Brilliance – Jersey’s Jewellery and Watch Festival is back for its third year in 2023.
The award-winning festival, which runs from Saturday 21st October to 5th November, aims to highlight the expertise and great variety of the jewellery and watch industry that Jersey boasts.
‘Our theme for 2023 is ‘Legacy’ which perfectly reflects Jersey’s jewellery and watch industry with so many family businesses and independent jewellers involved.
Jewellery and watches have been used to encapsulate our most special occasions and are often handed down for generations, creating a legacy with every piece we make or sell. Also now more than ever, how jewellery is made, from what and where the raw ingredients come from has never been so important in buyers’ minds and this year’s festival will highlight this.’ Festival co-organiser and Director of Rivoli Jewellers, Melanie Mayer Davies commented.
Following on from the previous two successful festivals participants will showcase brilliant aspects of their profession including highlighting internationally recognised brands, gemmology expertise and the art of jewellery design and goldsmithing.
Brilliance events for 2023 include jewellery-making workshops, gemstone sales, wedding events, diamond and sparkling wine pairing, watchmaking demonstrations and styling events.
The festival is also delighted to welcome Jersey Heritage to this year’s line-up for the first time. Jersey Heritage has created a jewellery trail around the island across its various sites, highlighting Jersey’s history with jewellery from the torque necklaces in the famous coin hoard to Lily Langtry’s jewels.
Jersey Heritage commented
“There is plenty of sparkle and shine in Jersey’s past and being part of the ‘Brilliance Festival 2023’ allows us to showcase some of the incredible objects and stories that form part of the Island’s rich cultural heritage – a legacy that we care for and protect for future generations to enjoy.”
Artisan Jewellers
The Brilliance festival also highlights locally grown talent with a group of four Genuine Jersey artisan jewellers, Victoria Liddell, Emily Claire, Ada de la Herran and Lisa Le Brocq offering jewellery making workshops in the jewellery classroom at the Adult Education and Community centre, Philip Mourant Centre in Trinity on the last two weekends of October.
Many of the events are free to attend and booking details can be found at via www.brilliance.je/events/
Brilliance itself already has a legacy, in that it helped host gemmological learning for the jewellery industry here in Jersey for the first time. Over 30 people attended a gemmology course with Kerry Gregory of Gemmology Rocks in May 2023.
In 2022, Brilliance won ‘Customer Event of the Year’ at the UK Jewellery Awards. Judges were impressed by this ambitious project that had far-reaching and long-lasting results for all involved.
This year’s participants include:
Aurum of Jersey
Catherine Best
Diamondology
Genuine Jersey Artisan Jewellers – Victoria Liddell, Emily Claire, Ada de la Herran and Lisa Le Brocq
Jersey Pearl
Jersey Heritage
STORY By Rivoli
Rivoli Jewellers
Visit Jersey is also once again supporting the event
