Dubai’s standing as the undisputed jewellery capital of the Middle East has been cemented after of trade and consumer buyers flocked to the opening two days of VOD Dubai International Jewellery Show, which runs at Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) until Saturday, 18th November.
Amid strong sales across the 500-plus local and international brands at the show, there are still hundreds of signature items left for sale. Among them is a 377-carat diamond necklace from UAE-based jeweler, Jawhara. The one-of-a-kind bridal set, available for USD1,000,000, comprises a matching bracelet, ring and earrings. Weighing 800grams, the piece took 70 days to craft and, remarkably, is as versatile as it is luxurious – an interchangeable centerpiece can be switched to an emerald to suit all tastes and occasions.
A handcrafted amber ring from Jewels of Jaipur – a boutique jewelery company is famous for sourcing, designing and distributing unique pieces – is also generating a lot of interest among crowds. The ‘Lord of the Tigers’ two-finger ring weighs in at 94.7g. The brand’s ‘Shikara’ ring, inspired by boat people selling flowers on Dal Lake in Kashmir, is equally stunning.
Meanwhile, a series of fashion-meets-jewellery catwalks held in partnership with Arab Fashion Week continue to draw stylish front-rows. The Fashion Tableau Vivant catwalk attracted some of Italian fashion’s leading names, as models dressed in Renato Balestra’s dreamy haute couture collections wore traditional jewelery from local brand, MKS Jewelry International Co., Ltd.
The Master’s Archive jewellery catwalk sessions featured a line-up of delectable diamond creations worn during five 15-minute runway displays, where jaw-dropping designs by RK Jewellers by Zel Jewellers Ltd, Ferrari Firenze, Dhamani Jewels, KGK Diamonds & Jewellery and Mahallati Jewellery added even more sparkle to an already luxurious event.
Thursday also saw Olivia Phillips, Deputy Editor of Grazia Magazine, take to the stage with Nina Zandnia – chairman of the first lifestyle TV channel in the Middle East, lifestyle-dubai.com, and celebrated fashion designer. The stylish duo discussed their love of diamonds, and its place and position in the global jewellery industry before Nina held a half an hour meet-and-greet with her dedicated followers and fans.
“As we approach the halfway mark of VOD Dubai International Jewellery Show, we’re going from strength-to-strengh in terms of visitor numbers and on-site sales,” said Corrado Facco, Vice Chairman of DV Global Link and Managing Director of Italian Exhibition Group. “We anticipate the weekend generating an even bigger increase in sales as more and more consumers reflect and capitalise on the fine jewelery collections displayed by our diverse spread of local, regional and international exhibitors.”
VOD Dubai International Jewelery Show is open to both retail and trade visitors. The show is open 3pm-10pm on November 17 and 2pm-10pm on November 18. Entry is free. For more information please visit www.jewelleryshow.com