“The heart of the jewellery industry beats here. The Turkish Jewellery Industry meets a significant proportion of its annual exports, such as 80 percent, from IJS fairs” and added, “We always strive to gather more visitors with our exhibiting brands at every show. IJS, which we opened for the first time in April this year, was followed by more than 30,000 industry professionals for four days, from Wednesday to Saturday. 41% of visitors came from abroad. Therefore, IJS strongly continues its mission of contributing directly to the exports of the sector – IJS Founding Partner Şermin Cengiz said.
The 55th IJS (Istanbul Jewellery Show) organised by Informa Markets and sponsored by Elmas Kule at Istanbul Expo Centre on 17-20 April 2024 has ended. I have come back with full of positive thoughts and experiences and a vast network of people. IJS gathered the jewellery world under one roof at the Expo Centre in Istanbul. I witnessed many visitors from many different countries so far, it is one of the busiest shows I can say I have witnessed in an area of 70,000 square meters. As IJS reports, compared to the March 2023 show, the April 2024 reports show an increase of 180% in the number of visitors from Far Asian countries, 68% from Northern European countries, 64% from Central Asian countries, 63% from Southern Asian countries, 47% from Pacific countries, 32% from North Asian countries and from Southern European countries.
The show hosted 1500 brands from 16 countries including Turkeye’s local jewellery designers, and 30000 international visitors from all over the continents. The latest products, designs and collections, especially gold jewellery, jewellery, mounting, diamonds, precious stones and silver, were showcased, and the machinery, equipment and technologies that give life to jewellery were exhibited together in the IJS Tech section.
The “International Buyer Delegation Program” organised by the Jewellery Exporters Association and Informa Markets (creates business platforms to enable industries and specialized markets to trade, innovate and grow. It offers opportunities to market participants around the world to engage in business activities and gain experience through in-person fairs, targeted digital services and actionable data solutions) opened the show on the 17th of April. The program was started to increase exports, discover new markets for export products and ensure that sellers maintain their current market share. Within the scope of the program, more than 1300 representatives of the important brands of the sector were hosted as buyers at the fair.
On the same day, 17th April the first day of the show, the new name and logo of the show were introduced at the launch event moderated by historian Pelin Batu. Now a new sparkle of the jewellery will shine under the modern tulip figure symbolizing the IJS brand and Istanbul. With the newly launched Istanbul Showbrand video below;
On April 18th, I joined my colleagues at the “Art for Jewellery Hub” event during the second day of the show. This event is an important part of the cultural and artistic movement in the jewellery sector and was organized with the support of the Jewellery Exporters’ Association and IJS. It made valuable contributions to the field of jewellery and artists, and at the Designer Club event, local and international jewellery designers and masters had the opportunity to exhibit their collections and products at a special stand in the area reserved for them at the fair. During the event, many intelligent individuals shared their thoughts on Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence, and I was grateful to have the opportunity to share my thoughts on the topic of “Sustainability and Artificial Intelligence in the Future of Jewellery”.
We have also seen, the IJS hosted WGSN, a company that predicts future trends in the jewellery industry. They presented a special talk on the “Autumn & Winter 24/25 Trends in Jewelry” at the fair. According to WGSN, the future of jewellery will be shaped by “Sustainability” and “Artificial Intelligence”. The presentation gave an insight into the design details, fascinating materials, and colours that will inspire future jewellery trends. The “Jewelry Women and Sustainability” panel discussed the rise in female entrepreneurs and representatives in the jewellery industry and how to promote sustainable practices for a better future.
Exhibitors and visitors showed great interest in the events hosted by IJS, which have been instrumental in inspiring the jewellery industry. IJS, ranked among the five largest jewellery fairs in the world and being Turkey’s only international specialized B2B meeting in this field, offers a lot more than just a trade platform, as it continues to host important events that shape the future of the jewellery industry and inspire the sector.
The next IJS will be held on 02-05 October 2024. And, I hope to see you guys in October. 🙂
Rahul Desai (Director) International Institute of Gemology
Driven by passion for gems and jewellery, he constantly contribute towards upliftment of the industry through counselling, training and mentoring professionals to achieve their goals. Mr. Rahul Desai is heading India’s most trusted Gem Institute – International Institute of Gemology.