The global coronavirus pandemic has caused the cancellation of another jewelry show. This time it’s GemGenève, an exclusive event for dealers and collectors of important gems and vintage jewels from around the world. It would have been the third time this annual fair was to be held but after two date changes its founders decided that the health crisis has continued to create an uncertain environment for large gatherings.
“We were pushing a little bit too much and some people could suffer. We thought it was better to stop,” Ronny Totah, co-founder of the event said in an exclusive interview Thursday. “The travel restrictions and increased sanitary precautions made it impossible for GemGenève to be the interactive experience that we intended.”
Totah added that all exhibitors will be reimbursed. “We will take all the losses.” He said the decision to cancel the show was made earlier in the week as the global situation regarding the virus remained murky and uncertain. “It was 100 percent because of COVID. Otherwise we were more than ready.”Recommended For You
Totah and Thomas Faerber founded GemGenève in 2018 to provide a platform for small- and medium-sized firms that specialize in high-quality gems and jewels. Both are owners of multi-generational family firms in Geneva bearing their names that specialize in rare gems and antique jewels.
