By Cynthia Unninayar

On a warm morning in mid-May, blues skies smiled on the impressive blue faceted gem-like structure known as “Gems Cube” in Shenzhen, China.

More than 1000 invited retailers, guests, and government officials visited the impressive gem-like Gems Cube in Shenzhen, China for the three-day inaugural International Jewelers Showcase.

Dubbed the “Gateway to China” for international brands, Gems Cube, launched its first “International Jewelers Showcase” (IJS) to introduce the innovative facility to China and the world. More than one thousand people, including jewelry retailers, government officials, and consumers from all over China, walked the blue carpet into the hall as lively music drew the attention of passersby and guests alike for the festive three-day inaugural event in the very modern and relatively new city of Shenzhen, located an hour from Hong Kong.

Vineet Jain, Senior Marketing Executive at Entice, shows some of the Hong Kong brand’s upscale diamond and gemstone jewelry. The inset is a pair of emerald, ruby, and diamond earrings.

“We are pleased to introduce Gems Cube to the world and to Chinese retailers and consumers,” stated CEO Wei Bo Ni. “It is also gratifying to note that this event has attracted exhibitors not only from the Asian region, but also from the international community, namely Spain, Italy, Australia, Burma, the United States, Germany, Poland, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Russia, among others.”

Taiwan was represented by a number of creative brands such as Sisy Jewels, which showcased colorful gemstone pieces such as this “Say Yes My Love” brooch.

The IJS event was divided into sections, representing local jewelry and watch companies from China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, as well as a variety of pavilions featuring international participants. Jewelry and watches ranged from a plethora of jade pieces to contemporary designer jewelry to high-end Swiss watches.

Alessio Boschi’s extraordinary creations from Australia drew a lot of attention from both visitors and the media, including an interview by CCTV. The inset shows his versatile “Dove” piece that can turn into a ring or pendant.

A gala evening with local celebrities topped off the opening day with a lavish introduction to the Gems Cube facility through dance, music, and a truly remarkable presentation of an acrobatic ballet, where the ballerina gracefully danced on the shoulders of her partner. The theater itself is one of the many innovations at Gems Cube because the seats retreat into the back of the room when not in use, leaving the large multi-use space as a ballroom. The evening’s presentation was also filmed by China’s CCTV to be aired at a later date.

Emily Zhang, of Different Gems, shows a pendant made of Mexican fire opal jewelry. The inset shows a black opal ring with sapphire, tsavorite, and Paraiba tourmaline accents. With an office in Germany and China, the company is the exclusive importer of Mexican fire opals into China.

A number of exhibitors were interviewed and filmed by local media as well as by various TV outlets, including CCTV and the Taiwan TV channel EBC, among others.

Spanish designer Paloma Sanchez, who featured a range of one-of-a-kind upscale pieces, is interviewed by a local Chinese television station.

Those featured included Spanish designer Paloma Sanchez, Italian/Australian designer Alessio Boschi, USA designer Jacqui Grande, Swiss watchmaker, Gisele Rufer of Delance watches, and Emily Zhang of German/Chinese brand Different Gems, plus a number of Asian and South Asian companies. On the final day of the show, a luxurious fashion show featured the jewelry of many of the exhibitors.

Gisele Rufer poses with three models wearing Delance watches, which drew a lot of attention at IJS. The inset shows the Delance “Feng Shui Dawn” model.

Reactions from the international exhibitors were largely positive. “The Gems Cube facility is quite amazing,” stated Alessio Boschi. “We are very happy with the IJS event, which has allowed us to make promising contacts with up-market retailers in China.” Similar comments were heard from Paloma Sanchez and Jacqui Grande who were both “happy with sales.” Paloma added that she had made “good contacts with several high-level retailers from Beijing,” while Jacqui went on to say, “Gems Cube is good for the future,” adding that “thanks to Gems Cube, it was easier to get jewelry into and out of Chinese customs.”

American designer Jacqui Grande, who featured high-end gemstone and gold jewelry, is interviewed by Taiwan’s EBC TV network.

Swiss watches were represented by designer Gisele Rufer, who drew much attention with her Delance brand. Her stand was crowded with people, mostly young Chinese women, eager to see and try on her very feminine watches in gold and diamonds.

Amber was on display in a variety of forms at Poland’s pavilion.

Poland had its own pavilion to showcase the many types of amber and amber jewelry. “Amber is highly appreciated in China, especially honey-colored pieces set in pendants or bracelets,” stated Warsaw-based Gao Yanfeng. “The most popular pieces selling at the show are bracelets made of amber beads of varying sizes.”

Among the Hong Kong brands was MVee, which presented a range of lovely diamond and gemstone jewelry such as this bird ring.

The first gems and jewelry creative business space in Shenzhen, the goal of the 100,000-square-meter Gems Cube is to feature local and international brands, as well as artisans, gem-cutters, and related industries, in both special exhibitions and permanent boutique space. Located in the Bao’an district of the city, and ten minutes from the Shenzhen airport, Gems Cube offers a variety of services to its members, including expediting customs formalities, production facilities, a five-star hotel, and other needs related to doing business in China. The center is also being promoted heavily in the country itself, and is the home to the well-known Chinese TV show, Treasure Hunt.

For more information on the opportunities offered by Gems Cube, contact Barbara Wheat at [email protected].

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