Known since ancient times, this gem with its unique iridescence is one of the most evocative geological miracles. Nicknamed “The Queen of Gemstones” by the poet Shakespeare, opal has earned a place in jewelry history as the stone of choice for Empress Josephine and Queen Victoria.
GemGenève inaugurates an eclectic and poetic exhibition, divided into a selection of around fifty jewels and works of art. Thanks to the dialogue between jewels and contemporary art, Flames of Opal Essence traces a sensorial, graphic and initiatory journey to reveal all the mysteries of iridescence. Nadège Totah, member of the Board of Directors
An original scenography, designed by the Autre Idée agency, highlights all the properties of this mysterious stone, tirelessly celebrated by jewelers over the centuries.
Curated by the Director of GemGenève Mathieu Dekeukelaire, Flames of Opal Essence is an exhibition created with the support of the Musée d’Art et d’Histoire of Geneva, Piaget, Imagem and Boris Chauviré, doctor of mineralogy at GeoGems, as specialized scientific collaborator in the opal.
Exploring the opportunities and plays of light offered by this sensational material, creations that were both delicate and surprising were born in the 20th century. From the American jeweler Raymond Yard to the German goldsmith artist Hermann Jünger, passing through the creations of the Italian fashion house Vhernier, opal has been tirelessly worked and celebrated throughout the 20th century. For Flames of Opal Essence, GemGenève has selected the most noteworthy pieces.
Flames of Opal Essence is a transversal exhibition conceived as an initiatory, sensorial and above all artistic journey! Mathieu Dekeukelaire, Director of GemGenève
For this eighth edition, GemGenève Director Mathieu Dekeukelaire has imagined a bold exhibition, a mix of jewels and contemporary art. Looking at an opal under the microscope seems to immerse oneself in a painting by Poliakoff, Ramade or Rollier: this is why the unprecedented dialogue between jewels and works of art created by Mathieu Dekeukelaire.
GemGenève 8th edition 9 – 12 May 2024
Thursday – Sunday
10:00 am – 6:30 pm
Palexpo, Hall 1 | Geneva | Swiss
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