After three exciting days, INTERGEM 2023 held at the Idar-Oberstein exhibition center ended with a respectable success despite the difficult industry environment. 85 exhibitors from 11 countries presented their high-quality jewellery creations and a diverse range of diamonds, pearls and coloured gemstones to the interested trade audience.
1,489 trade visitors from 27 countries came to INTERGEM, 6% more than in 2022. INTERGEM 2023 was able to grow slightly – against the general trade fair trend. The international proportion of 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. Trade visitors from the Baltics, the USA, New Zealand and Hong Kong were also represented.
The INTERGEM 2023 supporting programme contributed to this success. The second edition of the live jewellery show was again created by Katerina Perez. With over 400,000 followers on Instagram, the trained gemologist is an outstanding international influencer and blogger for high-quality jewellery and trendy creations that go with it. She also accompanied INTERGEM 2023 with her social media activities. During INTERGEM she curated, combined outfits and single pieces of jewellery, moderated 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 top-class lectures. GemTec is about innovative technologies, devices and tools for processing hard and brittle materials. The companies in this competence cluster, which developed from the jewellery and gemstone industry of the region, show how innovative methods and new processes can influence the jewellery design of the future. GemTec was created in collaboration with the IHK Koblenz and the regional business development of Kreis Birkenfeld and will be continued at INTERGEM 2024.
The opening ceremony of INTERGEM was accompanied by Daniela Schmitt (Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport, Agriculture and Viticulture) and Dr. Heide Rezepa-Zabel (gemologist, art historian, diamond appraiser and known as an expert from the ZDF program “Bares für Rares”). Dr. Heide Rezepa-Zabel also received the “Deutsche Edelsteinstraße”- Award in recognition of her achievements in the region’s jewellery and gemstone industry. She actively supported the second “Long Night of the Gemstones”. On INTERGEM Saturday, eight outstanding and unique institutions and locations from 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 Trier University on the Idar-Oberstein campus. The offer was free for trade visitors and citizens of the region and there was a shuttle service to the buildings provided by the team of INTERGEM. The positive response to the “Long Night of the Gemstones” was overwhelming. The German Gemstone Museum welcomed over 350 visitors. All tours in the museums, the Industrial Monument Bengel, the Fischbach Copper Mine and the Steinkaulenberg Gemstone Mine were fully booked. Over 150 visitors were welcomed to the Industrial Monument Bengel. It shows that INTERGEM was once again able to build a bridge to the city of Idar-Oberstein and the region. Only Idar-Oberstein can make this happen. In 2024, the 40th edition of INTERGEM and the 3rd edition of the “Long Night of the Gemstones” will be held in Idar-Oberstein.
