Denver – Last week, the Colorado-based Hardrock Summit show wrapped up its third year and announced a new location for next year’s event.
Designed to bring together the jewellery, gemstone, mineral and fossil industries, as well as enthusiasts and collectors, under one roof, next year’s show will take place at the Westin Hotel in Westminster from 12-15 September 2024.
“We are committed to evolving and enhancing the show to meet the needs of our exhibiting partners and the wider jewellery, gemstone and mineral industry,” said Christoph Keilmann, co-founder of Hardrock Summit.
“The Westin Westminster is the ideal venue for our 2024 event, taking this show to new heights and delivering an exceptional experience in a stunning location.”
This year’s event, held recently at the Colorado Convention Center from 15-18 September, attracted more than 1,000 trade visitors and nearly 6,000 total attendees.
The showcase consisted of exhibits, activities and education highlighting fine jewellery, gemstones and mineral specimens, and included participation from members of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA GemFair Denver) and the Denver Gem & Mineral Show.
“As a smaller and more regional show, we were pleased with the quality of retailers and collectors we met with for both the mineral and gem sectors of our business. It was a nice environment to build on our relationships and make new connections within the industry,” said Carl Larson, Director of Gems at Pala International.
The show featured an array of exhibits from institutions and private collectors, including the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals, the New Mexico Bureau of Geology Mineral Museum, the Mines Museum of Earth Science, the University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum, the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Jim and Gail Spann Collection, and the Gene Meieran Tourmaline Slices.
In partnership with Hardrock Summit, the 55th Annual Denver Gem & Mineral Show (DGMS) featured minerals from around the world, meteorites, ancient fossils and a diverse selection of jewellery and gems.
DGMS also featured family-friendly attractions such as a fluorescent rock room that glows in the dark, gold panning demonstrations, and live cutting and polishing demonstrations by lapidary artists.
In addition to the exhibits, a series of educational lectures were held throughout the weekend, providing attendees with expert insights, information and updates on the latest trends in the mineral and gemstone industry.
Sessions included an exclusive update on data collected by Colorado School of Mines doctoral student Jenna White during field research as part of AGTA and Mines’ Transparent & Traceable Gemstone Supply Chains research project.
More of White’s research will be presented at the 2024 Tucson Gem Shows.
The HardRock Summit comes at a busy time for trade events, with The Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong show taking place from 18-24 September and The Jewellery Show in London from 20-21 September.
In 2022, the Hong Kong show temporarily moved to Singapore, a move made with pandemic restrictions in mind and with the aim of being more accessible to international suppliers and buyers.
That year, feedback from exhibitors at the HardRock Summit on buying activity was mixed, but overall positive.
This year, with the show back in its usual Hong Kong location, some HardRock Summit exhibitors expressed mild concern that the clash of events made for a slower show.
Others were pleased with the timing of the show, especially given its proximity to the holidays.
“Hardrock Summit is a well-timed show for buying coloured gemstones, which is especially beneficial for retailers ahead of the holiday season. The increasing demand in the coloured gemstone market fits perfectly with the timing of this show and it was good to be a part of it,” said John Bradshaw, owner and gemstone dealer of John J. Bradshaw.
