Baselworld 2017: What to See at the Exhibition

Only a few days left before Baselworld, the jewellery and watch exhibition, opens its doors. Over the course of the many years that it has existed, it has gained the reputation of an event which sets the tone for incoming trends, as each participant presents their newest, and best, collections. In an effort to attract the attention of the exhibition’s visitors, several companies focus on innovation, coming up with new kind of watch mechanism or an unusual technique for decorating dials, use original methods to set stones or uncommon materials for embellishing their jewellery. What treats are in store for you this year? Everything I lay out below – and more!

Faidee

On 25 March Ravi Luna, director of the international company FaiDee, will present the incredible Grand Phoenix necklace, a piece made with natural Burmese rubies of the very finest quality. It boasts 24 “pigeon blood” stones weighing 59.83 carats, the largest of which is the highest quality ruby, weighing 6 carats. Added to this is the red corundums are 100 diamonds of impeccable clarity and the highest colour category D – the reason for this unique necklaces $35 million price tag.

Picchiotti

This year the Italian brand Picchiotti celebrates its fifthieth anniversary. In honour of this significant date, the founder of the company, Giuseppe Picchiotti, has created a unique piece, to be present at Basel. It blends the Picchiotti style, philosophy and craftsmanship with an innovative approach to design. In addition, you will see products from existing collections, such as the platinum ring from the Décoratif Collection with its baguette diamonds, the ring with a 22.03-carat oval sapphire from the Special Gem Collection, or the very latest from the Xpandable™ Collection with jewels that stretch to fit like a glove.

Busatti

Every year, the jewellery company Busatti brings pieces to Basel with unique designs that are nothing alike. As a rule, the Busatti family combines rather bold décor with rare gemstones in their collections, with the size of the stone often exceeding expectations. One of the outstanding items from this year’s collection is a gold and titanium bracelet, adorned with 31.97 carats of sapphires and 22.33 carats of old-mine diamonds.

Constantin Wild

Constantin Wild, an expert on precious stones from Idar-Oberstein, is bringing a wide range of coloured gemstones to the exhibition, with a special focus on sapphires of various shades and sizes. Many might be called collectibles, as they have unusual colours and impressive weights. “Mother Nature certainly dipped pretty deep into the paint pot when it was corundum’s turn to be created. So these capricious sapphires are uniquely colorful and wonderfully brilliant – and that makes them just perfect for individualists,” says Constantin Wild.

Palmiero

The Italian brand is famous worldwide because it mastered the pavé technique. However, this year Palmiero will surprise the public not with jewellery but with a new collection of jewelled watched, called Alter. The dial of this unique model is created in the form of a rotating blade which, when turned, reveals a new dial of the watch: the first is encrusted with diamonds, the second with sapphires and the third is made of gold with numbers paved with diamonds. The concept took half a year of continuous work to develop, and the final concept was patented by Palmiero.

Roberto Demeglio

“What I would really love to show you is my philosophy and how I am changing the concept of Jewel for modern women,” said Roberto Demeglio in the invitation to his salon at Baselworld. Intriguing, given there are so many serial pieces of jewellery out there, each with the same repetitious design. At first glance, Roberto’s jewellery may seem rather laconic. However, the charm is not so much in complex design but in the original use of materials such as ceramics, and in the interesting usages of gold. You can discover this yourself by visiting Baselword.