MajorsJan 30, 2025
WJA Chapter Leaders Resign as Fallout From DEI Remarks SnowballsThe boards of at least five chapters have resigned in response to controversial statements the WJA national board president made last month.
Events & AwardsNov 20, 2020
Geneva Watch Show Pivots to Online-Only Format
Watches & Wonders Geneva canceled its in-person show slated for April 2021, while the show formerly known as Baselworld is still set to go on.
New watches introduced at Watches & Wonders Geneva 2020, which was held online because of the coronavirus pandemic. COVID-19 has forced show organizers to move the 2021 edition online as well.
Geneva—Watches & Wonders Geneva, the show formerly known as SIHH and slated to take place next April, is moving to an all-virtual event, organizers announced earlier this week.
The exhibitor committee of Watches & Wonders Geneva made the call to cancel the live event, citing “uncertainty amid the current health crisis.”
COVID-19 numbers across the globe are climbing right now, as a number of countries find themselves battling a second wave of the coronavirus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently includes Switzerland on its list of countries to which nonessential travel should be avoided, noting the risk of contracting COVID-19 there is high and medical resources are limited.
Watches & Wonders Geneva, scheduled for April 7-13, will take place entirely on an upgraded version of the same website used for the digital show this past spring. Upgrades will include live streaming and chat functions.
Show organizers said all the brands scheduled to exhibit at the Palexpo for the physical show will be present online, and they invite other brands to take part in the digital show as well, ramping up for what organizers said will be “the biggest watch event ever held in Geneva” in 2022.
News that Watches & Wonders is moving online raises questions about the other watch shows slated to be held in Switzerland next April.
Heavyweights Rolex, Tudor, Patek Philippe, Chanel and Chopard said in April they were leaving Baselworld and would launch a new trade show in Geneva held concurrently with Watches & Wonders.
When asked about the 2021 show Thursday, a spokesperson for one of the participating brands said plans are “still in the works.”
Baselworld is no more, but the show MCH Group launched in its wake, HourUniverse, was also set to take place next April.
As of Thursday, MCH Group said it still intends to launch HourUniverse’s digital platform in February and hold an in-person show in April.
The company said it will issue 100 percent refunds to exhibitors if COVID-19 forces it to cancel the show.
MCH Group also said it is “confident” it will be able to acquire the minimum number of exhibitors, 250, needed to move forward with HourUniverse.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Events & Awards
The Latest
Policies & IssuesJan 30, 2025
RJC Executive Director Melanie Grant Is Stepping Down An experienced jewelry writer and curator, Grant led the organization for two years.
CollectionsJan 30, 2025
Pharrell Williams Brings Tahitian Pearls to His New Tiffany & Co. CollectionFive new designs were added, all donning Tahitian cultured pearls and spear-like trident motifs, along with the new “Titan” setting.
Brought to you by
3 New Year’s Resolutions for Jewelry Lovers The new year feels like a clean slate, inspiring reflection, hope, and the motivation to become better versions of ourselves.
MajorsJan 30, 2025
24 Karat Club of New York Elects 5 New MembersJewelers of America’s Annie Doresca and AGTA CEO John W. Ford Sr. are among the new members.
Weekly QuizJan 23, 2025
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
CollectionsJan 29, 2025
Boucheron’s High Jewelry Takes the Form of ‘Untamed Nature’The jeweler’s latest high jewelry collection looks into the Boucheron archives to create a “living encyclopedia of high jewelry.”
FinancialsJan 29, 2025
LVMH Watch, Jewelry Sales End the Year DownWatch and jewelry sales slipped 3 percent in 2024, though the luxury conglomerate did see business pick up in the fourth quarter.
Brought to you by
A Diamond Is Forever Celebrates "Forever Present" Holiday CampaignA Diamond is Forever hosted a holiday celebration in honor of their new marketing campaign, ‘Forever Present.’
