After three exciting days, INTERGEM 2023 at the Idar-Oberstein Exhibition Centre ended with a respectable success despite the difficult industry environment. 85 exhibitors from 11 countries presented their high quality jewellery creations and a wide range of diamonds, pearls and coloured gemstones to an interested trade audience.
1,489 trade visitors from 27 countries attended INTERGEM, 6% more than in 2022. INTERGEM 2023 bucked the general trend and grew slightly. The proportion of international trade visitors remained constant at 27%. The high internationality of the trade visitors is based on visitors from Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France and Switzerland. There were also trade visitors from the Baltic States, the USA, New Zealand and Hong Kong.
The INTERGEM 2023 supporting programme also contributed to this success. The second edition of the Live Jewellery Show was once again created by Katerina Perez. With over 400,000 followers on Instagram, the qualified gemologist is an outstanding international influencer and blogger for high quality jewellery and trendy creations. She also accompanied INTERGEM 2023 with her social media activities. During INTERGEM, she curated, combined outfits and jewellery, hosted and promoted the show through her social media channels.
The GemTec exhibition area was completely new and had a very successful premiere at INTERGEM 2023. The GemTec exhibition was accompanied by a two-day symposium with high-calibre presentations. GemTec focuses on innovative technologies, equipment and tools for processing hard and brittle materials. The companies in this competence cluster, which has evolved from the region’s jewellery and gemstone industry, show how innovative methods and new processes can influence jewellery design in the future.
GemTec was created in collaboration with the Koblenz Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Birkenfeld Regional Economic Development Agency, and will be continued at INTERGEM 2024.
The opening ceremony of INTERGEM was attended by Daniela Schmitt (Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate) and Dr. Heide Rezepa-Zabel (gemologist, art historian, diamond appraiser and well-known expert from the ZDF programme “Bares für Rares”). Dr Heide Rezepa-Zabel also received the “German Gem Road” award in recognition of her services to the region’s jewellery and gemstone industry. She actively supported the second Long Night of Gemstones. On the Saturday of INTERGEM, eight outstanding and unique institutions and locations of the jewellery and gemstone industry in Idar-Oberstein and the region presented themselves in a pleasant evening ambience with a suitable musical and culinary supporting programme. New participants were the Fischbach copper mine and the University of Trier on the Idar-Oberstein campus.
The event was free of charge for trade visitors and citizens of the region, and a shuttle service was provided by the INTERGEM team. The positive response to the “Long Night of Gemstones” was overwhelming. The German Gemstone Museum welcomed more than 350 visitors. All guided tours in the museums, the Bengel Industrial Monument, the Fischbach Copper Mine and the Steinkaulenberg Gemstone Mine were fully booked. The Bengel Industrial Monument welcomed over 150 visitors. This shows that INTERGEM has once again succeeded in building a bridge to the city of Idar-Oberstein and the region. Only Idar-Oberstein can do this. In 2024, the 40th edition of INTERGEM and the 3rd edition of the “Long Night of Gemstones” will take place in Idar-Oberstein.
