Pearls with a contemporary twist, playful coral, and innovative new materials and approaches to metals, are top global jewelry design trends for 2019-20 and will be on show at the 64th edition of the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair, which runs from 10-14 September, 2019.

The September Bangkok fair will showcase the hottest trends at the Innovation and Design Zone (IDZ), presenting the most innovative and cutting-edge design products from Thai entrepreneurs.

This is a project of Thailand’s Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Ministry of Commerce to support talented designers and business people in the international market place.

“Emerging Thai designers, entrepreneurs and manufacturers, are aware of global trends in jewellery design, and each of the designers or entrepreneurs will adapt those trends to their pieces,” said Kornkamol Anekamai, director of the Thai Trade Center (TTC) in Milan.

“And for brands it’s important to know about the trends and to keep their brand identity. Thus for Thai products you can find pieces that vary in terms of trends and you can find very unique pieces.”

Leading European designers and industry leaders say the high quality of Thai jewelry craftsmanship reinforces their brands and strengthens their position in European markets.

“Our Thai manufacturers are our main supplier. They are very good at selecting the best quality stones and at working on intricate designs and re-cut stones,” says Paris-based designer Lydia Courteille, who has a boutique on the Rue Saint-Honore in central Paris, near the famous Place Vendome high jewellery quarter.

“They respect us in terms of what we ask for, and always try to do their best from an artistic point of view,” Lydia explained.

“Whenever we open the delivery parcel, we fall in love with what they (Thai craftspeople) have completed.”

Having established his eponymous luxury jewelry brand, celebrated Roman designer Alessio Boschi chose to settle in Bangkok, he said not only unparalleled access to talented jewelry artisans, but also for sourcing a wide variety of gemstones as his greatest passion.

Paola De Luca, a respected Italy-based jewellery analyst and forecaster, said: “Thailand's heritage for craftsmanship will appeal to European markets where there is strong demand for superbly made silver gold and color gem-set jewelry among the new wave of consumers."

The following global design trend themes are highlighted for 2019-20:

Pearls

Since the Sotheby’s sale of a pearl and diamond pendant owned by ill-fated French Queen Marie-Antoinette for a world record price for a pearl of $36 million last November, there has been a strong revival in consumers’ fascination for pearl jewelry.

Some pearl jewelry pieces in Bangkok show incorporated pearl with diamonds or precious stones featuring a blaze of colour.

The newest designs, seen at European trade shows early this year, present futuristic themes, combining pearls with diamond-encrusted stars and galaxies, and reinterpretations of the past, such as Art Deco tassels.

At the VicenzaOro and Baselworld fairs, brands showed off intricately crafted futuristic pieces inspired by stars and galaxies, and jewelry made from golden South Sea drop shaped pearls combined with unusual formations of diamonds, inspired by the stars.

Coral

PANTONE’s color of the year in 2019 is living coral, a nurturing color that appears in our natural surroundings, influencing a profusion of coral jewelry creations.

Playful and lighthearted coral jewelry featured prominently in the European trade shows in the first quarter of the year.

Precious coral from the great ocean depths is seen as sustainable in jewelry production, paving the way for exciting new creations to enter the global market this year.

Asia is a rich source of deep-sea coral and new creations are expected to be on show at the September edition of BGJF.

New materials

The latest generation of designers “mix and match” unusual materials, such as ebony and bakelite, synthetic rubber and nautical cord, with traditional precious metals and gemstones.

Some pieces combined an eclectic mix of innovative materials with precious stones, giving a fresh look to necklaces and bangles rich in color.

One necklace featured rings of African ebony amidst natural gemstones, while a bangle predominantly in jade incorporated a standout bakelite sphere.

At Bangkok show, INTHAI brand applies Thai bamboo handicrafts to create accessories jewelry and decoration, PIROON JEWELRY whose jewelry works inspired by Thai sculpture using paper pulp and artistic creativity to render the creative pieces.

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strong>METALS INNOVATION

At Vicenza, one high jewelry brand presented 18-carat gold in a range of colors, launching “chocolate brown” gold rings to complement colored gold such as “natural beige” and “apricot orange.”

The spread of gold colors is due to the use of different combinations of alloys.

A U.S. brand, well known for its lockets in 18-carat gold, ventured into steel jewellery, such as a black steel sun, moon and stars 47-inch chain.

Innovation and Design Zone

At the September Bangkok fair, the newest trends will be showcased at the Innovation and Design Zone (IDZ), which will be divided into two zones.

Zone 1 will feature a Special Exhibition: Innovation and Design Showcase, presenting more than 40 innovation and design products in six groups – Fine Jewelry, Form & Technique, Material, Research, Technology & Tools, and student projects from leading Thai universities.

Zone 2 will be an Innovation and Design Bazaar in which around 12 brands will showcase their innovative products.

The 64th Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair will be held from September 10 to 14, 2019 at Challenger Halls 1-3, IMPACT Muang Thong Thani.