This boutique Swiss show is stepping up to give independent designers their moment to shine.
A baroque mansion in the middle of a manicured Swiss park is quite a change from the crowds of the giant Baselworld fair. The Wildt’sches Haus is the intimate setting where Jewels Basel takes place this year from June 16 to 18.
The brainchild of designer Nana Fink, the elegant boutique event launched in March 2018 to showcase jewelry artists and artisans — a response to the Baselworld organizers’ decision to stop hosting independent creators in a separate pavilion, and ultimately to cease the event altogether.
Fink, a local luxury jeweler who holds a PhD in maternal health and conducted her research at Harvard Medical School, says her academic background taught her to be persistent and patient. Since 2018, she has tirelessly promoted Jewels Basel, looking for partners and funding despite some setbacks during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For art’s sake
This year’s edition, which is sponsored by investment bank UBS, coincides with the prestigious Art Basel fair. Putting Jewels Basel in an artistic context is at the heart of Fink’s vision.
“Jewels Basel is aligned with Art Basel, and the city of Basel is fully supporting it,” she says. “It’s nice for me that the show is considered as culture and art. I really want to sharpen our awareness that making jewelry is not just luxury and decadence. Our designers are passionate and creating mini sculptures and small pieces of art.”
Her own work consists of sculptural, multi-functional pieces handcrafted in both Basel and Jaipur, India, featuring carved gems. Also exhibiting is Robert Procop, who has been present since the inaugural show and whom Fink affectionately calls her “jewelry professor.” The collection Procop designed with actress Angelina Jolie is on display at the event and boasts exceptional gemstones.
The other designers — Dickson Yewn, Fabian Blaser, Iryna Karpova, Caspita, Leyser, and Fellow Jewels — all share Fink’s appreciation for excellence and craftsmanship. The new edition showcases vintage watches and artworks from the Volta Art Fair and Wild at Art salon as well.
Made with love
Fink sees Jewels Basel as the ideal place to celebrate innovation and authentic design. “What I usually don’t like at mainstream fairs is that you can see the stamps [of] ‘Made in China.’ It doesn’t touch your soul or your senses,” she explains. The Swiss show she runs is different; it enables exhibitors to share the genesis of their work, their technical prowess, and the rare gemstones they’ve sourced.
Filling the massive gap that Baselworld left behind is a pretty tall order, but the founder of Jewels Basel feels her lovingly curated show can shape the image of the Swiss city, offering an alternative platform for creators and craftspeople and attracting an international audience.
Main image: Nana Fink, founder of Jewels Basel. Image: Nana Fink.
