Recorded WebinarsJun 11, 2021
Watch: How the Colored Stone Market Is Faring in 2021EditorsSep 27, 2021
4 Takeaways from the First HardRock Summit
Senior Editor Brecken Branstrator shares insights from the show, including what people have been buying and where it could go from here.
The inaugural HardRock Summit in Denver included one area for fine gems and jewelry, called Sparkle & Joy, as seen here in this show floor shot. (Image courtesy HardRock Summit and PhotographyG.com)
Last week I was back with the gem world, and boy did it feel good.
I was lucky enough to travel to Denver to attend the first HardRock Summit, an event organized by two trade show veterans.
There were two components to the show: “Evolution” for minerals and fossils, running concurrent with the Denver Gem & Mineral Show at the Colorado Convention Center, and “Sparkle & Joy,” which included AGTA GemFair Denver, at the Sheraton hotel.
I spent a day walking around the mineral shows at the convention center—which I loved because I’ve slowly become obsessed with the beauty of a fine specimen—and the rest of my time at Sparkle & Joy to get a pulse on how the trade is faring as well as to, of course, ogle some fine gems.
Here are a few insights and takeaways from my days in Denver.
1. How the market has been doing
The last time I had conversations with dealers in person was at the 2020 Tucson gem shows, and though I’ve connected remotely since then for various projects—including a story on how the trade handled a limited Tucson this year and a webinar about the state of the market—it was nice to be able to glean some perspectives in person once again.
What I heard in Denver seemed to be along the same lines as what I’ve been hearing for the past year and a half: the start of the pandemic was rough, when business came to a halt, but the rest of the year more than made up for it.
We were coming off a strong start to 2020, with the sentiment in Tucson very positive about buying activity and what the rest of the year had in store for colored stones.
Once the market opened again and trading activity resumed, people were indeed buying.
Demand has been there, as those with disposable incomes turned their spending to jewelry and the joys of colored stones, and with supply strained due to the pandemic, prices have been strong.
I think it’s safe to say that color is in for a great holiday season.
I was lucky enough to travel to Denver to attend the first HardRock Summit, an event organized by two trade show veterans.
There were two components to the show: “Evolution” for minerals and fossils, running concurrent with the Denver Gem & Mineral Show at the Colorado Convention Center, and “Sparkle & Joy,” which included AGTA GemFair Denver, at the Sheraton hotel.
I spent a day walking around the mineral shows at the convention center—which I loved because I’ve slowly become obsessed with the beauty of a fine specimen—and the rest of my time at Sparkle & Joy to get a pulse on how the trade is faring as well as to, of course, ogle some fine gems.
Here are a few insights and takeaways from my days in Denver.
1. How the market has been doing
The last time I had conversations with dealers in person was at the 2020 Tucson gem shows, and though I’ve connected remotely since then for various projects—including a story on how the trade handled a limited Tucson this year and a webinar about the state of the market—it was nice to be able to glean some perspectives in person once again.
What I heard in Denver seemed to be along the same lines as what I’ve been hearing for the past year and a half: the start of the pandemic was rough, when business came to a halt, but the rest of the year more than made up for it.
We were coming off a strong start to 2020, with the sentiment in Tucson very positive about buying activity and what the rest of the year had in store for colored stones.
Once the market opened again and trading activity resumed, people were indeed buying.
Demand has been there, as those with disposable incomes turned their spending to jewelry and the joys of colored stones, and with supply strained due to the pandemic, prices have been strong.
I think it’s safe to say that color is in for a great holiday season.
2. What’s selling
I also used my time at the booths to ask exhibitors what’s been selling over the past year or so.
Many of them reiterated that spinels are still hot, with several noting in particular that the gray/platinum-colored spinels continue to be hard to keep in stock.
Sapphires still do well for most. There were also several mentions of the increasing popularity of Montana sapphires, and teal sapphires overall, a trend that’s been a few years in the making and was mentioned by our fashion editor Ashley Davis in this year’s post-Las Vegas webinar.
There were also many mentions of interest in bi-color stones as well as those with a slightly unusual color or cut, also trends I’ve been seeing in Tucson for a few years now. It doesn’t seem like the overall trend of consumers looking for something rare and special has done anything but boom during the pandemic.
A few other trends I’m monitoring based on Denver conversations: Are emeralds having a comeback, especially as ruby prices rise? Will trends switch back to pastels again after some time of looking for bold, vibrant colors?
