GemGenève is proud to welcome nine talented designers – four ‘Emerging Talents’ and five ‘New Designers’ – under the leadership of Nadège Totah – and to have the opportunity to give their work greater exposure in a dedicated space. Their creations offer a fascinating glimpse into a very different universe of ideas and inspirations, a world of innovation and ingenuity, highlighting each creator’s individuality.

A selection of Ashmita Muthoora / @TRP, Public Relations Cabinet
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With very different styles and techniques, each designer draws inspiration from the mysteries of nature in order, they explain, to create collections imbued with the powerful symbolism that has always been an essential element of the jewel. All of these designs share a common focus: the meaning, message and role of the gemstone, far beyond the purely ornamental, with a value that exceeds its intrinsic worth. Above all, the gemstone is and has always been a talisman, to protect and invoke goodwill, a talisman to keep close to us at all times, to remind us to live in harmony, of body, heart and soul.

Four Emerging Talents Wallis Hong, Spain

Wallis is a self-taught multidisciplinary jewellery artist based in Spain. The China born artist’s mother is a musician and art collector and it was his mother’s aesthetic influence that made Wallis sensitive to art and jewellery from an early age.

Wallis studied sculpture and painting at the Madrid Academy of Art. As a perfectionist by temperament, he always seeks to learn as many jewellery making skills as he is able to from the very best master jewellers around the world, in his aim to perfect the designs of his jewellery creations.

Wallis’s works are miniature sculptures and explore diverse materials and many different fields of craftsmanship. His creativity is inspired by nature, marine life, cytology, botany, religion, mythology, and more.

Recently, he has been creating unique bold large-scale jewellery sculptures with a remarkable lightness and that incorporate the intricate and exacting age-old Chinese tradition of hollow-out jade carving, the pinnacle of jade art. He is currently exploring how to utilise glass elements in his future collections.

Wallis’s otherworldly imagination and lively curiosity are a signature of his creative talent and his work has been praised by the international museum curatorial community as well as many celebrities who appreciate innovative high jewellery. Welcome to the world of Wallis Hong, a name to remember!

Serendipity Jewelry, Paris, France

Serendipity Jewelry was founded in Paris by Christine Chan in 2017. She discovered her passion for stones during a trip to Australia over 10 years ago. A chance encounter that led to the birth of a beautiful brand.

The designer of Serendipity Jewelry presents a beautiful collection of pieces, combining a concept of respect for nature, respect for freedom and respect for oneself, so that each piece of jewellery has its own perspective, temperature and depth.

The creations, which are also distinguished by unparalleled design, are based on the unique beauty and soul of each gem, crowning beautiful encounters that span billions of years. Serendipity Jewelry is a true surprise beyond the norm.

Joaillerie Vincent Michel, Lausanne, Switzerland

Winner of the best Swiss jewellery apprentice award in 2009, Vincent Michel is a confident and inspired artist based in Lausanne. He is a travel and mountain enthusiast and the natural elements are not only a source of inspiration but also his working tools. Selecting the exceptional stones offered by nature, working with precious metals, this know-how gives the art of jewellery the power to reveal the most beautiful aspects of the natural world. Vincent Michel is a true craftsman who creates all his pieces by hand. The precious metals used to make his jewellery, such as gold and platinum for example, are recycled, without any mining input.

Vincent Michel’s Haute Joaillerie collection is composed exclusively of unique pieces, made with a gentle blend of aesthetic harmony and technical expertise. Specialising in the creation of bespoke jewellery, Vincent Michel has a very different approach to large scale jewellery stores, maintaining a close relationship with its customers.

Youra Jewelry, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Youra Jewelry is a fine jewellery brand based in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, YOURA taken from the Arabic words “to be seen”.

The designer Rabaa Saleh Alangari started her journey with a great passion for diamonds, painting, colours and creation; she was moved by the great connection between the soul and all these elements. Her curiosity to learn more, follow the latest trends and visit the most famous design houses, eventually led her to establish her team with the desire to produce exceptional pieces that can appeal to all different tastes and personalities.

