The special show SCHMUCKmünchen at «Handwerk & Design» is the most important show for contemporary jewellery art worldwide. Every year in March, the special show showcases the latest works by the best artists on the scene, attracting hundreds of visitors from all continents to a veritable "summit meeting of jewellery art". The upcoming SCHMUCKmünchen will take place from 04 to 08 March, parallel to the Internationale Handwerksmesse IHM, at Fairground Munich in Hall B1.
Munich, 16 December 2025 – Jewellery is the earliest form of artistic expression known to humankind. Even before the first cave paintings or cult objects such as fertility goddesses made of clay or stone, people were already making jewellery from shells. This close connection has endured to this day and continues to evolve new forms. Each year, SCHMUCKmünchen showcases exactly what these new forms are: For more than 65 years, the special show as part of «Handwerk & Design» has been showcasing the latest developments in the world of artistic jewellery. This makes SCHMUCKmünchen the centre of an entire jewellery festival that attracts artists, curators, gallery owners and jewellery enthusiasts to Munich every year.
Strictly speaking, the jewellery pieces are small works of art, but they are definitely meant to be worn. The technical term for this genre is "author’s jewellery". In reference to auteur cinema, it refers to artistically designed jewellery pieces that bear the individual signature of their creators. Themes such as memory, identity and self-expression are predestined for exploration in jewellery.
SCHMUCKmünchen 2026 is curated by Sam Tho Duong. The jewellery artist from Pforzheim works with small freshwater pearls, which he arranges like ice crystals in hoarfrost, and recycled materials, among other things. Sam Tho Duong has selected almost 70 works from 29 countries for SCHMUCKmünchen 2026. More than 1,000 artists applied – a new record for the special show. Among those selected are renowned artists such as Eunmi Chun from Korea, Laura Deakin from Australia, Esther Knobel from Israel and Bernhard Schobinger from Switzerland, but also many young talents, especially from China and Korea. That is the beauty of SCHMUCKmünchen: origin, education, theme, style or materials used – there are no restrictions, all applications are treated equally, the only thing that counts is the quality of the individual piece.
In addition to the main show, there is an extensive accompanying programme. This year, jewellery artist Erico Nagai is being honoured as a "modern classic" with a small special show. Erico Nagai was born in Tokyo in 1947, came to Europe in the late 1960s and studied in the jewellery class of the Munich Art Academy under Franz Rickert and Hermann Jünger from 1970 onwards. In her work, she combines Western and Eastern materials and techniques, such as Japanese urushi lacquer in deep red or rich black, but also simple metals such as copper and iron, which she fuses and coats with tiny amounts of gold. Erico Nagai has received numerous awards for her work, including the Bavarian State Prize, the Herbert Hofmann Prize and the Design Prize of the City of Munich.
Further high-calibre jewellery art can be seen at FRAME: around the central main show, international galleries present their best artists: from Sweden to South Africa, from the USA to Korea.
The highlight of SCHMUCKmünchen is the presentation of the Herbert Hofmann Prize: three of the participating artists will be honoured for their work with this globally significant "Oscar of jewellery art". The decision on the prizes is made by a multi-member international jury of experts.
In addition, the Bavarian State Awards for outstanding technical and creative achievements in the skilled trades will be presented at «Handwerk & Design». Participants in SCHMUCKmünchen also have a chance to win these prizes, which are endowed with 5,000 euros.
SCHMUCKmünchen is organised by the Chamber of Crafts for Munich and Upper Bavaria and sponsored by the Danner Foundation in Munich. Parallel to the special show at the fair, dozens of shows and events on the theme of jewellery will take place throughout Munich, turning the fair week into a veritable jewellery festival. Interested visitors can get an overview of the programme of events at a specially set up SCHMUCK Info Point right next to the Galerie Handwerk on Ottostraße.
Further information about the trade fair is available at www.ihm-handwerk-design.com
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Press contact
Giuliana Schmitt, PR & Content Manager
T +49 89 189 149 162 | M +49 151 153 77 621
presse@ghm.de; www.ihm-handwerk-design.com
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