Related stories will be right here …
I also used my time at the booths to ask exhibitors what’s been selling over the past year or so.
Many of them reiterated that spinels are still hot, with several noting in particular that the gray/platinum-colored spinels continue to be hard to keep in stock.
Sapphires still do well for most. There were also several mentions of the increasing popularity of Montana sapphires, and teal sapphires overall, a trend that’s been a few years in the making and was mentioned by our fashion editor Ashley Davis in this year’s post-Las Vegas webinar.
There were also many mentions of interest in bi-color stones as well as those with a slightly unusual color or cut, also trends I’ve been seeing in Tucson for a few years now. It doesn’t seem like the overall trend of consumers looking for something rare and special has done anything but boom during the pandemic.
A few other trends I’m monitoring based on Denver conversations: Are emeralds having a comeback, especially as ruby prices rise? Will trends switch back to pastels again after some time of looking for bold, vibrant colors?
3. The potential of the show
I think we all went into the HardRock Summit keeping a few things in perspective—it’s the first year, and the world is far from out of the weeds when it comes to the pandemic.
With international buyers and dealers unable to make the trip for various reasons and many stateside still opting out, it was a fairly small event (200 exhibitors total participating in both parts) and traffic on some days felt light.
Several exhibitors I talked to said they had a good first day and some other business throughout but noted other days were slower.
I didn’t see, or hear of, many consumers in Sparkle & Joy—the fact that the public would be allowed in was a popular topic of conversation before the show—to evaluate how that went, so we’ll have to see how the consumer element plays out in the future.
But everyone seemed to have the attitude that they weren’t expecting the HardRock Summit to be some big blowout event this year; rather, they were happy to be back at a trade fair and were excited to think about the show’s potential.
Denver has long hosted shows in the fall, mostly minerals and rough for cutters to source, so it definitely makes sense as a place to build for sourcing at that time of the year.
Plus, it presents an interesting opportunity amid the conversation about the future of trade shows.
The editors at National Jeweler have heard it asked time and again: Has the pandemic permanently changed the way we do business? And, what will be the role of trade events as life returns to “normal,” whatever that might be?
I think we can all agree trade shows and buying events will never go away—I certainly felt that on the show floor in Denver—but there also seems to be a reshuffling in terms of event strategy.
If people do indeed end up turning to fewer, select shows throughout the year, I think Denver and Tucson could prove to be the two big events for the domestic colored stone sector.
This could be especially true if predictions that fewer in the trade will travel to the Hong Kong gem and jewelry shows in the future comes to fruition.
A selection of fine minerals showcased at the recent “Evolution” event at the HardRock summit (Image courtesy HardRock Summit and PhotographyG.com)
4. The synergy between fine gems and minerals
I’ve always found it odd that the fine mineral and gem worlds can feel so separate.
I realize the buyers for both are often divergent, as they are looking for different things or buying for different purposes.
But they are two sides of the same coin, and I think interest in one can only build interest in another, and I loved getting to see both sides at the Summit.
Evolution offered gorgeous fine specimens at many different price points, and the Denver Gem & Mineral Show offered smaller pieces and flats of specimens to look through, as you might see in the tents in Tucson.
Getting to go from Evolution to Sparkle & Joy, the fine gem and jewelry show, the next day helped bring it all together and tells the perfect story about all the facets of gemstones, from rough to finished.
The show already has confirmed that next year, both components of the HardRock Summit will be held together at the convention center, and I can’t wait to see how the synergies between them play out.
More on Editors
The Latest
GradingMar 06, 2026
Tom Moses Leaving GIA After Nearly 50 YearsMoses, who started at GIA’s Santa Monica lab in 1976, will leave the Gemological Institute of America in May.
Lab-GrownMar 06, 2026
Charles & Colvard Files for Bankruptcy, Citing Price PressuresIncreased competition, falling lab-grown diamond and moissanite prices, and the rising cost of gold took a toll on the moissanite maker.
CollectionsMar 06, 2026
Zome’s ‘Solara’ Earrings Embody Celestial BeautyThe earrings, our Piece of the Week, feature pink tourmalines as planets orbiting around an aquamarine center set in 18-karat rose gold.
Brought to you by
Is This You? Every Jeweler Has This Problem; We Have the Solution.Every jeweler faces the same challenge: helping customers protect what they love. Here’s the solution designed for today’s jewelry business.
