During my quick visit to Paris, I proposed to Mr. (my girlfriend I met in Seoul) to accompany me to a trade show reserved for jewelry professionals

Part 1: Visit of the Show
Part 2: Practical Tips

Part 1: Visit of the exhibition

Note: I’m not the type to collect bags, shoes, but I never get tired of jewelry. After spending several years buying them, I said to myself: “what if I created them myself?”. Not being able to wear anything other than precious metals, I became interested in goldsmithing. Before going around the world, I took courses with two goldsmiths, working directly with silver (soldering, setting, cutting etc.). I let you discover some of my creations.

It is a very closed environment. Around the subway of Art et métier, you will find a multitude of stores selling all kinds of primers, tools… But the purchase of precious raw materials (silver plates, gold, precious stones…) is done in a more discreet way, hidden in small stores whose address is known only by the goldsmiths (and their students). There is, in this environment, a perceptible form of discrimination between goldsmiths who are self-trained and those who have gone to school. Within the school, in the final year, students are also divided into several categories according to their dexterity / ability: the best at setting, the best at polishing. Fortunately, with the success of costume jewelry, the sale on the Internet … becoming a jewelry designer is a dream that is more and more accessible, and going to one of these shows, it also gives you access to the other side of the decor.

This is a trade show reserved only for professionals, i.e. you need an extract of Kbis to enter. As JB and I have created a company (which has nothing to do with jewelry), I have an extract of Kbis. I proposed to M. to accompany me since she likes beautiful things and she is a scriptwriter so she is interested in everything. Normally, we have nothing to do there, but we have now got into the habit of pretending to be professionals. So we are excited to discover the two floors of this show

Three years ago, I went there to buy stones to set (including rough diamonds that are really super pretty). I foundgreat raw materials and even saw some machines at affordable prices

Raw materials

This year, the raw materials portion is half as small. We see mostly semi-precious stones, pearls of all sizes ..

There are fewer meteorites than last time (yes, we also set mini meteorite pieces), fewer diamonds, fewer machines. But M. was able to discover the world of primers: where you can buy a clasp of so many cm, kittens ready to receive a stone, chains that you buy by the meter ..

3D machines to print complex jewelry, and laser cutting machines to create complex openwork patterns, which would have taken too much time if it had been worked with wax or directly on the ankle . There are also entire stands filled with displays, jewelry boxes, and boxes of jewelry ..

For this part, you can buy the primers by unit (what small creator would need 100 kittens of the same size huh?), provided you show your Kbis.

The jewels

We move very quickly to the 1st floor where creations from hundreds of designers are on display
This floor is rather aimed at a very specific public: owners of jewelry stores

Some clearly display the prices reserved for professionals, others only give it when the buyer communicates the number of pieces he wishes to buy. Here, we can no longer buy by the unit but we must place orders with the professional, who will note each model, the quantity and deliver them later. Negotiation is allowed, white label sale is possible depending on the designer. There are designers who only sell via resellers, they don’t even have websites. Others who require the sale of their jewelry only in trade shows like these, and not by Internet, email or others

As we are Asian, we were quite solicited because there were a lot of Chinese buyers who came to the show and placed huge orders

At one point, we passed a huge booth filled with silver and semi-precious stone jewelry. On this stand, there were 2 prices: the recommended retail price, and the price reserved for professionals. As an example, a ring sold 50€ to individuals costs only 18€ to professionals

M. and I fell in love with some jewelry but we just write down the name of the store because we can’t really buy them at the show 😀

Schools

It is also on this floor that you will find stands from several jewelry design schools, including the famous Boulle school. This school trains the best jewellers who will then work for high jewelry brands

I am raving about the creations of the school’s students when a teacher at the school asks me what I do for a living. I tell her that I work in online advertising, I have nothing to do with this world and that I have absolutely no level to join such a reputable school, but she encourages me to enroll at the school in August and follow the adult courses (organized by the Paris City Hall) for cheap. If I am unable to enroll in the courses organized by the city hall, I can always enroll in another course, paying this time, but for which there are scholarships to finance the studies. I don’t know if I really want to take jewelry courses for a year, the thought has crossed my mind

She then tells me that there are very few applications to join the school at the high school level. So if you are interested in this school, think about applying for high school, there will be more places and less competition, than you would apply AFTER the baccalaureate. She told me to spread the word, so I spread the word here:D

 

 

Part 2: Practical Tips

This show does not allow you to see how a jewel is created from A to Z

It will allow small creators to do their little shopping for setting stones, primers (in brass or silver, no gold in the living room), jewelry boxes and other small things. It will also serve as an inspiration for jewelry lovers

If you really want to go there, know that you have to come with a Kbis, an identity card. This fair takes place every year, you just have to buy the ticket once (38€/person) so that the following years you will be invited for free