers one after the other seem to be asking for the highest quality, but in reality, when he comes back from the safe, he always brings something better than before, it's a bit like a market atmosphere, only the things are completely different. Before you sit down, it is best to have a plan of what exactly you need, set an amount, how much money you can spend on such gems, because everything is beautiful there and you want everything, you need to be careful. It is not necessary to buy everything, you just ask around, take contacts and that's it. We have found very good suppliers dealing in diamonds, so when we need larger diamonds, specific parameters or with a GIA certificate, we now contact them. During the conversation, he mentioned several Lithuanian names with whom he already works, which also added confidence. That's how you hang around there for a few days, return to the hotel in the evening, examine the stones, try to systematize the collected contacts, calculate the balance of money and adjust the plan for the next day, because there are always those surprises that you can't resist. This year, several unplanned tourmalines and spinels traveled this way.
Well, the second weakness is tools and equipment. The same huge hall. More jewelers gather there, you can meet Instagram stars, top masters in the world of jewelry working at the stands and presenting new or improved equipment. How strange it is to observe a person up close, when for years you admire their work technique, perfection on the phone screen. Stands are also from various manufacturers, from top market leaders to hobby-level quality equipment. This year, lasers for welding (jewellery welding) were of great interest. This is a step towards a more sustainable production process, the possibility to abandon the use of gases, various acids used after normal soldering, and the work process is faster. I researched, asked questions, gathered contacts, and I hope to be able to implement and raise my work process to a higher level this year.
The other halls were not so thoroughly inspected, but everything was gone. And designer jewelry stands, there is probably the largest variety of jewelry, because all the creators, less of those jewelry classics, like in the hall of big brands. Many ideas, interesting choices of materials, different exhibitions, presentation solutions, I think it is the most suitable space for those who want to buy something different, unseen, handmade. Each artist with their own style and approach. The watch hall will not leave anyone interested in this accessory indifferent. Top brands, latest models, smartest solutions, from classic to futuristic. There was also a stand of Vostok Europe watches manufactured in Lithuania.
This time, that's all about INHORGENTA 2024, and anyone who is close to all of this, I really recommend visiting. Maybe we'll meet :)
21.02.2024
Some links:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kyleroderick/2024/08/01/inhorgenta-annual-gem-jewelry-and-watch-show-is-a-global-innovator/
https://www.europastar.com/time-business/1004114227-inhorgenta-celebrates-its-50-years-in-style.html
