BaselWorld Wrap Up

From loose diamonds to jewelry, from polishing tools to journalists, offering anything from new item launches through panels discussions and seminars to taking orders and making sales, the 32nd BaselWorld Watch and Jewellery Show had something for everyone.

Exhibitors offered their creations to 89,350 visitors, an increase of 38.8 percent over last year and an 8.3 percent rise over 2002.

Between the jazz, beers and food offered in the court between the main halls, the industry discussed, well the industry. Who is doing what, what deals are to be made, and what the competition is doing.

As IDEX has reported, one of the strongest jewelry trends this year was size and color. Though mostly concentrating on non-diamond gems, the big items were of yellow and white gold and platinum, a lot less of the rubber, and other materials were present, fading away.

The HRD party of yester year, often a popular social and networking event of the diamond industry, has gone to be replaced by a fashion show displaying the finalist of HRD’s diamond jewelry competition as part of a growing effort to turn Antwerp into a global jewelry center.

An increasing number of diamond firms are now in the jewelry part of the business with many marketing initiatives. Interestingly, many jewelers are making the shift to watches, adding them to their collections, and sometimes even shifting the focus from jewelry to watches.

Next year the show will be held from March 31 – April 7. Organizers expect 2,100 exhibitors to register and plan to stick to this year’s format of six exhibition halls - watch brands, jewelry brands, related brands and national pavilions.