Current Jewellery Exhibitions
This list of current and forthcoming jewellery exhibitions is provided as a service to our members. We have no means of checking the accuracy of the information, and cannot take responsibility for any mistakes. Please check in advance before visiting an exhibition to avoid disappointment.
Please tell us here if there are any other jewellery exhibitions which we should add to this list, or if anything needs correcting. You can see lists of past exhibitions here.
UK
Birmingham
Birmingham Jewellery Biennial
visitbirmingham.com/event/birmingham-jewellery-biennial
Birmingham will host a glittering, month-long festival in May 2027, celebrating over 250 years of jewellery making in the city, with exhibitions, activities and workshops featuring the work of world-class creatives plus the chance for visitors to make their own jewellery every day.
Birmingham was named as a World Craft City for Jewellery and Allied Trades by the World Crafts Council, and organisers have announced that Birmingham Jewellery Biennial will take place across the Jewellery Quarter and wider city centre throughout May 2027.
Dedicated to the art, innovation and heritage of jewellery, Birmingham Jewellery Biennial will bring together sparkling exhibitions, show-stopping installations and special events in the month-long celebration of British and international craft and design.
May 2027
St. Pauls Square , Birmingham, West Midlands B3 1QS
Dundee
Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery
vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson/exhibitions/vivienne-westwood-jewellery
From the beginning of her career, Vivienne incorporated jewellery as a powerful and integral part of her designs - to add meaning and give expression to the body. This exhibition will present four decades of archive and runway jewellery displayed together as a collection for the first time. Celebrating the house’s relationship with Scotland, the exhibition will also highlight Vivienne’s love of Scottish textiles and tradition through a selection of archive looks.
opens 26 March 2027
V&A Dundee
1 Riverside Esplanade, Dundee DD1 4EZ
Open daily 10:00 – 17:00
Admission free - charge for some exhibitions
Edinburgh
The Edwardians: Age of Elegance
rct.uk/collection/exhibitions/the-edwardians-age-of-elegance
Explore the opulence and glamour of the Edwardian age through the lives and tastes of two of Britain’s most fashionable royal couples – King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra, and King George V and Queen Mary – from their family lives and personal collecting to their glittering social circles and spectacular royal events.
Discover works by the most renowned contemporary artists of the period, including Carl Fabergé, Frederic Leighton, Edward Burne-Jones, Rosa Bonheur and John Singer Sargent.
The exhibition covers the period from Edward and Alexandra's wedding in 1863 up to the end of the First World War.
24/04/2026 - 6/12/2026
The King's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse
Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DX
Open daily 9.30am – 5.00pm
Adult £11.00, Young Person (18-24) £7.00, Child (5-17) £5.50, Disabled Person £5.50
London
Ramses and the Pharaoh’s Gold: The Exhibition
batterseapowerstation.co.uk/events/ramses-and-the-pharaohs-gold
King Ramses II, widely known as Ramses the Great, ruled Egypt for nearly 67 years and remains one of history’s most iconic pharaohs. Known for his extensive monument-building, military strategy and diplomacy, and a vast dynasty of more than 100 children, this exhibition invites you to witness the power of a reign and explore the rise of a ruler who sought not only to command an empire, but to secure his immortality for millennia to come.
Journey through Egypt's golden age from the temples of Abu Simbel to the Valley of the Kings and come face to face with 180 priceless treasures on loan from the Supreme Council of Antiquities. The exhibition’s crowning masterpiece is the Coffin of Ramses II — a once-in-a-generation opportunity to see the pharaoh’s original sarcophagus. Discover gold masks and silver coffins from the royal tombs of Tanis, beautifully preserved animal mummies and amulets, dazzling jewellery alongside colossal sculptures, carvings and stone heads.
28/02/2026 - 1/01/2027
NEON at Battersea Power Station
2 Circus Road East, SW11 8DQ
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday, 10am-4pm, Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 9am-6pm
Adults £24.55, children £19.55.
London
Shine 2026: New Talent Showcase
goldsmiths-centre.org/whats-on/shine-2026-new-talent-showcase
Step into the brilliant world of Shine 2026, the Goldsmiths’ Centre’s annual new talent showcase of jewellery and silversmithing, presented in our Atrium space. This year, thirteen emerging UK designer-makers are set to dazzle you with cutting-edge collections, each exploring powerful ideas – from feather-like forms and the challenge of material perfection to the ancient objects and rituals of Egyptian mummification.
Having impressed our selection panel with their originality, skill and potential, Amber Cooper, Annie Higgins, Beth Chesser, Ella Bonomi, Epona Smith, Helen Dugdale, Helena Palmeira, Jade Mellor, Liu Yang, Mark Eames, Matilde Mozzanega, Militsa Milenkova and Rachael Plassard are now honing their skills to present, sell and showcase their work through our free business training programme. From recent graduates to creatives embarking on second careers, they are all at the early stages of their professional journeys. Together, they reflect the breadth and diversity of emerging creative talent across the UK.
