On the floor at JCK Toronto and the Feninjer Brazilian Gems and Jewelry Show

A bevy of beautiful new designs—plus yummy local delicacies like pão de queijo and caipirinhas—greeted visitors to the 51st Feninjer Brazilian Gems and Jewelry Show in São Paulo, held July 31–August 3. Organized by the Brazilian Institute of Gems and Precious Metals (IBGM), the event featured 120 exhibitors, including 15 new loose stone dealers who had previously exhibited at the defunct Brazil Gem Show in Governador Valadares in the state of Minas Gerais. Attendance totaled 6,500 in 2009, and at press time, IBGM anticipated 7,000 at this year’s gathering, mainly from Brazil and other Latin American countries.

The highlight was the annual trends presentation by forecaster Maria Regina Machado Soares, who revealed five designer sources of inspiration: classic shapes like bows and hearts; fantasy elements like bird motifs; oversize urban-inspired designs; natural elements and handmade touches (such as primitive textures); and local gems like quartz.

As for sales, here’s one positive sign: At 10 p.m. on Monday—four hours after closing—Cristina Abdala, owner of FR Hueb, was forced to ask one enthusiastic buyer to return the following morning. “We had to leave—the safe was closing for the night!” she explained.

For more Feninjer show coverage, check out the Style 360 blog.