GemGenève 2026. International Gem & Jewellery Show, 10th edition

This coming May, for the space of a few days, Geneva will become nothing less than the world capital of jewellery. While major jewellery auctions have been a regular feature in Geneva since the late 1960s, GemGenève has really added a fresh dynamic to the market since 2018. The record attendance at the show’s most recent edition (4,970 visitors) illustrates how the event, founded by Ronny Totah and Thomas Faerber, has gradually become a firm fixture in the diaries of professionals and collectors the world over.

Traders in precious stones, contemporary jewellers, craftspeople, emerging designers, experts, researchers, students, collectors and other enthusiasts will all come to GemGenève from May 7-10 in Hall 2 at Palexpo. It will be a major milestone for the event - the tenth edition of the show - that brings together key players from throughout the world of jewellery and gemmology.

199 leading merchants from all over the world will celebrate this anniversary edition. Diamond firms, specialists in gemstones or in natural pearls and other jewellery experts will be presenting gems boasting exceptional properties and museum quality pieces. A place to learn, share, discover, buy, and be amazed, that is what the experience of GemGenève promises. The event's cross-cutting approach makes it a valuable opportunity for both commercial and an educational purpose - while also offering significant cultural benefits.


>> COMMITTED TO CRAFTSPEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
Jewellery and Gemstone Association of Africa To celebrate the very first edition of Africa Jewellery Week™ (due to be officially launched in 2026), the tenth edition of GemGenève will once again be welcoming the Jewellery and Gemstone Association of Africa (JGAA). Founded in 2022 by London-based and Zambia-born Longo Mulaisho-Zinsner, JGAA is actively engaged in combating poverty and backing economic development in Africa through training programmes for jewelsmithing and gemmology. Its mission is to support the African jewellery industry by training artisans and transitioning them to sustainable business models with international prospects.


>> MÉTIERS D’ART TAKE PRIDE OF PLACE
For its tenth edition, GemGenève will be unveiling a new Métiers d’Art Space in our ‘Knowledge Village’. GemGenève 10 will be promoting historic and artisanal knowhow by offering visitors the opportunity to meet master craftspeople from a whole range of backgrounds. In providing this overview of the incredible dexterity and rare techniques that constitute the very essence of luxury, GemGenève is supporting the kind of artisanry so dearly needed by the jewellery industry. The general public is often unfamiliar with arts and crafts expertise, frequently neglected and sometimes even being dropped from training syllabuses. However, since Covid in particular, there’s been a renewed interest - and a surge in new vocations. At a time when the desire to ‘learn a trade’ is gaining ground over simply ‘finding a job’, GemGenève is there to support those seeking to learn more about this age-old knowhow and its promising future prospects.

Nurturing excellence and inspiring vocations From featherwork (with a talk by Nelly Saunier) to the arts of enamelling and micro-mosaics (featured in an exhibition) via the Masterpiece work of Alicia Stanska, GemGenève sets out to enrich visitors’ culture and general knowledge. By putting encounters, interaction and observation at the heart of our approach, we’re helping to pass on knowledge in a fun, lively environment, true to our founding principle: making the world of jewellery traditionally reserved for a select few accessible to all.

Jewellery arts: patience and passion in equal measure GemGenève has produced 21 videos on the topic of métiers d’art to date; all are available free of charge at digital.gemgeneve.com and on Instagram. Offering a privileged deep dive into the most fascinating aspects of jewelsmithing, this series of short reports in the form of profiles takes the viewer behind the scenes to discover rare crafts in which artistic sensitivity and technical prowess go hand in hand. These stories are intended to encourage up-and-coming generations not to give up the pursuit of their passion.


>> Prismatica: experience creative art as it happens
The organisers of GemGenève 10 have invited four independent artisans (Rim Bürki, Sonja Petschnig, Félicien Riondel and Matteo Stauffacher) to work together to craft a piece of jewellery by hand during the course of the exhibition.

The idea behind this collective undertaking is to embody GemGenève’s values of expertise, passion and passing on knowledge. The jewel-setter, engraver, enameller and jewelsmith will all be in residence at Palexpo for four days as they perform every step involved in the creation of an item of jewellery - in full view of visitors. It’s a rare opportunity to see what happens in an artist’s workshop and discover the tricks of the trade used by some of the most talented craftspeople.


>> Future HEAD graduates in the spotlight
An American In Paris: workshop collab with Grand Théâtre de Genève For the sixth year running GemGenève is giving a score of students from Geneva’s University of Art and Design (HEAD) the opportunity to present their work at what will be one of their first ever exhibitions as designers. Renowned for the excellence and demanding standards of its courses, HEAD has established itself as one of the most prestigious art and design schools in Europe.

Inspired by the bill at Geneva’s Grand Theatre, this year the students have worked on the topic of costume jewellery under the guidance of artist Valentina Brugnatelli.
The contestants have been tasked with offering a fresh take on a pre-war brooch, devising a contemporary piece of stage jewellery and producing it using the materials of their choice, with the best projects selected for display at GemGenève. At the exhibition, visitors will be invited to vote for their favourite piece - up for grabs is the ‘People’s Choice’ Award.


Key Dates and Information

• Press conference: 6 May 2026.
• Dates: 7 - 10 May 2026.
• Place: Palexpo, Hall 2 | Geneva | Switzerland.
• Opening hours: 10 a.m. – 6.30 p.m. (cash desk closes at 5 p.m. on Sunday, 10 May).
• Admission: CHF 50.00, valid for the entire duration of the exhibition. (Free: for under-18s and students).

>> Get your tickets here

Tickets are valid for the entire duration of the exhibition and cost CHF 50. Visitors under age, as well as students, are eligible for a complimentary badge upon presentation of a valid student card or ID. Please ensure to bring an official ID document (passport or ID card) to collect your pass at the show entrance.


>> For more information, visit https://gemgeneve.com/


About GemGenève
GemGenève is the go-to event for lovers of precious stones, jewel collectors and jewellery industry professionals.
The friendly show with an intimate feel brings together all the players in the industry – including leading international dealers - in Geneva for a cross-cutting event now recognised as a meeting-place for enthusiasts and experts from all over the world.

GemGenève also offers a vibrant overview of work by younger artists, serving as a valuable springboard for emerging designers and other talents of the future. Open to connoisseurs and the general public alike, GemGenève invites everyone to celebrate jewellery arts and crafts and strives to pass on rare knowhow through an intense programme of cultural activities: original thematic exhibitions presenting museum-quality pieces, talks, temporary bookshops and arts & crafts workshops. Evey year, leading jewellery houses, institutions and museums partner with the event to display historic items and masterworks of high jewellery.