Associate Editor Natalie Francisco shares 20 additional pieces that stood out to her at the Couture show.
Baselworld attendance declines again
More than 150,000 people attended the trade show in Switzerland this year, a 3 percent drop from last year.
Basel--Though more than 150,000 people came to Baselworld over its eight-day run, show organizers reported that attendance was down 3 percent as compared with last year.

This is the second consecutive year Baselworld has reported a decrease in attendance. Last year, show organizers reported a 4 percent drop in buyer presence.
Some reports noted a noticeably quieter show, with “the emptiness of Hall 1 … hard to overlook” despite having visitors from more than 100 countries and a record-setting number of press in attendance. Show organizers said that more than 4,300 members of the media were in Basel covering the show, an 8 percent increase over 2014.
Among the highlights of the show was Patek Philippe debuting the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time watch, a wristwatch inspired by pilot’s watches from the 1930s and created by the brand with a younger generation of consumers in mind.
Although brand President Thierry Stern admitted that not all reactions to the new model were positive, it was one of 35 new watches the brand introduced in Basel, coming off a year in which Patek celebrated its 175th anniversary.
Also debuting at the show was Omega’s “Globemaster,” the world’s first “Master Chronometer” as it meets a new set of criteria established by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology. This includes the ability of the watch and its movement to function when exposed to a magnetic field of up to 15,000 gauss and the precision of the watch when its power reserve is between zero and two-thirds.
Smartwatches also were a focus at Baselworld, with what is perhaps the biggest announcement coming on the show’s opening day.
TAG Heuer announced at a press conference held in its booth on March 19 that it was teaming up with Intel and Google to create a Swiss-made smartwatch that will be released by the end of the year, though no details about the device were revealed.
Jean-Claude Biver, president of LVMH’s watch division, which includes TAG, Hublot and Zenith, said the announcement about the smartwatch partnership was the “biggest” of his decades-long career in the watch industry.
The 2016 edition of Baselworld is scheduled for March 17 to 24.
The Latest

Lori Tucker started at Williams Jewelers when she was 18 years old.

The “Marvel | Citizen Zenshin” watch is crafted in Super Titanium and has subtle nods to all four “Fantastic Four” superheroes on the dial.

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

The “XO Tacori” collection was designed to blend luxury and accessible pricing.


Pritesh Patel, the lab’s chief operating officer, will take over as president and CEO of GIA.

National Jeweler and Jewelers of America discuss the standout jewelry trends and biggest news to emerge from the shows this year.

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

Signatories to the “Luanda Accord” committed to allocating 1 percent of annual diamond revenue to the Natural Diamond Council.

The singer’s ring ticks off many bridal trends, with a thick band, half-bezel setting, and solitaire diamond.

The bracelet references vintage high jewelry and snake symbolism as a playful piece where a python’s head becomes a working belt buckle.

The heist happened in Lebec, California, in 2022 when a Brinks truck was transporting goods from one show in California to another.

The 10-carat fancy purple-pink diamond with potential links to Marie Antoinette headlined the white-glove jewelry auction this week.

The Starboard Cruises SVP discusses who is shopping for jewelry on ships, how much they’re spending, and why brands should get on board.

The historic signet ring exceeded its estimate at Noonans Mayfair’s jewelry auction this week.

To mark the milestone, the brand is introducing new non-bridal fine jewelry designs for the first time in two decades.

The gemstone is the third most valuable ruby to come out of the Montepuez mine, Gemfields said.

Founder and longtime CEO Ben Smithee will stay with the agency, transitioning into the role of founding partner and strategic advisor.

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco shares 20 of her favorite pieces from the jewelry collections that debuted at Couture.

If you want to attract good salespeople and generate a stream of “sleeping money” for your jewelry store, then you are going to have to pay.

The top lot was a colorless Graff diamond, followed by a Burmese ruby necklace by Marcus & Co.

Gizzi, who has been in the industry since 2001, is now Jewelers of America’s senior vice president of corporate affairs.

Luca de Meo, a 30-year veteran of the auto industry, will succeed longtime CEO François-Henri Pinault.

Following visits to Vegas and New York, Botswana’s minerals minister sat down with Michelle Graff to discuss the state of the diamond market.

The “Your Love Has the Perfect Ring” campaign showcases the strength of love and need for inclusivity and representation, the jeweler said.

The former De Beers executive is the jewelry house’s new director of high jewelry for the Americas.

The New York Liberty forward is the first athlete to represent the Brooklyn-based jewelry brand.