Four Days of Treasures at Messe München
As a media partner and member of the jury for the Young Designers Corner, I am always coming back to Munich with great joy. Four days at Messe München in October is truly a bliss for me. So how was GemWorld and the Munich Show 2026?
With around 51,000 visitors, five exhibition halls filled with fascinating treasures and a unique atmosphere, the Munich Show 2026 once again demonstrated just how vibrant and diverse the world of minerals, fossils, gemstones and jewelry is. From 22 to 25 October, Messe München became an international meeting place for dealers, scientists, collectors, jewelers and anyone passionate about the treasures of our Earth. Crowded aisles, in-depth technical discussions, extraordinary discoveries and beaming faces defined the edition, with attendance even higher than last year.
“Pioneers and Legends”: the people behind the minerals
The main special exhibition looked at the international mineral market as a tapestry of people, ideas, discoveries and visions. The focus was not only on outstanding specimens, but on the pioneers who, over generations, created the structures through which minerals are collected, researched, traded and admired today. Across ten chapters, visitors travelled from the major trading hubs such as Tucson and Munich, through the influential world of trade journals, books and digital platforms, to museums, universities, collectors and dealers. The exhibition also followed the journey of a mineral: from discovery at legendary sites and modern specimen mining to preparation, photography and presentation, the steps that turn a natural find into a coveted collector’s item. The message was clear: a mineral’s true value lies not only in its beauty, but also in its history, its provenance and the publications and auctions that tell its story. Its highlight was a first: four of the most valuable gemstone minerals ever discovered, shown together.
- The “King of Kashmir” aquamarine, reported at over one million carats
- The “Dragon” from the Colorado Quartz Mine, considered the world’s most valuable crystalline gold
- The red-and-blue tourmaline “Rabbit Ears”, 24 cm tall
- The “Alma Queen”, a nearly flawless rhodochrosite crystal
Young Designers Corner Award 2026
Since 2012, the Munich Show, Mineralientage München, has been presenting the “Young Designers Corner Award”, a prize for young talent in the jewelry industry. The competition gives dedicated creatives the opportunity to showcase their work on an international stage and demonstrate their skills. A high-caliber jury selects the eight finalists, who this year came from Germany, Austria and Italy and presented their pieces at GemWorld. The criteria are innovation, suitability for everyday wear, and technical and artistic execution. Alongside the jury prizes, a public vote took place on the Munich Show’s Instagram.
- Arash Asgari (IT), “Dragonfly”: a brooch in anodised titanium and white gold with 445 diamonds, with vibrating wings and a moving abdomen
- Sarah Weindl (AT), “Water Spring”: a necklace of beryl cabochons, platinum plates with a bird-feather texture and white gold
- Elveda Bayrak (DE), “A Fluid Connection”: a necklace of interlocking elements without connecting rings, set with red garnets
- Audience Award, Isabella Vincze (AT), “Wheel of Endurance”: a silver bangle of seven gear-like elements, inspired by a 5,000 km bike ride
For me personally, the Young Designers Corner Award is a great opportunity to showcase the jewellery art I create, meet interesting people, and gain experience participating in such events. For my second participation in Young Designers Corner 2026, I realized how much I’ve grown over these two years and how glad I am to be here again, among those people who are passionate about the same things as I am: to give someone good advice or learn something from more experienced people, to discover something new. That’s precisely why I value an event like the Gem World Munich Show so much!
David Gleyzer
Gemworld 2026 was my first fair I attended solo. Thanks to the many new experiences, I was able not only to gain valuable experience but also to draw conclusions for the further development of my portfolio and to define my target audience more precisely. Other lessons I’ve learned from the trade show include focusing on other markets, expanding my social media presence and website, and improving my personal soft skills. For me, the Munich Show was a success, yielding many contacts as well as several sales and orders.
Sebastian Prater
For the first time at GemWorld: the Numismatics premiere
A brand new Numismatics Section opened in Hall A1, bringing dealers, auction houses and collectors together across around 6,000 m². Its special exhibition, “Through a Collector’s Eyes: The Most Beautiful Medal!”, gave the spotlight to collectors themselves, who presented 75 favourite pieces spanning two millennia, from Pisanello to Rodin, each with a personal explanation of why it was chosen.
Art, history, craftsmanship and trade
The Art Corner, now a fixture of the show, welcomed artists from Germany, the UK, Italy, Poland, Ukraine and beyond, united by their passion for nature and its creative power. A special exhibition on King Ludwig II marked 200 years of photography with rare original photographs and royal treasures. Live craftsmanship brought the trade to life: at the stands of the Idar-Oberstein Vocational School and the Pforzheim School of Goldsmithing, apprentices cut, engraved and set stones in front of visitors.
Two national pavilions strengthened international trade. Pakistan presented for the second time leading gemstone and jewelry companies under the patronage of TDAP and APCEA, while Malawi, represented by FASMIM, took part for the first time, promoting responsible small-scale mining and transparent supply chains.
Gemworld Munich 2026 was a truly special moment for me, both personally and professionally. After winning the International Young Designers Award in 2025, returning this year with my own exhibition stand and presenting my new collection felt almost surreal. Jewellery and gemstones have been part of my life for as long as I can remember, so seeing my own creations receive such positive feedback and connecting with people who share the same passion meant a great deal to me. I’m incredibly grateful for this experience and proud of how far my journey as a young jewellery designer has brought me.”
Marcel Gebert
Save the date: 14 to 17 October 2027
The Munich Show is not a fair you simply visit, it is one you live. In four days you can stand in front of legendary minerals you may never see together again, discover the jewelry of tomorrow, meet the people who mine, cut, set and collect the stones, and leave with contacts and stories you will not find anywhere else. Whether you are a collector, a jeweler, a designer or simply curious, mark 14 to 17 October 2027 in your calendar now, and book your tickets and travel early. See you in Munich next year!