MajorsMar 06, 2026
Pomellato’s 2026 IWD Campaign Spotlights Economic Abuse“The Price of Freedom” campaign video for International Women’s Day confronts the quiet violence of financial control.
Weekly QuizMar 05, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Policies & IssuesMar 05, 2026
Tariffs to Increase to 15% This Week, Treasury Secretary Says Also, a federal judge has ordered that companies that paid tariffs implemented under the IEEPA are entitled to refunds.
CollectionsMar 05, 2026
Common Era Honors ‘Difficult Women’ in CollectionThe ever-growing collection, which just expanded with the addition of Olga of Kyiv, features cameos of 12 women from history.
Brought to you by
DCA Enters a New Chapter in Jewelry EducationWith refreshed branding, a new website, updated courses, and a pathway for growth, DCA is dedicated to supporting retail staff development.
TrendsMar 05, 2026
Engagement Ring Trends 2026: What’s In, and WhyWe asked a jewelry historian, designer, bridal director, and wedding expert what’s trending in engagement rings. Here’s what they said.
Events & AwardsMar 05, 2026
AGS Announces Conclave 2026 Speaker LineupThe annual event will be held in Orlando, Florida, from Sept. 14-17.
TrendsMar 05, 2026
Caitríona Balfe Fronts Only Natural Diamonds CoverThe “Outlander” star modeled for the digital cover of the magazine’s spring issue, which features a story on her relationship with jewelry.
MajorsMar 05, 2026
Registration Opens for CIBJO Centenary CongressThis year’s annual congress, which will mark the confederation’s 100th anniversary, will take place this fall in Italy.
MajorsMar 04, 2026
Michael M Opens First StoreBeverly Hills was chosen as the location for the brand’s first store, designed as a “private residence for modern monarchs.”
Policies & IssuesMar 04, 2026
Luxury Brands Temporarily Shutter Middle East StoresKering, Apple, and other retailers have reportedly temporarily closed stores in the Middle East region in light of the recent conflicts.
Events & AwardsMar 04, 2026
JIS Miami Spring Show to Feature New Gifts Pavilion, Pop-Up Trends TalksNearly half of buyers are prioritizing silver and fashion collections this season, organizers said.
TrendsMar 04, 2026
Spinelli Kilcollin Rides Free In Year of the Horse CampaignThe “Live Now. Polish Later.” campaign features equestrians wearing the brand’s jewels while galloping across the icy plains of Kazakhstan.
MajorsMar 04, 2026
LeachGarner Names New Brand DirectorThe precious metals provider has promoted Jennifer Ashworth to the role.
Events & AwardsMar 03, 2026
Johnny Nelson Wins David Yurman Gem Awards GrantNelson will be honored as the inaugural grant winner at the Gem Awards gala on March 13.
SourcingMar 03, 2026
7 Trends That Could Define the Diamond Industry’s FutureExperts from India weigh in the politics, policies, and market dynamics for diamantaires to monitor in 2026 and beyond.
MajorsMar 03, 2026
Swiss Refiner Completes Acquisition of Gannon & ScottThe American precious metals refiner’s day-to-day operations remain the same post-acquisition.
TrendsMar 03, 2026
Amanda’s Style File: AquatopiaThese aquamarine jewels channel the calming energy of the March birthstone.
Events & AwardsMar 03, 2026
AGTA Adds Another New Category for SpectrumThe “Innovative Design” category and award will debut in the Spectrum division of this year’s AGTA Spectrum & Cutting Edge Awards.
SurveysMar 02, 2026
Consumer Confidence Edges Up in FebruaryConsumers were somewhat less worried about the future, though concerns about rising prices and politics remained.
Events & AwardsMar 02, 2026
JVC to Honor Rebecca Foerster at Annual LuncheonFoerster is this year’s Stanley Schechter Award recipient.
Events & AwardsMar 02, 2026
JFC Names 2026 ‘Facets’ Honorees Sponsorships and tickets to the annual fundraising event, set for May 31, are available now.
CrimeFeb 27, 2026
Man Charged in Murders of Father, Son Jewelers in ChicagoChicago police and members of the U.S. Marshals Service tracked down the 35-year-old suspect earlier this week in St. Louis.
SourcingFeb 27, 2026
South African Diamond Mine Closes Amid Search for Missing WorkersOwners of the Ekapa Mine reportedly filed for liquidation about a week after a mudslide trapped five workers who have yet to be found.