In 2015, Youra Jewelry took its place in the field to announce the birth of a new dimension in the world of jewellery and beauty. Jewellery is universal, and although Youra was born in Riyadh, the company is inspired by beauty in all its forms and shapes. “Earth is our home, and all cultures inspire us.” stresses Rabaa. “When you look at all those pieces displayed, it is usually one piece that catches your eye and the heart, and then a decision is made, because the heart knows better.”

Five New Designers Sean Gilson, United States Sean Gilson is an American artist-goldsmith who handcrafts each of his jewels himself in his studio in Connecticut and workshop in New York City. Gilson studied fine art before training as a goldsmith with renowned European and American metalsmiths, and he brings a graphic, modernist approach to shape and material.

He forges gold into powerful, geometric shapes, burnishing it with a rich finish reminiscent of ancient gold work; he works with different types of pearls – Akoya, South Sea and baroque pearls, using their shape and lustre to create dynamic structures, or mixing sustainable coral with black Tahitian pearls in an entirely fresh combination of colour, sheen and shine.

Sean will present a series of new jewels at this November New Designers section. Last May, he was presented in the Designer Vivarium, curated by Vivienne Becker.

Leyser, Germany
Thomas’ grandfather operated gemstone mines in Brazil and ensured the supply of rough stones to the lapidary workshops in Idar—Oberstein, thus creating one of the leading companies in the region. Being able to source some of the most precious  gemstones, he established a passion for also creating finished jewellery pieces.

Able to source precious stones, Thomas developed a passion for creating finished jewellery. Today he manufactures a luxury collection of high-quality fine jewellery and supplies jewellers around the world.

An essential element for Thomas and his son Sebastian, is the harmony of gemstone and precious metal. With great respect for the most precious elements on this planet, he creates wearable jewellery for the modern women with a timeless neoclassical design. A stimulus for eyes, skin, heart and mind. Only the skillful hands of a qualified goldsmith transforms a design into an accomplished shape. Setting the gemstone in its bed of gold and platinum requires the utmost precision and sensitivity.

Paola Brussino, Italy

Architect and designer from Turin, Paola Brussino has collaborated with renowned international jewellery brands and the most prestigious niche houses. Her work has been exhibited in various European countries, Qatar, Japan, Russia and the United States. After living in Geneva for a long time, she returned to Italy in 2012 and began a journey of pure research.

Attracted by the creative possibilities offered by the use of new materials, she was among the first designers to use carbon, titanium, zirconium and corian in fine jewellery.

All her work is motivated by creating new material scenarios, capable of modifying the emotional perception of the rarest stones and thus making us rediscover their original elegance; simple, natural, absolute. Real.

Tenzo, Estonia
Founded in 1996, the company has evolved from a treasure trove of the rarest gemstones on the planet into a house of exquisite jewellery. Tenzo brings together art and design, sublime proportions and emotive colour, natural gemstones and impressive workmanship. Alexander Tenzo and his team of world-class craftsmen explore refined techniques, etched and patinated gold settings, fluid joints and delicate, airy gemstone settings. They also blend their own warm, rich, softly burnished gold tones and work with soft yet tough alloys.

All of this adds finesse and intricate detail to one-of-a-kind jewellery and artwork. Tenzo breathes new life into the almost forgotten glyptic art, cameos, intaglios, and strikingly realistic carved stone figures, animals and flowers. Currently Tenzo collections are presented at private art exhibitions in museums.

TOJI JEWELRY, Thailand
Just like a butterfly emerges from its cocoon, colourful, magnificent, and ready to beautify the world with its presence, Toji Jewelry strives to locate the rarest gemstones from Earth’s cocoon. Over the years, they have created a unique collection of colorful gemstones – each with a different story, each with a different meaning, which allows them to craft jewellery that unlocks nature’s hidden radiance.

Toji’s goal is to offer unique designs that stand the test of time and become family keepsakes, passed from generation to generation. Their vast collection of one-of-a-kind gemstones enables them to combine materials creatively and create timeless masterpieces that cannot be duplicated. Imagination, creativity, and passion for excellence are the three pillars of the jewellery-making process, and every single item produced by Toji Jewelry is destined to be cherished forever.