At Haute Jewels Geneva, where grandeur takes center stage
Situated at the InterContinental Geneva until Monday, April 20th, the intimate exhibition with international acclaim has once again charmed with the excellence of its gems and the wealth of expertise on display. An inspiring showcase, where high-end jewelry reveals its technical prowess in the service of more accessible collections.
On the evening of April 14th, during the opening cocktail, Michael Hakimian, founder of HJG and CEO of the exhibiting house Yoko London, asserted with great energy: "Despite the current international situation, we must continue to believe and pursue our exchanges." A statement that perfectly encapsulates the dynamism of this positive figure, who also moves us with his pearl jewelry sets, exemplary in their gradations and pairings of colors. That evening, Michael Hakimian launched the 7th edition of his project, Haute Jewels Geneva, which began a few years ago with four houses. The session from April 14th to 20th, 2026, welcomed 44 jewelry houses. Expertise and Technicality One can draw a parallel with horological events that introduce professionals to the intricacies and the ultimate in terms of finishes and crafts. Similarly, the Haute Jewels Geneva exhibition unveils the latest innovations, the technical prowess in jewelry that allows for new ways to wear adornments, as well as exceptional gems (untreated, unheated). A beautiful example of versatile wear (the very identity of high jewelry): cultured pearl sautoirs from Yoko London. Sautoirs from which one can detach a corsage ornament or a brooch, a pair of earrings, or a tassel pendant, for a simple or majestic look. Noteworthy in terms of innovations, Yoko London works with quite incredible, rare pearl colors, such as "purple", "pistachio", or "old rose", mounted with great regularity. /public-objects/ec29f029-bfe0-42da-a97c-26cf4a844fd6-cca02e0e-234d-40c5-8cfd-93395813a65d-yoko1.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/ece19c2b-1f26-4b63-bb8b-b0bae4f0d33d-3f1ca649-7cac-4404-b3ce-a6b11b570db9-yoko2.webp Image sélectionnée The exceptional, consistent material, whether in pearls or precious stones, requiring months of research, truly defines high-end jewelry. For instance, Bayco New York offers remarkable gems of significant weight: "pigeon's blood" rubies, a very intense red with a slight bluish hue, sourced from Burma. They also offer sapphires from Sri Lanka, and emeralds from Muzo (the most expensive in the world). Sutra, on the other hand, surprises us with gems of substantial carat weight that they skillfully set in wood or other noble materials. /public-objects/033c7056-f733-4efc-833a-78dada43b833-53f29763-f525-4efd-aa6b-c862c77f85f3-Bayco_ExhibitorLookbook_Product1.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/80cee2cc-4c3d-49a0-86e8-2b999627b261-93637384-703b-401b-a208-773f803a17ee-Bayco_HJG_Spotlight.webp Image sélectionnée The weight of the stones plays a major role. However, a trend is becoming increasingly clear: high-end jewelry must be light, fluid, flexible, and conform to the movement of the neck and wrist. Comfort symbolizes the ultimate luxury. The Italian Recarlo, whose precious signature is the heart motif, excels in this area. Thanks to a clever manual assembly of the set hearts, the Recarlo necklace nestles around the neck like a snake of diamonds, weightless and decidedly flexible. /public-objects/3438cd84-1061-4359-a239-ca321eed8ff0-cf247175-12e6-496e-a48f-2d0b425c5bb4-recarlo.webp Image sélectionnée An Introduction to "Fine Jewelry" Within HJG, two cases are particularly telling: the two Italians, Damiani and Dolce & Gabbana. While high jewelry grandiosely exploits a style detail, "fine jewelry" excessively emphasizes this detail. In summary, high jewelry plays the creative lead, serving as an inspiration for accessible lines. At Damiani, we think of the Mimosa and Margherita collections. In high jewelry, these collections with exceptional gems (intense colors, featuring morganites, opals, tourmalines...) display settings on several levels, thus stirring the precious flowers. In "fine jewelry", this idea continues to bloom, but in a variation that goes to the essence. /public-objects/7a3565f5-8c2c-4362-a44d-3d358308a37c-1290190a-8f74-4a79-a73f-ee12601bf54e-damiani1.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/42866458-3960-40c8-82e4-0a5433eb7285-35882eb8-88b6-4514-8cd9-c2d0721b1461-daminai2.webp Image sélectionnée At Dolce & Gabbana, high jewelry and haute couture are closely intertwined. "For instance, we present high jewelry in Paris in July, then the following week, all of Italy discovers it through our events, the "Alta Moda" of Dolce; it's a constant back and forth between the two, a tight weave of style," asserts a spokesperson for the house. Sicily, devotion, baroque, glamour, and filigree merge into one, expressing themselves through jewelry and fashion. /public-objects/45ee6d6b-1864-42db-ac92-1d2766c3e4b2-e58ce291-8550-42e8-a9d5-75daf320e1f3-DG1.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/f7947370-962d-461c-814d-fd60fca93c8c-702d39e2-3975-4c97-a15c-bfccfb079036-DG2.webp Image sélectionnée