18/09/2026 - 22/12/2026
The Goldsmiths’ Centre
42 Britton Street, London EC1M 5AD
Mon - Fri, 9am – 6pm
Admission free.
London
Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art
Ending soon
vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/schiaparelliThe UK’s first exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli spans the 1920s to today, celebrating the innovative designer's influence. It traces the fashion house’s groundbreaking origins and its evolution under current creative director Daniel Roseberry. Includes some jewellery and a large case of buttons.
28/03/2026 - 15/11/2026
V&A South Kensington
Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Daily: 10.00 – 17.45, Friday: 10.00 – 22.00
Adults £28.
London
Constantinople to Istanbul: One City, Two Empires
vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/constantinople-to-istanbul-one-city-two-empires
A major UK-first exhibition exploring 1,600 years of extraordinary art and design, offering a compelling new perspective on a city defined by artistic excellence across more than a millennium.
opens 7/11/2026
V&A South Kensington
Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL
Daily: 10.00 – 17.45, Friday: 10.00 – 22.00
Adults £28.
London
Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Style
Extended until 18 April 2027
rct.uk/about/news-and-features/largest-exhibition-of-queen-elizabeth-iis-fashio Discover the remarkable style of Britain’s longest-reigning monarch through clothing worn in all ten decades of her life - from birth to adulthood, from princess to queen, and from off-duty style to dressing for the global stage for momentous occasions in Britain’s history.
As well as a spectacular central display of evening gowns, visitors will see jewellery spanning nearly every decade of the Queen's life, including pieces never exhibited before. Among them are items given or loaned by close family for landmark occasions, such as her wedding jewellery. The Queen Caroline and Queen Anne pearl necklaces – shown for the first time – were wedding gifts from her parents, while Queen Mary's Diamond Fringe Tiara – displayed for the first time in almost 20 years – was made for her grandmother and lent to the young bride by her mother.
Other personal pieces include the bracelet designed by Prince Philip for their fifth wedding anniversary, and the Queen Elizabeth II Aquamarine Tiara and the Burmese Ruby Tiara, commissioned by the Queen and reflecting her own tastes, with the latter on show for the first time.
10/04/2026 - 18/04/2027
The King’s Gallery
Buckingham Palace, London, SW1A 1AA
Daily 10am - 4:30pm
Adult £22.00, Young Person (18-24) £14.00, Child (5-17) £11.00, Disabled Person £11.00
Manchester
City of Suffragettes
craftanddesign.com/exhibitions-events/city-of-suffragettes
'City of Suffragettes' is a major contemporary jewellery exhibition celebrating Manchester’s pioneering role in the fight for women’s rights. Opening as part of the inaugural Manchester Jewellery Week, the exhibition brings together jewellers from across the UK to explore the city’s remarkable feminist legacy through original, thought-provoking jewellery.
Manchester is known around the world as the birthplace of the suffragette movement. Inspired by this extraordinary heritage, members of the Association for Contemporary Jewellery (ACJ) were invited to create new work responding to the women, movements and ideas that have shaped the city – from Emmeline Pankhurst and her family to today’s activists, artists and community leaders. The resulting exhibition presents a diverse collection of contemporary jewellery exploring themes of equality, protest, resilience, courage and transformation. Each piece offers a personal interpretation of Manchester’s feminist story, demonstrating how jewellery can communicate powerful social and political ideas as well as exceptional craftsmanship.
12/09/2026 - 24/12/2026
Manchester Craft & Design Centre
17 Oak Street, Northern Quarter, Manchester, M4 5JD
Monday – Saturday, 10am – 5.30pm
Admission free
St. Helens
2026 International Bead + Jewellery Exhibition
Ending soon
glassart.org/ifogThis juried exhibition will be shown at The World of Glass in St. Helens, England, as part of the International Festival of Glass. The exhibition is open to bead and jewellery makers worldwide!
