In May and June, the Opsydia team attended a series of international trade events, including GemGenève, the Kimberley Process Intersessional in Dubai, and JCK Las Vegas to showcase our leading technology and participate in insightful panel discussions. Below, we are pleased to share some highlights from this busy time in the Opsydia calendar.

Being present at key industry events is an important step in the growth of Opsydia and our plans for global expansion. Our attendance supports one of our key missions which is to generate conversation around traceability in the diamond, precious gemstone and luxury industries and to spread the word about how technology can facilitate change and support a more transparent future and accountable supply chain for brands and consumers alike.

GemGenève, Switzerland

We kicked off our trilogy of trade shows with GemGenève, which is well-known for presenting the best in fine jewellery and precious stones. Having recently joined the team, Opsydia’s Sales and Marketing Director Jacqui Larsson hit the ground running in Switzerland, meeting global manufacturers, luxury brands and organisation leaders to hear their thoughts on our ever-evolving trade. This also proved to be an important platform to share insights into Opsydia laser technology, specifically the way in which our Nano IDs can support transparency initiatives throughout the supply chain.

While at GemGenève we were delighted to meet jewellery writer and influencer, Katerina Perez of KaterinaPerez.com. Here she is with Jacqui Larsson, our Sales and Marketing Director.

Both Jacqui and our CEO Andrew Rimmer participated in some interesting conversations around technology-enabled traceability, which provided plenty of food for thought upon returning to our Oxford base of operations.

Pictured here is our CEO, Andrew Rimmer, and our Sales and Marketing Director, Jacqui Larsson, alongside London Diamond Bourse President David Troostwyk (far right) and Jennifer Moriconi, Chief Sales Officer at iTraceiT (far left).

Kimberley Process Intersessional, Dubai 

During the Kimberley Process Intersessional in Dubai, a series of panel discussions were hosted by the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) and organised by ORIGINALLUXURY from May 13-17. The Intersessional was described as a crucial ‘midpoint’ in the Kimberley Process’ ‘Year of Delivery’ programme and therefore welcomed representatives from global governments, industry leaders, leading brands and technologists. All were keen to assess progress in diamond traceability, transparency and sustainability, while also tackling pressing issues impacting the supply chain.

As a vocal advocate of a more traceable pipeline, our CEO Andrew Rimmer was invited to speak as part of a panel discussion titled ‘Provenance, Traceability and Technology in the Diamond Industry’. He was joined by moderator Hans Schwab, the CEO and Co-Founder of OriginAll; GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Vice President of ESG, Johanna Levy; Tracr CEO Wesley Tucker;, iTraceiT CEO Frederik Degryse, and Sarine Technologies CEO David Block.

Opsydia CEO Andrew Rimmer (centre) participating in the ‘Provenance, Traceability and Technology in the Diamond Industry’ talk in Dubai.

Andrew shared his expertise in addressing the challenges faced by the diamond industry and provided an overview of the solutions that exist, both here at Opsydia and in the wider industry, which are helping to drive us all towards a more transparent future. He also spoke about the limitations of traditional inscription techniques, which are typically placed on the girdle of diamonds and can be polished away or fraudulently replicated. As Opsydia Nano IDs are placed beneath the surface of diamonds and precious coloured gemstones, they provide a more secure solution for manufacturers and luxury brands alike.

Jacqui Larsson (left) and Opsydia CEO, Andrew Rimmer (right) with ORIGINALLUXURY Co-Founders, Margot Stuart and Hans Schwab, who are pioneering transparency and traceability initiatives across many luxury sectors.

Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of DMCC (Dubai Multi Commodities Centre) with Jacqui Larsson.

JCK Las Vegas

Our final global destination was Las Vegas, Nevada, for the annual JCK event. From May 29 to June 23, Andrew, Jacqui and our Chief Product Officer Lewis Fish welcomed members of the international jewellery, diamond and coloured stone industries to our booth to see our laser technology in action. All were on hand to demonstrate how our identifiers create a physical link between a specific stone and its grading report, blockchain record or branded jewellery origins and explain how this can support traceability and transparency initiatives, adding enduring value for both brands and consumers.

We were also thrilled to give JCK visitors a first look at the new Opsydia Jewellery Viewer, which is due to launch to our wider customers in September 2024.

Opsydia Chief Product Officer, Lewis Fish demonstrating our new Jewellery Viewer technology.

During the event, Jacqui attended various talks and panel discussions. One of the highlights was the ‘State of the Diamond Industry’ breakfast panel, hosted by Rapaport. This panel featured expertise and insights from three industry leaders: Mmetla Masire, Managing Director at Okavango Diamond Company; Martin Rapaport, Chairman of Rapaport Group, and Maksud Agadjani, Founder and CEO of TraxNYC.

‘State of the Diamond Industry’ breakfast panel, hosted by Rapaport. From left to right: Mmetla Masire, Martin Rapaport, and Maksud Agadjani.

It was an inspiring and insightful discussion and some of our key takeaways from the talk included:

• Luxury brands should be specific about their values and identity to gain consumer trust.
• The engagement ring market/bridal is key to success in the industry.
• With an ageing population, recycled/inherited jewellery will become increasingly important, offering huge opportunity and value for luxury brands.
• Most importantly, brands should be asking the right questions about source certification.
• Brands should put procedures in place to ensure they know where their diamonds come from.
• And lastly, brands should understand that there is a human cost of illicit diamonds.

Andrew Rimmer, Jacqui Larsson and Lewis Fish on the Opsydia stand at JCK Las Vegas.

Despite being a whirlwind month for the team, we thoroughly enjoyed all three events and have now had time to reflect on the many interesting points that were raised. Connecting with new and existing clients and meeting international luxury brands is a core focus of our growth strategy and allows us to spread the word about Opsydia. We look forward to pioneering change together and a prosperous year ahead.