Inhorgenta 2026
These kinds of days always seem to pass far too quickly. Last weekend (20–23 February 2026), the Inhorgenta trade fair returned to the Messe in Munich.
A trade fair entirely dedicated to the jewellery industry. Six large halls, each with its own focus: watches, bridal jewellery, fine jewellery, high jewellery, and – most importantly for me – Hall C1: Carat. For Natalie Hoogeveen and me, who visited the fair this year, that was the place to be. Two goldsmiths with a love for anything that glitters and shines – you know exactly where we’ll end up.
The hall with gemstone and pearl suppliers is the heart of the fair for me. That is where I spend hours walking between the stands, looking, comparing and carefully deciding what may eventually travel back to Beltrum with me.
From exploring to purposeful searching
I first visited Inhorgenta in 2023. I clearly remember how overwhelming it felt. Large, busy, and full of impressions. One supplier offered even more beautiful gemstones than the next. Where on earth do you begin?
I certainly purchased stones in 2023, but without a clear plan. It was mainly about experiencing what this fair could mean for me and discovering the sheer scale and diversity on offer.
In 2026, I approached it very differently. Before, I had selected the suppliers I wanted to visit and knew exactly why. Not to “have a look around”, but to search with purpose for gemstones for my collections and for future bespoke commissions.
Inhorgenta is not just a pleasant weekend away. It is wonderful to attend and incredibly enjoyable with Natalie, but it is work. What happens here is what I also do when sourcing in the Netherlands – only on a much larger scale (I would say the size of two football fields). More suppliers, more choice, more decisions and, inevitably, more decision fatigue. This is where I select the gemstones that will later find their place in my atelier – in my own collections and in pieces I design together with clients.
The journey – not quite as planned
This year, I decided to fly from Düsseldorf, travelling with fellow goldsmith Iris Camp of Camp & Co. Flying seemed like a good idea: quicker and more efficient. Easy. Arrive on time and make full use of the first day on the exhibition floor.
Until halfway through the drive to the airport, a message came through that my flight had been cancelled. No alternative flight, only a train. So there we were: messaging, rebooking and rearranging plans.
The train initially seemed fine – until it broke down near Frankfurt. Everyone off. Find another connection. Another transfer. More delays. My alarm had gone off at half past three in the morning, and by the time we finally arrived at the fair around 3 pm, I was exhausted. Not just tired, but genuinely overstimulated.
Thankfully, I was travelling with Iris. That made a real difference. We exchanged several looks that said, “You couldn’t make this up.” At the time, it was frustrating, but afterwards we were able to laugh about it.
Once at the fair, the priority was finding Natalie, then coffee, regaining some composure – and off we went.
The first finds
And yet, the moment you step into that hall filled with gemstones, something shifts. Natalie and I joked that in a previous life, we must have been magpies, because anything that sparkles instantly catches our eye. But it is not just the shine. It is the form, the cut, the tone of colour, and so much more.
That Friday, my first purchases were a Mexican cantera fire opal and a bi-colour (pink/orange) oval cabochon-cut tourmaline. At another stand, I found several cabochon-cut tourmalines, including one with a beautiful cat’s eye effect.
I left two large cabochons behind. I tried negotiating, but the price didn’t feel right, and the supplier wouldn’t budge. So I let them go. However beautiful they were. With two full days ahead, not every decision needed to be made in one afternoon.
Selecting per collection
Saturday and Sunday were entirely devoted to selecting and looking, comparing, measuring, examining under the loupe for inclusions and fractures, studying each stone in the light and returning yet again to the same stand. Sometimes the sheer scale makes you lose your bearings. You head somewhere specific and get distracted along the way by something equally beautiful. Before you know it, another hour has passed.
For the Aurargent collection, I was looking for gemstones that work beautifully in silver and do not feel ordinary. That can absolutely be amethyst, citrine or topaz – but with a distinctive cut or character. Not buying something simply because it is “purple”, but because the shape and presence feel right. I was pleased to find amethysts with slightly unusual cuts and a topaz with exactly the right character.
For the new pendants in the Inside Out collection, everything needed to be perfectly round. Spherical, because these pendants are all about the interaction between movement and light. I want the pendant to move with the wearer and for the light to shift constantly. Faceted Tahitian pearls, a spherical faceted amethyst, and a teardrop-shaped rutile quartz with beautiful light play all came home with me.
Within the Elevance collection, I purchased tourmalines in colours that genuinely made me pause. I also found two sapphires – one pink and one in a complex brown/red/green nuance – that I immediately fell for. Not planned, but sometimes you know something is right.
For the Sirius collection, I was looking for slightly smaller gemstones around 6 mm, suitable for a slimmer 5 mm band. An intense green tourmaline from Brazil with a mesmerising cut and a dusky pink garnet from Madagascar, full of life, also travelled back to Beltrum.
Craftsmanship and missed lectures
Besides the gemstone hall, we visited the tools hall. The theme of Inhorgenta this year was Craftsmanship, and that was clearly reflected. Workbenches, polishing motors, handpieces and micromotor attachments, and demonstrations by brands such as GRS, Jura Tools and Durston.
There was watching, listening and speaking with fellow professionals. Natalie purchased horsehair polishing brushes from Hatho, and I brought home a tool from Komet to neatly reshape my rubber polishing wheels. Did I urgently need it? Not necessarily. But good tools are part of good work.
Unfortunately, due to the delays on Friday and the intense focus on sourcing throughout Saturday and Sunday, we were largely unable to attend the lectures. I saw on Instagram that they were excellent. However, you cannot do everything at once. This weekend was about gemstones – and that focus was necessary.
Tired, but exactly where it begins
Was the weekend intense? Absolutely. Writing this on the Wednesday after the fair, I can still feel it.
Was it also fantastic, inspiring and energising? I do not think I need to answer that question 😉
Because this is where it begins, the gemstones and pearls selected and purchased there are now in my atelier, for my collections and for you as my client. They can be viewed, experienced, and used as the starting point for a bespoke piece. They were not purchased purely for my own inspiration, but also to show you what is possible and to inspire you to create that one unique jewel.
Pearls and gemstones – together with my granules – form the heart of my work. What is chosen in Munich will determine what takes shape on my workbench in the coming months.
If you would like to see the new acquisitions, you are very welcome to visit my atelier. We can examine the gemstones together and discuss what suits you best.
Below this blog, I have included a selection of photographs from my visit to Inhorgenta. On Instagram, you can view more images and stories from this literally sparkling weekend. If you have any questions about a purchase, please feel free to email me.
Love,
Sarah