MajorsJan 29, 2025
Chanel Names New General Manager of Watches, Fine Jewelry for USOlivier Kessler-Gay will take over the role on March 3.
SurveysJan 29, 2025
Consumer Confidence Slips for Second Consecutive Month It hit a four-month low in January due to concerns about the job market, though consumers remain bullish about the stock market.
SourcingJan 28, 2025
WFDB Joins Efforts to Promote Natural Diamonds With New CampaignThe “Moments” social media campaign emphasizes the emotional ties between natural diamonds and life’s special milestones.
CollectionsJan 28, 2025
Bliss Lau Celebrates the Intricate Mosaic of Identity in New CollectionThe versatile “As We Are” collection features 14 pieces with interlocking designs allowing for 27 different looks worn around the body.
SourcingJan 28, 2025
Botswana’s First Olympic Gold Medalist Is Now a De Beers Ambassador Letsile Tebogo will help to promote natural diamonds and the good they have done for his country.
Events & AwardsJan 28, 2025
NouvelleBox Show Returns to New York CityThe showcase, in its second year, will feature more than 20 international brands at its curated event from Feb. 2-4.
Recorded WebinarsJan 28, 2025
Watch: Fine Jewelry Market Predictions for 2025 “My Next Question” guests Sherry Smith and Edahn Golan share their 2025 forecasts, from sales and marketing to what retailers should stock.
Events & AwardsJan 28, 2025
Here Is the 2025 AGTA GemFair Tucson Educational LineupThe seminar series covers topics from market trends and colored stone terminology to working with museums and growing an Instagram profile.
MajorsJan 27, 2025
Le Vian Corp. Chairman Larry LeVian, a Man of Faith and Family, Dies at 73 LeVian is remembered for his leadership in the jewelry industry and for being a selfless and compassionate person.
CrimeJan 27, 2025
New Jersey Jeweler Sentenced to 2 1/2 Years for Evading CustomsMonishkumar Kirankumar Doshi Shah pleaded guilty to evading customs on more than $13.5 million of jewelry imported into the U.S.
SourcingJan 27, 2025
Dev Shetty To Head New Auction House for Rare Colored GemsJemora Gemhouse’s inaugural auction, slated for March, will take place in Dubai and feature polished sapphires.
CollectionsJan 27, 2025
Rachel Quinn Embodies Feelings of Falling in Love in New CollectionQuinn partnered with Gemfields to create “Crazy Love,” which features Zambian emeralds and Mozambican rubies across 10 pieces.
MajorsJan 27, 2025
Arch Crown’s 2025 ‘Tag & Label’ Catalog Is Out Now The catalog is 48 pages and features more than 100 styles.
CollectionsJan 24, 2025
Piece of the Week: Ashley Zhang Jewelry’s Lunar New Year NecklaceThe one-of-a-kind necklace was designed in celebration of the Chinese New Year, as 2025 is the Year of the Snake.
SourcingJan 24, 2025
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to Tucson The gemstone show is slated to take place at the Scottish Rite Cathedral.
Policies & IssuesJan 24, 2025
These Designers and Retailers Are Raising Money for LA Wildfire Relief From raffles to auctions to donations, the industry is working to aid charities in Los Angeles amid the raging wildfires.
CrimeJan 23, 2025
4 Men Arrested After Allegedly Plotting to Kidnap JewelerThe suspects are accused of planning to kidnap a Miami jeweler and rob him of his cryptocurrency.
CrimeJan 23, 2025
Security Guard Killed in Armed Robbery at Namibian Diamond Co. Francis “Gosh” Eiseb, 58, was a senior protection officer for Namib Desert Diamonds, also known as Namdia, in Windhoek, Namibia.
SourcingJan 23, 2025
RapNet, AGTA Partner to Launch Gemstone Trading NetworkThe online diamond and jewelry marketplace has expanded, introducing a new platform dedicated to colored gemstone trading.
