With double the attendance, the organisers of the third Hardrock Summit in Denver say the show was a bountiful display of minerals, gemstones and jewellery, and they are excited to move the event to its new location in 2024.
For its fourth edition, the Hardrock Summit will move from the Colorado Convention Center to the Westin Westminster for its entire run from 12-15 September 2024, say Wolter Mehring and Christoph Keilmann, co-founders of the event.
They describe the four-star hotel as luxurious yet spacious, offering an ideal location and efficiencies – such as being just 15 minutes from downtown Denver – for both show attendees and industry exhibitors.
This year’s Hardrock Summit attracted nearly 6,000 guests, including more than 1,100 trade visitors, according to Mehring and Keilmann. They described the mood at the show as upbeat. Exhibitors at the show say they are looking forward to a positive holiday season based on what they experienced as visitors shopped the show floor.
The Hardrock Summit serves as a key autumn event in the jewellery calendar, and this year’s event gave new and established jewellery brands and designers a chance to gauge interest, talk to buyers and see what consumers might be interested in as the all-important fourth quarter selling season gets underway. JCK attended to see what was new and different.
Stalls such as Misfit Diamonds, with its smoky salt-and-pepper diamonds and special selections such as a stunning 7.22 carat antique oval brilliant sapphire, encouraged people to stop and shop. Nearby, Wolfgang Vaatz’s artistic aspen-inspired forest scenes kept his counter stacked with customers. Buyers were also eager to chat with jewellers such as Alexandra Fitzgerald with her Alex Fitz statement jewellery and to see the range of new designs at Gold and Smoke.
For Alex Fitz, offering jewellery to be worn on special occasions is its stock in trade – if you want something to go with your jogging bottoms or tracksuit bottoms, look no further, as these elegant, sculptural pieces are ideal for this season’s suits and gala dresses, said owner and designer Alexandra Fitzgerald.
Gold and Smoke made its trade show debut at the Hardrock Summit, and husband-and-wife founders Kelly Selcer and Manos Phoundoulakis say they were excited to meet buyers eager to stock their “empowerment jewellery”, made from flattened bullets and cast into gold pendants, rings, cufflinks and earrings.
“We wanted to create a message that could be embraced by anyone,” says Selcer, a former real estate agent who now helps create and design each Gold and Smoke piece.
At Mason-Kay, Jade will hopefully be the reason for the upcoming shopping season, says Kristina Mason. Her double or triple ring pendants, made from a single piece of jade, have caught the eye of many visitors as the ideal Sweetest Day gift.
Jade is the perfect gemstone for everyday wear,” says Mason, “because it loves to be touched by those who wear it, whether they’re men or women. Mason-Kay also expects to see more men wearing stacking bracelets, like her jade beads, in the autumn and spring of 2024.
