The annual show JUNWEX MOSCOW 2008 was held on September 2-6 at the Gostiny Dvor Exhibition Arcade.
A number of Russian jewelry companies had been warming up to take part in this event. In August, information and advertising messages released in anticipation of the coming jewelry show occupied a considerable part of the Yvelirnaya Rossiya, an industry news bulletin.
However, if we put aside what was published by the specialized press, we have to admit that this large-scale jewelry show has not received any coverage apparent enough on the information field. The only company, which announced its participation in JUNWEX MOSOW to a broad audience, was the Krastsvetmet Plant of Krasnoyarsk. As it was repeatedly stressed, the use of exhibition events for promotion purposes is a trademark of this company.
The opportunity offered by the show was fully employed by the Kostroma Region’s representatives, who did not miss their chance to advertise their “jewelry capital” in this country’s metropolis. On the 4th of September they launched the Kostroma Jewelers’ Day at the exhibition. The event was highlighted by the major mass media in Kostroma as well as by the local TV and radio channels.
As was reported by the Kostroma GTRK, a government-owned broadcasting company, 56 of the 315 participants to the show came exactly from Kostroma.
Kostroma Governor Igor Slyunyayev was an eager participant in the jewelers’ presentation. He reminded about the intention to hold a visiting session of the Russian State Council devoted to the jewelry industry in Kostroma.
“I have an assignment given by the President to explore the possibility of holding a session of the State Council in collaboration with the respective State Council department,” Mr. Slyunyayev said. Currently the session of the State Council is scheduled for 2009. And in summer 2009, Kostroma plans to host the Third Congress of Jewelry Market Participants.
The major part of visitors gave rather high estimates to the Kostroma jewelry, the Sredny Class – Kostroma daily writes. Nevertheless, the Kostroma jewelers do have some problems too – in particular, the show was featuring Italian and German jewelry pieces and if compared it strikes the eye that Kostroma manufacturers are putting too much “stress” on the classic style “a la Kremlin’s Armory Chamber,” whereas the showcased Western versions seem to be all out trying to demonstrate their things are made in the 21st century. Though, it is possible that all this boils down to different tastes of the target audiences, which have to be taken into account. It should be noted that in “serving” their products our companies were also not distinguished, the daily says, excluding only the largest exhibitors. The dressing of booths set by Western and metropolitan jewelry makers – stylish, creative and modern – also suggests that there is still something to be learned by the Kostroma participants. Some of the quite beautiful Kostroma-made pieces just got lost at the booth because of the “cracker-barrel” window dressing.
A modern jewelry item should be colorful, sizable and conspicuous, the Severnaya Pravda correspondent writes under the impression of what was seen at the exhibition. The favored things include gem-studded steel, silver and diamonds, gold and platinum combinations, rhodium-coated silver, rubber laces with elegant pendants, and white, yellow and pink gold merged in one jewelry piece.
One of the peculiarities in the August-September information flow was a markedly lowered profile of Russian jewelry companies in the mass media. Principal sellers and manufacturers virtually dropped out of sight during this period. Even Altyn, which used to publish one or two advertising releases in the Moscow and Saint Petersburg issues of the Komsomolskaya Pravda on a monthly basis this time made a break.
Major media attention was paid to foreign participants of the Russian jewelry market. In covering the industry events an emphasis was laid on new collections launched by the jewelry houses already present in Russia as well as on promotion of jewelers just coming to the Russian market.
The Jacob & Со. brand of New York jeweler Jacob Arabov turned out to be the leader by the number of times it was mentioned (the Russian mass media mentioned it five times during the month: quite recently, the jeweler visited Moscow and presented his new collection of watches, while Natalya Vodyanova, a Russian-born super model, was the face of his advertising campaign). Articles dedicated to one of the jewelry pieces made by the Harry Winston Jewelry House were published three times by the Russian mass media. The necklace encrusted with 142 diamonds was so much highlighted by the mass media (particularly by the Izvestia daily) because it was given as a gift to super model Naomi Campbell by Russian oligarch Vladislav Doronin.
An exclusion from this trend was Golconda, a Russian jewelry house, which made a presentation of its new collections in Moscow on September 11. The release of these collections was marked by a review published in the Kommersant-Weekend, a weekly edition.
Of course, launching one’s own trademark lines is not at all a new undertaking on the Russian jewelry market, the weekly says. However, if earlier Russian jewelry companies or jewelry houses limited their business to making their own wedding rings and other such like unsophisticated trinkets, now the situation has changed dramatically. The Privee and Vintage collections are exactly those art lines, which present really single-piece adornments with specially selected stones and specially developed design.
The press of the Southern Federal District many times mentioned the Terekalmaz Factory in Kabardino-Balkaria. This enterprise started to produce polished diamonds quite recently and is evidently in need of consumer recognition. In this situation, the order received by the factory to make a diadem for the woman winner of the World Chess Championship (held in Nalchik on August 28 – September 18) turned into a successful advertising move. It was reported that the crown weighing about 80 grams was made by art jeweler Safar Tarchokov of OAO Kristall-Terek.
The manufacturers spent 65 grams of .585 yellow and white gold for the crown gracing it with 46 diamonds and three blue sapphires. It looks to its best advantage in the sunlight. The price of the crown amounts to a seven-digit figure, but money cannot measure its value. In a word, this is an exclusive hand-made piece irradiating the light and warmth of Kabardino-Balkaria, which cannot be bought for any money, the Kabardino-Balkarskaya Pravda says.
