Taking place at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre in Sydney's Darling Harbour, the Fair will run from Saturday (22 August) to Monday (24 August).
This year's event features more than 30 first-time exhibitors debuting on the show floor. Around one-quarter of exhibitors represent international businesses, while more than 30,000 new products and innovations will be on display.
• Big Night Out: Kicking off the Fair on the opening evening (22 August), the industry is invited to come together for the Big Night Out, which sold out last year and proved to be one of the event's standout attractions.
This year's event will be hosted at L'Aqua on Cockle Bay Harbour, giving independent retailers, suppliers, and other trade members the chance to network and unwind in a relaxed setting. Expertise Events managing director Gary Fitz-Roy said it was a night not to be missed.
"Even though last year's event was extremely popular, we're not sitting still," Fitz-Roy told Jeweller.
"We're constantly looking for new ways to improve our events, and I think people are going to be really impressed with this year's Big Night Out.
"It's going to have all of the same factors we had with last year's cruise – great food and drink, good music, and plenty of networking opportunities, but we're taking it to another level to keep it upbeat and inspiring."
• Happy Hour Cocktail Party: The traditional Happy Hour Cocktail Party will return at 5 pm on Sunday (23 August), giving attendees another opportunity to connect with industry peers, exchange ideas, and strengthen professional relationships in a relaxed and welcoming environment.
Sponsored by Unison Jewellery, the annual event combines complimentary refreshments with valuable networking opportunities and remains a popular fixture on the Fair schedule.
• New Security & Safety Zone: Making its debut this year is the Jewellery Security & Safety Zone, a dedicated area showcasing the latest innovations, services, and technologies designed to help retailers and suppliers protect their businesses.
"This is a project we've been working on for a number of years, and we decided that now was the right time to start," Fitz-Roy explained.
"Safety and security are obviously very big talking points in a number of parts of Australia at the moment.
"Security and safety are always front of mind for jewellery store owners, and we want to provide a space for visitors to learn about the ways they can improve the safety of their stores, employees, and then themselves."
• Mystery Box Bench Challenge: Emerging talent will once again take centre stage with the return of the Mystery Box Bench Challenge for a third year.
Designed to showcase the skills of up-and-coming bench jewellers, the live competition sees participants work under pressure before a live audience to transform a mystery selection of materials into original handcrafted jewellery.
The Mystery Box Bench Challenge features students from TAFE NSW's Design Centre Enmore competing across three days, with the event earning widespread praise as one of the Fair's standout attractions. This year, competitors will once again vie for serious prize money as the countdown clock adds to the drama.
Visitors can watch the qualifying heats on Saturday and Sunday (22–23 August), before the grand final on Monday (24 August), where the finalists will compete for ultimate bragging rights.
• Insights into the future of jewellery retail: Expertise Events has confirmed that 12 special presentations are scheduled over the three days.
These presentations will cover a broad range of topics relevant to jewellery retailers, from maximising sales and protecting your business, to the importance of emerging technology and digital tools, through to diamond and colour gemstone analysis.
Among them is special guest speaker Scott Millar, who will present a session examining the future of jewellery retail and the trends shaping the next generation of consumers and employees.
Topics include what's driving Gen Z spending behaviour and how those motivations differ from previous generations; the influence of creators, algorithms, and AI on purchasing decisions; real-world case studies of global brands succeeding — or failing — to capture Gen Z's attention; and practical strategies that businesses can implement immediately.
"Scott is a very impressive speaker, and we're thrilled to have him at the show. You don't want to miss it," Fitz-Roy said.
"He's talking about topics that I think are really important to the future of the industry - understanding not only your future customers, but your future employees too. This kind of information can be hard to find, even though it's important to every business owner."
See you there!
The International Jewellery Fair is sponsored by Unison Jewellery, Ellendale Diamonds, Soklich & Co, Centrestone Jewellery Insurance, SAMS Group, BECKS, Australian Jewellery Supplies, and CaratIQ.
The event is also supported by Australia's three industry buying groups — Nationwide Jewellers, Showcase Jewellers, and the Independent Jewellers Collective — which collectively represent more than 600 independent jewellery retailers across Australia.
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