Events & Awards

Meet the 5 Emerging Designers at This Year’s GemGenève

Events & AwardsApr 27, 2023

Meet the 5 Emerging Designers at This Year’s GemGenève

There are five jewelry talents highlighted in the “Designer Vivarium,” curated by historian Vivienne Becker.

Jewelry by designer Leen Heyne
Leen Heyne is one of five designers featured in the “Designer Vivarium” at the upcoming GemGenève, curated by jewelry historian and author Vivienne Becker.
Geneva—The return of jewelry trade show GemGenève next month means a new edition of the “Designer Vivarium.”

In the Vivarium, jewelry historian and author Vivienne Becker highlights emerging design talents.

She’s chosen five designers for this year’s showcase, with four brand new to the show.

Returning to GemGenève’s Designer Vivarium is Elena Okutova of Russia.

20230427_DesignerVivarium-ElenaOkutova.jpg
A two-finger ring by Elena Okutova


Okutova founded her eponymous label alongside her mother Irina in 2009. Born in St. Petersburg, today the designer resides in Moscow where she earned her degree in artistic metalworking.

Okutova looks to Russian tradition when designing, particularly oral storytelling, folktales, and fables that are passed down through generations.

Her one-of-a-kind and limited-edition designs are inspired by narratives that reference medievalism, knights, and fantastical fairy tales. Many of her artistic touchstones were cemented in childhood, she explained.

“Each artist has his or her own style, a cast of impressions about the world. It is very subjective and, as a rule, has roots—it is collected right from early childhood,” she said.

“Then at some period it is compacted, corrected, and overgrown with new details.”

Each of Okutova’s creations begin with a wax model created by hand and culminate in a variety of techniques, like engraving, enameling, and gem-setting.

Among the brands new to this year’s Designer Vivarium is NVW, by Natasha Wightman.

20230427_DesignerVivarium-NVW.jpg
A raven is the star of NVW’s first collection.


The British art jeweler is debuting NVW’s first collection to the public at GemGenève.

The collection interprets British wildlife and its inherent symbolism, such as that of the raven, through a fine jewelry lens. Wilderness, folklore, and ancient lands inform NVW’s ethos.

Every piece in the collection is handmade by British craftspeople in an effort to preserve tradition. A maker’s touch is felt in hand-carved jet and wild moorland boxwood depicting the raven.

Wightman feels a special kinship to the bird having reared and rewilded two ravens.

“The precious moments I spent with these uniquely masterful birds had a profound influence on me and they now form the central expression of my debut collection, their untameable wildness feeding into each finely crafted art piece,” she said.

Also joining the Designer Vivarium is Dutch goldsmith and jeweler Leen Heyne.

20230427_DesignerVivarium-LeenHeyne.jpg
An 18-karat yellow gold and brown diamond ring by Leen Heyne


A graduate of the Academy for Gold and Silversmithing in Schoonhaven, Heyne’s studio is in Tilburg.

Heyne is known for his sculptural, winding gold forms that seem to hug the gemstones they surround. Beginning with a single strip of pre-sanded metal, Heyne hand-models, shapes, twists and turns his creations, crafting his own stone settings through tension, rather than traditional prongs or bezels.

“I draw my inspiration from the character of the material,” he explained, “paying careful attention to the form it wants to take, following its nature. I consider myself more of a conductor than a designer. I merely guide the material and help to finalise its own shape.”

Lia Lam launched her eponymous line a year ago. Based in London, Lam studied law and innovation in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands and has lived all over the globe. She comes to jewelry from a prior career in the legal technology world.

20230427_DesignerVivarium-LiaLam.jpg
Rings by Lia Lam


In 2016, Lam followed her passion for jewelry, learning everything she could about the medium, including bench jeweler skills at the Goldsmiths Centre in London, goldsmithing and wax modeling in Rome, and jewelry history in Paris.

Lam is inspired by the Bauhaus, Brutalism, and Modernism movements, exploring the themes of love, commitment, and celebration through minimalism and strong, graphic shapes.

“A desire to forge my own path drives everything I do,” she said.

