Despite a difficult situation on the amber market the 9th edition of Ambermart fair ended in an optimistic mood. The majority of exhibitors considered it as successful.
The first day the exhibitors spent mainly on waiting for good buyers and profitable orders which would enable to stop a losing streak in the jewellery trade in Poland. A downturn in the economy – being a result of strong zloty, a decrease of dollar price and a crisis on the American market, which previously had been the biggest consumer of amber jewellery manufactured by Polish producers – could have been sensed even after
the J.O.G.S. fair in Tucson in February this year. A month later at
Amberif fair many American buyers were absent, and this fact additionally made the situation worse. At
JCK Las Vegas Show the situation was only worse. During summer holidays it was rumoured that employees would be sacked and the production companies in Pomerania would be even closed. So it is not surprising that the exhibitors were in restrained moods, however far from optimistic ones.
Ambermart fair was visited by 414 buyers from 34 countries and 597 ones from Poland. The biggest amount of visitors came from Italy, Germany, Great Britain, France, USA, Lithuania, Russia, Australia and Hong Kong. They were so interested in the exhibitors’ offer that it enabled many producers to look ahead more optimistically.
Traditionally the fair was a working time for the Committee for Amber Control, consisting of the amber experts and scientists: prof. Barbara Kosmowska-Ceranowicz, Wieslaw Gierlowski, Jacek Ozdzenski, dr. Elena Belichenko from Ukraine and prof. Eugenio Ragazzi from Italy. It was found that a few stands sold pressed amber not appropriately labelled, but upon the committee’s motion these labels got attached to these products. The committee did not found amber imitations, the exhibition of which is banned. The committee noticed that synthetic imitations of gemstones made partially of plastic were sold and now petitions for a change in the fair regulations in order to ban their sale and impose sanctions against the companies which will offer such products.
The event was accompanied by an interesting general programme. The Ambermart Gallery 2008 and audience competitions were adjudicated – in both the best product at the fair was chosen. Internet users had voted in the Amber Portal amber.com.pl and on the website of the fair and the biggest amount of votes received a set of silver jewellery with amber by
Amber Gems (honourable mentions for
Jacek Ostrowski and
Agata Calka), and the visitors liked a necklace made of natural amber and silver by Arkadiusz Cwikla best. The organizer encourages to take part in the International Fair of Amber, Jewellery and Gemstones Amberif – next year the event will last 4 days (11
th – 14
th March 2009) and will be fully closed for the audience.
Fot. Ambermart/Michal Kosior
