From September 9th, jewelry from Gimel, one of Japan's leading jewelry brands, will be on display in the Seiko House Hall on the 12th floor of Seiko House (formerly Wako Main Building).
Gimel is a Japanese brand that any jewelry lover would want to try at least once. Founded in 1974 and led by art director Kaoru Akihara, Gimel is a beloved brand whose jewelry captures the natural beauty of Japan's four seasons.
It is well known for the beauty of its pave settings and color gradations, as well as its playful and detailed designs that are beautiful not only on the front but also on the back.
The brand has received high praise from overseas, with global auction house Sotheby's naming Gimel one of the "most innovative and influential jewelers of the 21st century," making it a must-see for jewelry lovers.
Jewelry displayed like art pieces
The first thing that surprised me when I entered the venue was the way the exhibits were displayed.
Gimel's signature historical lotus flower jewelry is framed like an art piece.
Upon closer inspection, you can see that attention has been paid to every detail, including the intricate design, the gradation created by the arrangement of colored stones, and the three-dimensional setting.
The selection of colored diamonds used in each piece is also amazing, and along with Akihara's keen aesthetic sense, it is clear that just collecting all these stones must have been a difficult task.
Historical jewelry displayed like art
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the brand's founding, and approximately 400 pieces of jewelry are on display.
Gimel is an independent jeweler with limited sales channels, so being able to see all of its products in one place is a rare and coveted opportunity for its fans.
Gimel is a rare Japanese jeweler that has gained popularity overseas. After starting out as a diamond import company, the brand exhibited at the Basel Fair in Switzerland in 2000, where its delicate creations attracted the attention of overseas media and buyers, sparking its popularity.
Even now, there are about 20 artisans working in the Ashiya workshop. Without expanding the scale of production, they continue to produce beautiful, life-filled jewelry.
This latest release features jewelry with a rice ear motif and a dragonfly that looks ready to take flight.
I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to speak with art director Kaoru Akihara at the venue.
Akihara originally worked as a jewellery buyer in New York, and he and Shimamura, who worked for the American jewellery brand Harry Winston for a long time, had a lively discussion about New York.
What was interesting was that when we asked Akihara about colored diamonds, he said, "We use them for color."
For example, when selecting pink diamonds from the Argyle mine in Australia, they are chosen based on color, so usually large stones with a strong pink color are chosen, but Gimel mainly uses small stones called pavé diamonds, so they chose a variety of pinks, including orangey pink and pale pink.
We also asked about how pink sapphires, which are more affordable than expensive pink diamonds, are used, and it was refreshing to hear the perspective that, in terms of color, they are just as good as pink diamonds.
Along with pictures of past dogs, there are also tools used in the workshop by actual craftsmen.
The venue also features paintings of Akihara's past dog companions. He still brings them to work at the studio every day.
Unfortunately, this exhibition will run until September 9th.
This is a very rare opportunity to see this entire collection in one place, so don't miss it!
◆Gimmel Exhibition -Autumn of Abundance-
【会期】2024年9月12日（木） ～ 2024年9月18日（水）【時間】11:00～19:00
* Until 17:00 on the last day
[Venue] Seiko House Hall, 6th floor, Seiko House
Mio Shimamura
Since 2017, as the representative and editor-in-chief of Premium Japan,
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