Feature
At the end of a sun-soaked, palm tree lined boulevard in the exotically named Sakhir in Bahrain sits a jewellery exhibition of epic proportions boasting 650 exhibitors from 30 countries called Jewellery Arabia. Running from 26th – 30 November and under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister it attracts thousands of visitors locally and from neighbouring gulf states such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Abu Dhabi who come to be dazzled by colossal high jewellery. Clusters of women clad in flowing black abayas hover over sparkling jewels while men in starched white thobes sip tea and meander through deeply carpeted halls.
Everyone is here, from the likes of Graff, Moussaieff, David Webb and Messika to emerging Saudi designers, heavyweight natural pearl manufacturers and the best of Bahraini, French and Indian jewellers. The first few days of the fair are spent on recognisance, going booth by booth enquiring about prices before circling back over the weekend and going in for the kill. Big money changes hands and to help things move along the government waive VAT on all exhibition purchases as well as many booths offering hefty discounts in what is a marathon of buying interspersed by hearty food from My Café founded by the glamorous Sawsan Baluch. The extravagance and luxury are worth the trip alone.
In the 1930s oil was discovered in Bahrain and superseded the natural pearl industry which had previously powered the economy. This was good timing as cultured pearls were about to decimate naturals and remain banned in Bahrain today. Danat, the Bahrain Institute for pearls and gemstones sit in the central aisle of the show and crowds gather to pay 5 Bahraini Dinars to watch an expert pearl diver crack open 10 oysters in the hope of winning a pearl. Pearl Shucking is the closest the more cost-conscious attendees may get to the real thing. Across the hall at Al Zain Jewellery, another famous local brand, magnificent seed pearl ‘Arab Deco’ bracelets and fat sweeping tassel necklaces gleam next to large modern malachite and amethyst pendants.
Abeer Al saeed however of Dalal Jewelry an emerging Saudi designer in Hall 7 is eschewing pearls for bejewelled tulip buds. Her inspiration stems from when The Dutch Royal family gifted Canada 100,000 of the flowers at the end of WWII war for giving them sanctuary. Her booth neighbour and compatriot Ghalia Algosaibi of Ulia Jewellery uses ancient Arabic coins which she describes as ‘hidden treasure’ going back to the year 86 in the Islamic Hijri calendar as the centre piece of her design, following her families love of antiques. She circles them in gold and punctuates them with stones such as cornelian.
Over at the French Pavilion, an organisation called Francéclat dedicated to supporting the development of French jewellers, workshops and watchmakers space has been given to designers such as Isabelle Souppe and her big stone dress rings in purple tourmaline, rubies, opals and diamonds. Also, Rouvenat who source antique stones from auction houses finding them new homes in their elegant lock pendants. After discovering 3,000 drawings in a Parisien bookstore they began using them as inspiration for new collections. Around the corner is Elie Top enjoying his first foray into Jewellery Arabia with a fetching series of opal, silver and gold snake rings as well as a gorgeous, twisted silver, diamond and gold Clover necklace (not that he’ll need the luck).
Finally, Alix Dumas, with her glorious award-winning magnolia broach in titanium, silver, gold, spinels and diamonds is ensuring that French savoir fair is very much in the mix. At the Bahrain Jewellery Centre Vania Leles hailing from Guinea-Bissau and living in Portugal continues the flora theme with Maxi Fleur de Sable (desert flower) earrings carpeted in colour- drenched gemstones but made in titanium to be light on the ear. Every style is accommodated as long as it’s more is more.
No visit to Jewellery Arabia would be complete without a visit to A2Z Advisory an artistic curation spanning antique to modern and founded by Abdulrahman Al Zayani known as Rahman, a collector and patron. Rare vintage finds from Boivin and Rubel Frères for Van Cleef & Arpels jostle for attention next to contemporary pieces by SABBA, Fernando Jorge and FORMS.
This is a place for serious collectors to gather within its green velvet walls and contemplate the meaning of jewellery while they try on swags of waist-length natural pearls swaying from white jade or gobstopper sized pink opals. As you leave the show, transfixed by the intensity of styles, stones and shucking, just pop into the Scent Hall to waft through the oud clouds emanating every conceivable woody spice and thank your lucky stars you got to experience the coming together of such marvels.
Image courtesy of Ellie Top
Written by Melanie Grant for Something About Rocks in November 2024.
