Sustainable Jewellery Day: INHORGENTA Highlights Transparency and Responsibility

Sustainable Jewellery Day is dedicated to addressing key issues related to sustainability, transparency, and responsibility in the jewelry and watch industry. On July 8, the international conference in Pforzheim will bring together companies, organizations, and experts from across the value chain to discuss concrete solutions, standards, and sustainability issues facing the industry.

This high-profile forum will focus on topics such as traceability, responsible sourcing, supply chains, certifications, and traceability systems. In doing so, Sustainable Jewellery Day addresses issues that are becoming increasingly important for manufacturers, brands, retailers, and consumers: How can sustainability be credibly demonstrated? How can complex standards be communicated in an understandable way? And how can trust be built in an industry where origin, materials, and the quality of craftsmanship are key value drivers?

The event is sponsored by INHORGENTA Munich.

As one of Europe’s most important trade shows, it brings together jewelry, watches, gemstones, technology, retail, and industry, and also serves as a platform for knowledge, dialogue, and guidance. With features such as the Sustainability Area and the overarching theme of “Craftsmanship,” the trade show is already highlighting these topics.

In this way, Sustainable Jewellery Day aligns with a trend that is shaping the industry as a whole: sustainability is an integral part of value creation, brand positioning, and consulting expertise. What matters most is not merely that responsibility is documented, but that it is transparent, explainable, and effectively communicated to the market.

INSIGHT-INHORGENTA spoke with Stefanie Mändlein, Exhibition Director of INHORGENTA, about sustainability, transparency, and trust in the industry.

The interview with Stefanie Mändlein:

INSIGHT-INHORGENTA: From INHORGENTA’s perspective, why is it important to give the topics of “Transparency. Trust. Responsibility.” such central importance – and what role do they play in the future development of the industry?

Stefanie Mändlein:

These topics reflect the spirit of the times. Today, consumers no longer make purchasing decisions based solely on design or brand. They are increasingly looking at the origin, production and values behind a product. What stands behind a piece of jewellery or a watch is therefore becoming a decisive factor in its value.

For the industry, this marks a clear shift: transparency, trust and responsibility are no longer additional topics. They now shape how products are assessed, how supply chains are organised and how brands are positioned.

INHORGENTA sees itself as a platform that makes this transformation visible and brings industry and retail into direct dialogue.

INSIGHT-INHORGENTA: What role can trade fairs and industry platforms play in making sustainability, transparency and responsibility understandable along the entire value chain?

Stefanie Mändlein:

Sustainability does not convince through statements alone. As long as it exists only in certificates or concept papers, it remains abstract. It only becomes tangible through direct conversation, through the product itself and through comparison between different solutions.

This is precisely where trade fairs have their strength: they make different approaches to sustainability and responsible production visible and provide orientation in a complex industry – for retailers as well as for brands.

INHORGENTA puts this ambition into practice in a very concrete way: in the Sustainability Area in Hall B2 | Design, sustainable brands and concepts are brought together and made comparable. This creates a realistic overview of how sustainability is actually being implemented within the industry.

Another key element is our guiding theme “Craftsmanship”, which was introduced in 2026 and will be continued in 2027. It provides a framework in which exhibitors can make their manufacturing processes visible and tangible – from the origin of materials to the finished product – through conversations and live demonstrations.

INSIGHT-INHORGENTA: How important is it to translate standards, verification systems and initiatives more clearly into the dialogue between industry, retail and consumers?

Stefanie Mändlein:

It is very important. Many standards and verification systems are complex and not immediately understandable for end customers. They only unfold their impact when they are explained within the context of the product.

This is exactly where dialogue between industry, retail and consumers is needed. In specialist retail, the aim is to provide orientation and build trust – not only through certificates, but through a clear overall picture.

Our guiding theme “Craftsmanship” becomes the connecting element here: when manufacturing processes become visible, a better understanding emerges of the origin, effort and responsibility behind a product. In this way, transparency is not only documented, but actually experienced through direct exchange.

INSIGHT-INHORGENTA: What impulses would you like to see from Sustainable Jewellery Day 2026 – and which topics should the industry focus on particularly closely in the coming years?

Stefanie Mändlein:

What matters above all are concrete examples from practice. The industry needs fewer abstract discussions and more visible implementation: How is sustainability actually put into practice? What works in reality – and where do the challenges lie?

In terms of content, traceability, transparent supply chains and responsible sourcing remain the central future topics for the industry.

At the same time, the comprehensible creation of products is becoming increasingly important – especially in the premium and luxury segments. The key is to make the entire value chain understandable, because this is precisely where long-term trust is built.