Fashion in the field of jewelry is not so dynamic and usually does not make such abrupt turns, which often happen in the field defined by the broader concept of Fashion. The initially great cost of intrinsically jeweller-type materials – precious metals and gems, - their durability and the significant value of adornments proper make this field more conservative. There are notably more grades in it related to cultural traditions, established design schools and accessibility of precious and rare jewelry materials, which determines a rather wide array of stylistic shades within the frames of jewelry fashion. In any case, no matter how jewelry makers are positioning themselves, the jewelry industry reflects the spirit of the times. And their main trends are reflected by the BASELWOLD Show.

More colour

Ring, made by PORRATI

In recent years, jewelry fashion is literally flooded with colour extravagance. No classic canons of colour combinations have any effect here any more. On the contrary, the more unexpected and tangy are these combinations, the more attention they get. To be fashionable, a modern jewelry piece should be effulgent and eye-catching. Large and odd-shaped rings, earrings, pendants and brooches of such Italian firms as Palmiero, Ambrosi and Paolo Ferrro are all strewn with colour gems. Sometimes, their motley and lustrous colours resemble the Moorish lawn. In the new array of rings made by Porrati, their spherical surface encrusted with gems is also splashed over with a gamut of coloured pearls, making the rings more voluminous visually and creating additional decorative effect.

Bracelet, made by HENRY DUNAY

Taking into account the increased attention paid to colour variety, the role of colour gemstones is becoming immeasurably high in jewelry design. On this background, the most demanded are not only first-grade gemstones, which have always been the privilege of most expensive adornments, but also a range of numerous semi-precious stones boasting a rich realm of colours and hues. Pink and green tourmalines, sapphires of all possible colours, citrines, aquamarines, iolites, red tourmalines, tanzanites, tsavorites, topazes, amethysts and quartzes.
This is far from being a full list of colour gemstones in the inventory of jewelry industry maestros. The most rare and beautiful specimens are used to decorate unique jewelry pieces. Thus, in Henry Dunay’s gold bracelet displayed at the exhibition, the attention is captured by three magnificent cabochons – tanzanite (56.63 carats), tourmaline (51.69 carats) and peridot (55.94 carats).

Brazilian jewelry companies, utterly well skilled in making colourful and live adornments, are widely represented at BASELWOLD. The natural stock rooms of this country are fabulously rich in magnificently beautiful and unique stones. Imperial topaz and tourmaline are particularly famous among them. Mineral resources of Brazil contain 95 names of gem-quality stones. Brazilian designers are lavishly using mineral colour variety in making their adornments. For instance, BRUMANI used white diamonds, amethysts, blue topazes, green beryls, pink and green tourmalines to produce their set of a ring and earrings. This is not only an elegant jewelry piece, but also some kind of a small mineral collection.

Necklace, earrings and ring on a model, made by AMBROSI

Among other materials eagerly employed by modern jewelers, there are very popular corals and pearls, the latter in a significantly wider colour palette lately. Mother-of-pearl is in great vogue being used in combination with diamonds and the above-mentioned pearls and colour gems.
Modern jewelry fashion is such that the most expensive and rare stones in a single jewelry piece may be neighbouring materials, whose initial value is negligible. However, this does not make such adornments less prestigious and attractive. A designer’s talent and a jeweler’s prowess may bring such adornments to their peak of popularity and vogue.

Large and even larger

Chains, made by DAL`AVO

Large-size forms are one of the determinant attributes in modern jewelry. This trend is particularly obvious in chains. What we have today is a far cry from the modest gold chain with a likely small pendant put behind us a long time ago. At the same time, this is not a ridiculous identification mark of the “new Russians” in the 1990s. Modern techniques permitting to make tubular items have turned gold chains into an independent and very posh kind of fashionable jewelry.
The impressive size and large links of these chains may well remind you of fetters worn by religious zealots to suppress their flesh. However, modern precious chains serve exactly the opposite purpose. They should be comfortable to wear and made with artistic ingenuity and be an attractive piece of jewelry in every way.
Some firms, like Italian MICHELETTO and CHIAMPESAN, German ABEL&ZIMMERMANN and HERBSTRITH, have turned the production of such adornments into their specialty by introducing a lot of fantasy and top jewelry skill into the art of manufacturing modern chains. Massive links are used to produce chain-like necklaces, decorative bracelets, earrings and rings. The surface of gold chains may shine with polished cleanness or gleam with mysterious play of finest finish. Some gold links are iced out with diamonds in pave settings. In many cases, gold links in one item alternate with white ceramic links or with links fine-cut of various kinds of wood or sometimes with coral or turquoise links. Such contrasting combinations along with impressive size of jewelry produce powerful decorative effect.

Ring, made by ORLANDO ORLANDINI

Large sizes are typical of not only chains or pendants. Ring shapes seem to have reached a certain limit in their size.

Ring, made by Io Si

Modern fashionable rings, having a sophisticated design of volumes, sometimes look like a sculpture object shifted to one’s finger. It is difficult to imagine a more monumental ring on a woman’s hand.

Eternal femininity

Necklace, made by LEON HATOT

In the stream of modern jewelry fashion, there is an area, where fashion trends are not that active. We are speaking of jewelry, where the main role is assigned to diamonds and other gemstones of the so-called quad royal – sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Such jewelry has always occupied a significant segment in the luxury market. However, there is a fine line between the high-quality jewelry styled "a la Louis XVI” and further down the roll of styles inherent to passed epochs and the jewelry, in which the grandeur of classics and eternal femininity acquire visual features of modern times.
For worldly connoisseurs of jewelry, the affinity of Haute Joaillerie is not measured by carats in gems, but by freshness and elegance of design. Without exaggeration, such jewelry may well take in the “Butterfly” necklace displayed on the Leon Hatot stand, as well as the 2008 Collection of Stefan Hafner showing four suites named In Fiore, Sogno, Rugiada and Venus Diamond including necklaces, which seem to be woven of light and air, and rings and earrings.
A jewelry piece made as a work of art with a name of a famous designer behind it acquires an ever-greater value also in the eyes of collectors meaning not only connoisseurs of antiques, but also admirers of works by modern jewelry maestros.

Magic Circle

Pendan, made by REBECCA

At various periods, jewelry fashion may suddenly favour some form, which assumes the significance of a certain symbol of the time. The trends of this year gave their clear preference to the circle. This figure is more often encountered as a pectoral adornment in the shape of a pendant on a chain or a lace. There is a variety of its types. The circle may look like a flat gold disc punched with geometrical or floristic patterns and its surface may be strewn over with a mosaic of colour gemstones.

Ear-ring, made by REBECCA

Convex or concave discs sometimes shimmer with mirror lustre of polishing and sometimes assume the appearance of ancient gold jewelry as if erewhile made by the minter. The center of this circle is often covered with spark diamonds, large-size colour gems or enamel decor. Sometimes, the circle takes the shape of a tubular rim with variously decorated surface and free interior. Similar forms, though scaled down in size, are repeated in earrings and rings. ( 1-4 ) BASELWOLD-2009 is yet to show which symbols will be chosen by the next fashion spiral.