“Every piece in my collection has a reason for being, a message expressed in the simplest and most poetic form. The spirit of my work lies in reducing my concepts to their very essence. Because in that essence is its power.”

Finally, “Oushaba,” is the result of a partnership between three friends who share a love of art and collecting. The brand name is Arabic for “alloy.”

20230427_DesignerVivarium-Oushaba.jpg
Electronic waste is upcycled with gold and gemstones in this design by new brand Oushaba.


Oushaba’s initial designs are a meditation on technology, the precious metals they employ to function, and electronic waste.

The London-based brand recycles mobile phone circuit boards, charging cables, USB sticks, and plugs into modern fine jewelry, setting them in 22-karat recycled gold, 18-karat white gold, and silver, and adorning jewels with diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires.

The finished products are glamorous time capsules of a technology-obsessed age, connecting ancient craft with the future relics of modern technology.

“There are many beautiful elements found within electronics, including gold, but also jewel-like colours and interesting details of circuitry and electrical components,” said Managing Director and Co-Founder Gillian Carr.

“We wanted to challenge people’s ideas about a material that is considered as waste.”

GemGenève is scheduled for May 11-14 at the Palexpo in Geneva, with a press preview on May 10. The show is open to the public.

Marking the show’s seventh run, the spring 2023 edition is set to be the largest yet

 Related stories will be right here … 

The Latest

Alexandra Rosier gold and opal Eternal Love Hands necklace
TrendsJun 02, 2023
Take a Peek at Couture’s Newest Design Talents

This year’s Design Atelier is full of gems.

Saboo Fine Jewels emerald and titanium earrings
CollectionsJun 02, 2023
Piece of the Week: Saboo Fine Jewels’ Emerald Earrings

They’re a testament to the power of excellent design.

Holly Wesche, Stan Razny, Ingrid Razny, Candy Udell
IndependentsJun 02, 2023
These Are the 2023 Retailer Hall of Fame Inductees

This year’s honorees include one of Florida’s largest independent jewelers and two multi-store independents in the Chicago and New York areas.

LAB230043_Dossier_NJ_1872x1052_V1.jpg
Brought to you by
The Next Step for GIA Diamond Reports

The most trusted diamond report, available in print or the GIA App.

Jane Taylor letter pendants
TrendsJun 01, 2023
See 50+ Jewels Debuting at Couture in Las Vegas

The industry’s most influential contemporary designers are showcasing their latest jewelry designs.

Weekly QuizJun 02, 2023
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge with this short test.
Take the Quiz
35-carat lab-grown diamond created by Maitri
Lab-GrownJun 01, 2023
35-Carat Lab-Grown Diamond Going on Display in Vegas

Created by Maitri Lab-Grown Diamonds and graded by IGI, it’s slightly bigger than the record-setting lab-grown diamond GIA just examined.

Bottom Line Marketing Chief Growth Officer Gus Garcia and CEO Jackie Brooks
MajorsJun 01, 2023
Bottom Line Marketing Announces Restructured Leadership, New Service Offerings

The marketing agency has integrated its first C-suite.

Cover-WN19-Back-&-Front_V5-RGB-(1)_Community.jpg
Brought to you by
Beyond Borders: Crucial Factors in Colored Stone Origin Determination

Navigate origin determination with Continuing Education seminars offered by the GIA Alumni Collective™.

Lauren K gold and gemstone rings
TrendsMay 31, 2023
Here’s a Sneak Peek of New Jewelry to Check Out at JCK

Luxury kicks off today, with the full show in swing on Friday.

A pearl pendant and a pearl ring
CollectionsMay 31, 2023
Verragio’s Debut Fine Jewelry Collections Honor Company Heritage

One of the three new collections was inspired by the legend of a woman who traded her mansion to Cartier for two strands of natural pearls.

Rob Ballew
MajorsMay 31, 2023
Signet Jewelers Names New Head of Investor Relations

Rob Ballew will be tasked with communicating the jewelry giant’s plans and financial performance to investors.

