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Mark your calendars, as from 8-11 May 2025, the ninth edition of GemGenève will take over Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland, transforming it into a dazzling hub of creativity, expertise, and timeless beauty.
This year’s event promises to be an extraordinary affair, with a standout exhibition titled Art Deco: A Legacy of Timeless Elegance, paying homage to the iconic Art Deco movement.
This style continues to captivate collectors and designers alike nearly a century after its peak. As we approach the centenary of the 1925 Paris International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts, GemGenève invites us to step back into the Roaring Twenties, a period of boundless innovation and unbridled freedom that redefined jewellery, fashion, and design.
Art Deco: A Movement That Shaped an Era
Curated by GemGenève director Mathieu Dekeukelaire, with contributions from prestigious cultural institutions and historic jewellery houses, this exhibition is a love letter to one of the 20th century’s most creative epochs.
Spanning over 100 square meters, A Legacy of Timeless Elegance will showcase approximately 100 items – from jewellery and timepieces to furniture and haute couture – loaned by luminaries such as the Geneva Museum of Art and History, Chaumet, the Musée International d’Horlogerie (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation, and the Boghossian Foundation, among others. These treasures, many of which hail from private and heritage collections, offer a rare glimpse into the technical prowess and artistic daring that defined Art Deco.
The movement, born in the wake of World War I, was a reaction to years of austerity – a vibrant explosion of joie de vivre that embraced unconventional materials like straw marquetry, eggshell, enamel, lacquer, and platinum.
Art Deco wasn’t just a style; it was a way of life, permeating everything from jewellery to architecture. At GemGenève, visitors will witness an unexpected dialogue between disciplines, with artefacts ranging from a 1923 Chaumet rectangular cigarette case in gold, red, and black enamel to iconic dresses by Madeleine Vionnet, the pioneer of draping and the bias cut, loaned by the Azzedine Alaïa Foundation.
Jewellery: The Heart of Art Deco Innovation
Jewellery lovers will be in their element, as the exhibition spotlights the period’s unparalleled craftsmanship. Chaumet, a Place Vendôme high jewellery Maison with a 240-year legacy, will lend over 15 items from its heritage collection, curated under the watchful eye of Heritage Director Violaine Bigot. Highlights include a 1929 red and gold enamel purse watch set with diamonds, a testament to the brand’s mastery of Art Deco’s bold aesthetic.
Meanwhile, GemGenève exhibitor Faerber Collection, led by the boutique show’s co-founder, Thomas Faerber and his children, Ida and Max, will showcase avant-garde pieces like powder cases, vanity cases, and a stunning diamond bracelet by Ghiso from circa 1930, celebrated for its rose-cut diamonds and distinctive setting style.
The highly detailed band is designed as the New York City cityscape, depicting the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and Chrysler Building, with baguette, single and rose-cut diamonds weighing approximately 40 carats, with calibre-cut onyx, ruby and mother-of-pearl accents, including details such as an ocean liner, a sailboat, 1930’s automobiles, and a blimp, mounted in platinum, with French assay marks, the reverse of the clasp engraved “New York” on one side, the other side pierced with a motif of the Brooklyn Bridge, signed Ghiso, Paris, circa 1930.
Faerber Collection
Why does Art Deco jewellery remain so coveted? According to Ida Faerber, it’s the timelessness of the designs and materials, coupled with the technical excellence of the era’s artisans. “Many items have not aged at all; they are highly contemporary,” she notes, highlighting the period’s appeal to collectors who often begin their journeys with an Art Deco piece.
From Marcus & Co.’s brooch with engraved emeralds inspired by Indian craftsmanship to a cuff bracelet depicting the New York skyline with onyx detailing, the Faerber Collection’s contributions underscore the movement’s global influences and fearless creativity.
Horology and Haute Couture: A Holistic Vision
Art Deco’s reach extended far beyond jewellery, and this exhibition at GemGenève reflects this multidisciplinary spirit. Horology enthusiasts will marvel at timepieces like the Tank watch (Cartier, 1919) and Reverso (Jaeger-LeCoultre, 1931), loaned by the International Museum of Horology (MIH), alongside three World Time watches – a technical innovation by Geneva’s Louis Cottier. A standout is a pocket watch crafted by Cottier himself, courtesy of the Geneva Museum of Art and History, joined by a wristwatch from Golay Fils & Stahl’s heritage collection, a firm with a legacy dating back to 1837.
Fashion, too, takes centre stage. The Azzedine Alaïa Foundation will present iconic pieces by Madeleine Vionnet, Worth, and Jean Patou, reflecting how Art Deco liberated women from corsets and ushered in the Charleston style – a celebration of movement and emancipation. These designs, paired with jewellery, became symbols of the era’s newfound freedom, from shorter hemlines to feathered headbands.
A Living Legacy: Arts and Crafts at GemGenève
The exhibition doesn’t just look back – it brings Art Deco’s spirit into the present. In the Métiers d’Art space, visitors can engage with master craftspeople like Lison de Caunes, granddaughter of Art Deco decorator André Groult, who will demonstrate the intricate art of straw marquetry on May 7-8.
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Once nearly forgotten, this technique was revived in the 1920s and is now reimagined in contemporary designs for brands like Bvlgari. Similarly, Rose Saneuil will showcase her multi-material marquetry, blending straw, mother-of-pearl, and leather in pieces reminiscent of Art Deco’s experimental ethos.
The space will host 12 artisans, including gemmologist Anne Quedillac, lapidary Thibault Leclerc, and enameller Matteo Stauffacher, offering demonstrations and talks that bridge past and present craftsmanship. It’s a testament to GemGenève’s mission: to preserve and pass on rare know-how.
Beyond Jewellery: Architecture and Interiors
Art Deco was a total art form, and the exhibition reflects this with contributions like the Boghossian Foundation’s reproduction of Max Ingrand’s ‘The Milky Way’ ceiling panel from Villa Empain, a 1930s masterpiece restored by the jeweller family. Furniture by André Groult, Gustave-Adolphe Hufschmid, and Paul Poiret, alongside rare wallpapers and ornaments, will transport visitors into the era’s opulent interiors, curated with loans from the Maxime Flatry Gallery and the Van Buuren Museum.
A Treasure Trove of Archives and Books
For those who love the stories behind the sparkle, Art Deco: A Legacy of Timeless Elegance includes rare archive materials – gouaches, advertisements, and magazines from the interwar years – loaned by partners like Christophe Dubois of Friends of Gem Books. A temporary bookshop at Palexpo, stocked with antique and modern works on jewellery and mineralogy, will be a haven for collectors seeking to deepen their knowledge.
Why Art Deco Still Resonates Today
As Ida Faerber observes, Art Deco’s enduring appeal lies in its reflection of freedom and revival, echoes of which we felt post-COVID. It’s a period that resonates with our modern desire to live boldly and break conventions. At GemGenève, this ninth edition promises not just a look back, but a celebration of how Art Deco’s legacy continues to inspire today’s creators and collectors.
GemGenève: info
Open Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 May, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., GemGenève’s ninth edition is a must-visit for connoisseurs and newcomers alike. For tickets and additional information, please visit the website.
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