HardRock Summit To Relocate In 2024

Denver—Last week, the Colorado-based Hardrock Summit show concluded its third year and announced next year’s event will have a new location.     

Next year, the trade show—designed to bring the jewelry, gemstone, mineral and fossil industries, along with enthusiasts and collectors, under one roof—will take place at The Westin Hotel in Westminster from Sept. 12-15, 2024.

“We are dedicated to evolving and enhancing the show to meet the demands of our exhibitor partners and the broader jewelry, gem and mineral industries,” said Hardrock Summit Co-Founder Christoph Keilmann. 

“The Westin Westminster serves as the ideal venue for our 2024 event, elevating this show to new heights and delivering an exceptional experience in a stunning location.”

This year’s event, held recently at the Colorado Convention Center from Sept. 15-18, attracted over 1,000 trade visitors and nearly 6,000 total visitors.

The showcase was made up of exhibitions, activities and education highlighting fine jewelry, gemstones and mineral specimens, and included participation from members of the American Gem Trade Association (AGTA GemFair Denver) and the Denver Gem & Mineral Show.

“As a smaller and more regional show, we were pleased with the quality retailers and collectors we met with for both the minerals and gem sectors of our businesses. It was a nice environment to build upon our relationships and make new connections within the industry,” said Carl Larson, director of gems at Pala International.

Displays included an array of exhibits from institutions and private collectors including the Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals, New Mexico Bureau of Geology Mineral Museum, Mines Museum of Earth Science, The University of Arizona Alfie Norville Gem and Mineral Museum, Denver Museum of Nature and Science, the Jim and Gail Spann Collection, and the Gene Meieran Tourmaline Slices.

In partnership with Hardrock Summit, the 55th Annual Denver Gem & Mineral Show (DGMS) displayed minerals from across the globe, meteorites, ancient fossils and a diverse selection of jewelry and gems. 

DGMS also offered family-friendly attractions like a fluorescent room with rocks that illuminated in the dark, gold panning demonstrations, and live cutting and polishing demonstrations by lapidary artists. 

In addition to the exhibits, a series of educational lectures were held throughout the weekend, providing attendees with expert insights, as well as information and updates on the latest trends in the mineral and gem industries.

Sessions included an exclusive update on data extracted by Colorado School of Mines Ph.D. Student Jenna White during field research as part of the AGTA and Mines’ Transparent & Traceable Gemstone Supply Chains Research Project. 

More of White’s research will be presented at the Tucson gem shows in 2024. 

The HardRock Summit comes at a busy time for trade events, with The Jewellery & Gem World Hong Kong show exhibitions taking place Sept. 18-24, and The Jewellery Show, which took place in London Sept. 20-21. 

In 2022, the Hong Kong show was temporarily relocated to Singapore, a move made with pandemic restrictions in mind and a goal of becoming more accessible to international suppliers and buyers. 

That year, feedback from exhibitors at the HardRock Summit about buying activity was mixed, but overall positive.

This year, with the Hong Kong show back in its usual location, some HardRock Summit exhibitors expressed mild concern that the overlap in events made for a slower show. 

Others were happy with the timing of the show, especially given its proximity to the holidays.

“Hardrock Summit is a well-timed show for purchasing colored stones, particularly benefiting retailers ahead of the holiday season. The rising demand in the colored gem market aligns perfectly with this show's timing and it was good to be part of it,” said John Bradshaw, owner and gemstone dealer at John J. Bradshaw. 

When more information for the 2024 show becomes available, it will be found on the HardRock Summit website.