Mobile mock-up screens of the new LUX Digital Vault app from Jewelers Mutual Group
MajorsMay 31, 2023
Jewelers Mutual Launches App for Retailers, Introduces New Brokerage

With the app, customers receive a 15-day insurance offer on new purchases while their coverage needs are being evaluated.

Rendering of Lightbox lab-grown diamond store in House of Showfields
Lab-GrownMay 30, 2023
Lightbox Is Testing Out a Trendy Concept Shop in Brooklyn

It is in House of Showfields, a bazaar-style retail space in the borough’s Williamsburg neighborhood.

Attendees at the JCK Las Vegas show
Events & AwardsMay 30, 2023
These Are the Can’t-Miss JCK Talks Education Sessions

From consumer trends to retail technology, these are the JCK Talks sessions that should be on attendees’ radar.

Constance “Connie” Barber Mellon’s David Webb Elephant Clip-Brooch
AuctionsMay 30, 2023
Sotheby’s to Auction Mellon Family Jewelry

Signature pieces from Cartier and David Webb will appear in the June jewelry auction.

Georgie Gleim, Shelly Sergent, and Molly Peterson
Events & AwardsMay 30, 2023
24 Karat Club of Southern California Recognizes 3 Honorees

They will be celebrated at the annual dinner dance and gala in the fall.

Historic and modern photos of diamond grading GIA
GradingMay 26, 2023
State of the Diamond Industry: AI and the Future of Diamond Grading

Gemologists have long used machines in diamond grading but technology has made it possible for them to “learn” how to do it on their own.

Supplier Spotlight Webinar John Pollard and Garry Holloway
Recorded WebinarsMay 26, 2023
Watch: Diamond Cut Quality: The Final Frontier Part 2

Supplier Spotlight Sponsored by IGI

My Next Question webinar series episode on selling lab-grown diamonds
Recorded WebinarsMay 26, 2023
Natural and Lab-Grown Diamonds: What It’s Like to Sell Both

Watch retailers Jeffery Bolling and Bobby Bengivengo discuss employee training, customer education and the sticky subject of future value.

Models wearing Calvin Klein watches and jewelry
FinancialsMay 26, 2023
Movado Sales Slip in Q1 Amid Inflation Woes, Tough Comps

The company has plans to revamp the Movado brand and offer less expensive watches this year.

Bulgari necklace set with 118.35-carat unheated Sri Lankan sapphire
AuctionsMay 26, 2023
Piece of the Week: A Bulgari Sapphire and Diamond Necklace

Set with a 118-carat unheated Sri Lankan sapphire, it just sold for $3.4 million at Phillips jewelry auction in Hong Kong.

noamcarver-videoimage.png
Supplier BulletinMay 25, 2023
RAE Fine Jewelry Collection Debuting at JCK Luxury 2023

Sponsored by Noam Carver

Graphic of phishing scheme
TechnologyMay 25, 2023
State of Retail: Why Jewelers Need to Invest in Cybersecurity Now

As cybercrime incidents threaten the industry, jewelers need to know what they’re up against and the best ways to protect their businesses.

Louis Anthony Jewelers remodeled exterior
IndependentsMay 25, 2023
Louis Anthony Jewelers Is Remodeling and Expanding

The Pittsburgh jeweler is redoing the lighting and showcases, and adding a full hospitality bar as well as new shop-in-shops.

Yurman Family Crystalline Pass at American Museum of Natural History in New York City
SourcingMay 25, 2023
David Yurman Unveils Quartz Exhibition at AMNH

The Yurman Family Crystalline Pass is inside the museum’s brand-new Richard Gilder Center.

Stanley Zale new principal consultant Hill & Co.
MajorsMay 25, 2023
Stanley Zale Joins Hill & Co. as Principal Consultant

Zale has more than 40 years’ experience in the diamond industry, including 17 years as Stuller’s VP of diamonds and gemstones procurement.

 Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Nevada sign
Events & AwardsMay 24, 2023
New To-Dos in Las Vegas During Jewelry Market Week 2023

The Strip is full of new restaurant and entertainment offerings.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy