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This year’s razzle-dazzle Jewellery Arabia proved to be a show of opulence and affordability as thousands of shoppers flocked to check out the glittering deals on display.
Although there were a range of hugely expensive rings, watches and bracelets including the rare, record-breaking Paraiba Tourmaline stone necklace that could fetch up to $18 million, there were also numerous deals on designer wear which proved irresistible for those seeking festive presents for loved ones.
Saudi Arabian project engineer, Mutab Al Harbi, 40, who had been searching across the region for an emerald necklace for his wife, Abeer, managed to snap up a sparkling 24-carat gold necklace with an emerald pendant for BD160 from jewellery designer Azza Al Hujairi’s stand.
Mr Al Harbi, who was attending the show staged at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre, in Sanabis, for the first time, said: “My wife loves emeralds and I have been looking for an emerald pendant everywhere and couldn’t find the right one until now.”
Azza, a 31-year-old jewellery designer certified by the Gemmological Institute of America and a board member of the GCC Gold & Jewellery Association, was thrilled to have supplied the perfect present. The founder and managing director of Azza International Enterprise said: “Helping Mr Al Harbi find the necklace he had been searching for was a pleasure. To have someone appreciate my work makes me want to continue to design. This is why I love this show.
“This is where I find new customers every year and this show is actually the reason why my brand has been growing. We are very blessed to have it in Bahrain.”
It was Azza’s third time exhibiting at the event and her theme focused on offering affordable jewellery for the everyday working woman. She said: “My booth is focused on affordable jewellery and suitable gifts ranging from BD100 to BD1,400.
“Every woman I know takes the show seriously – it’s like the jewellery Olympics to them! They come here on a mission to buy something!”
Azza’s designs have been inspired by the history of Bahrain, as well as traditional symbols that represent protection and balance in life. She works with a variety of materials including 18-carat rose gold, yellow gold and white gold, along with precious stones and gems, to design chic necklaces, bracelets and rings.
She is also known for her 18-carat rose gold items combined with black diamonds that start from BD200.
Azza, who believes in supporting regional and local designers, featured pieces from the expressive Bil Arabi made by Nadine Kanso, as well as MKS Jewellery.
She added: “I usually host a designer boutique where I invite different regional designers to showcase their work. This year we had Bil Arabi. It has been doing very well and the items were almost sold out by the second day of the five-day exhibition.
“We also featured MKS Jewellery which is a new young brand from the UAE featuring everyday jewellery concepts, such as small, simple pieces that are also very affordable. At the exhibition, I also offered complimentary redesigning services, so people could bring in old jewellery and receive advice on how to redesign it.
“We have had a lot of visitors. It’s really great to see a lot more exhibitors this year, because the bigger the show becomes, the more interesting it is for new people to come visit.”
This year, more than 600 exhibitors participated including high-end international brands, independent designers, retailers and manufacturers from across the globe, including Hong Kong, India, Italy, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, the UK and the US.
For example, founder of theoverdressed.com and fashion blogger, Dana Mohamed Al Khalifa, presented a curated pavilion of jewellers from all over the world.
The Overdressed Pavilion featured a variety of gems and jewels, ranging in price from BD1,000 to BD4,000.
While Nuun Jewels’ nature-inspired cuffs and bracelets and chic bangles made a dazzling debut at the pavilion, it was Suzanne Kalan’s second time to sparkle and shine with her Fireworks Collection.
Suzanne’s daughter Patile, 27, from Los Angeles, said: “We started coming to the show last year and we have seen a big increase in demand.
“What my mum is really known for at the moment is the Fireworks Collection. She turned the offset baguettes that are traditionally cut, into more funky and modern designs, but still something you can wear all year round.
“Her line is focused on the idea that she wants women that buy her jewellery to be able to wear it today, tomorrow and 20 years from now. So she wants it to be something passed down and not just trendy.”
Her collection’s pieces were priced from BD377 up to BD11,320.
Another jeweller invited to participate in the exhibition was Taiwanese artisan Cindy Chao featuring three-dimensional designs.
Cindy’s Black Label Masterpieces consist of one-of-a-kind jewellery artwork, limited to 36 pieces per year.
Each was handcrafted over a period of at least two years. Her Royal Butterfly Brooch was inducted into the Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History’s celebrated gem collection. It composed of 2,328 gems, totalling 77 carats. The centrepiece of the butterfly’s wings contain four large diamond slices stacked atop a paved layer of faceted diamonds, creating a pattern resembling a living butterfly’s wings. It is estimated to be worth $680,000 (BD256,468).
Yuting Hung, Cindy’s marketing director, said: “This is our first time in Bahrain. We were invited by a member of the royal family who thought this show would be a fitting place to exhibit.”
Cindy’s works-of-art start from BD19,000 and boast diamonds with rubies, sapphires and emeralds.
Italian designers Serafino Consoli also had something new to offer, a style of gold and diamond ring sets that can expand into bracelets or even larger rings.
Tommaso Mazzoni, the jeweller’s international sales director, said: “It took 10 years of research to reach this stage. One ring can become a bracelet while the other can fit a two-year-old girl and expand with her until she becomes an adult. We also have rings for men.
“It is our first time at Jewellery Arabia and it’s been successful.”
The rings mentioned start from 4,500 euro (BD1,800) to 75,000 euro (BD30,000).
It’s no wonder that friends and show visitors Penny Burnett and Linda Russell, from Budaiya, loved the exhibition. Penny, a teacher at St Christopher’s School, said: “I love Jewellery Arabia. I come every year and I brought my friend for the first time.
“It has something for everyone, from the deals to looking at jewellery that you would normally only dream of.”
Linda added: “You can visit a mall and see some pieces but not the same number or variety as at Jewellery Arabia!”
Mother and daughter, Michelle and Jennifer Elkhair, also took in the exhibition after flying in from Australia to visit family at Reef Island.
Jennifer, 21, a nursing student from Tasmania, fell in love with the kingdom and was impressed by the number of jewels on display. She said: “I didn’t expect it to be so big! It’s really amazing. It was great meeting people from different countries and seeing jewellery from different regions – it was very educational. It’s my first time overseas and great to add this to the experience.”