27/08/2026 - 31/10/2026
The World of Glass
Chalon Way E, St Helens WA10 1BX
Wednesday - Sunday: 10am – 4pm
Admission free
York
Viking North
yorkshiremuseum.org.uk/exhibition
Filled with magnificent objects, many unseen for generations and others which have never been on public display, this is the best collection of Viking finds to be shown outside London and tells the story of the Viking Age in the North of England from 866 to 1066. Underpinned by new archaeological research and cutting-edge technology, the exhibition combines objects from Yorkshire Museum’s own collection, the Vale of York hoard, co-owned with the British Museum, and specially loaned national and regional items including objects from the Viking Army Camp at Aldwark in North Yorkshire. This combination of artefacts, shown together for the first time, reflects the north as the power base for the Vikings. Many of these items in gold and silver are of high value and prestige – our version of ‘bling’ – that deemed to show the power, wealth and skills of the Viking people who lived in Yorkshire and the wider north of England
11/07/2025 - July 2027
Yorkshire Museum
Museum Gardens, Museum Street, York, YO1 7FR
Tuesday to Sunday, 10am-5pm
Adults £9.50, Child £4.75, Young Person/Students £8.55
EUROPE EX-UK
AUSTRIA
Mistelbach
The mysterious world of the Iberians
mamuz-museum-mistelbach/the-mysterious-world-of-the-iberians
The exhibition ‘The Mysterious World of the Iberians’ at the MAMUZ Museum Mistelbach provides a fascinating insight into the diverse culture of the Iberians. Around 300 original objects from the collection of the Museu d'Arqueologia de Catalunya in Barcelona and from important archaeological sites in present-day Spain and Portugal provide access to a society that existed more than 2,500 years ago.
Highlights of the exhibition include the silver treasure of Tivissa – including cups, bowls and jewellery, vessels with Iberian inscriptions and ornaments, bronze votive statuettes of worshippers and warriors, skulls with nails hammered into them, and detailed replicas of the fascinating ‘Dama de Elche’ and other female busts.
Interactive stations invite visitors to get involved: putting together ceramic fragments, minting coins and identifying mythical creatures. Creative activities such as drawing votive figures, feeling animals, playing a board game, stamping Iberian motifs and a dressing-up station round off the experience and make a visit to the museum an exciting adventure for the whole family.
14/03/2026 - 29/11/2026
Museum Mistelbach
Waldstraße 44-46, 2130 Mistelbach
Tuesday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:00
Adults €13, Concessions €6.50
BELGIUM
Antwerp
Rings That Rock
Ending soon
divaantwerp.be/en/whatson/activities/rings-that-rock 'Rings That Rock' takes you on a fascinating journey through more than seven centuries of ring culture, where power, love and splendour take centre stage. From royal power to personal love stories, from bold statements to refined elegance. 'Rings That Rock' explores the meaning and symbolism of diamond rings from the 15th century to the present day.
Diamonds have never been merely precious stones. They served as symbols of authority, marked political and family alliances, and sealed intimate commitments. 'Rings That Rock' brings together an exceptional selection of diamond rings and shows how these seemingly small objects tell big stories about changing ideas around status, identity, emotion, gender and craftsmanship.
The exhibition combines historical masterpieces with contemporary designs and shows how the diamond ring continually reinvents itself while remaining a powerful symbol of power and love. For centuries, rings have reflected their wearers and the times in which they lived.
The exhibition features royal jewels, bold statement pieces and rings for men. They illustrate how rings were worn and appreciated in different social contexts and periods. Also on display are the first engagement ring and rare designs with pink, heart-shaped diamonds: jewels that combine meaning and aesthetics.
2/04/2026 - 8/11/2026
DIVA museum
Suikerrui 17-19, 2000 Antwerp
Thursday - Tuesday 10.00 - 18.00
Adults €12, 18-25 €8
Antwerp
Inspired by Queen Louise-Marie. Jewellery by Charlotte Vanhoubroeck
divamuseum.be/nl/kalender/inspired-queen-louise-marie-juwelen-door-charlotte-vanhoubroeck
Jewellery artist and art historian Charlotte Vanhoubroeck is creating new jewellery inspired by Louise-Marie of Orléans, the first Queen of the Belgians. Scarcely any of her original jewellery has survived — only descriptions in an inventory remain. These are not copies, but contemporary creations that bring the inner world of a forgotten woman back to life.
Queen Louise-Marie of the Belgians owned around a hundred pieces of sentimental jewellery. These were no ordinary ornaments, but items featuring miniature portraits, locks of hair, inscriptions, and symbolic motifs. They were her way of keeping the memory of loved ones close. They reveal how the Queen commemorated her deceased son, speak of the uncertain love between her and King Leopold I, and even disclose the identity of her best friend.
The exhibition displays the original inventory, drawn up shortly after Louise-Marie’s death. All her personal belongings were meticulously numbered, described, and appraised. Her jewellery was included too: primarily gold brooches, rings, bracelets, and earrings set with gemstones.
Jewellery artist and art historian Charlotte Vanhoubroeck does not reconstruct those lost jewels; instead, she gives new form to the emotions embedded within them. Her contemporary creations engage in a dialogue with historical jewellery and objects. You get to know Louise-Marie as a queen, daughter, mother, lover, and friend.
An exhibition about loss and memory, and about how a piece of jewellery can preserve an entire life.
9/10/2026 - 11/04/2027
DIVA museum
Suikerrui 17-19, 2000 Antwerp
Thursday - Tuesday 10.00 - 18.00
Adults €12, 18-25 €8
DENMARK
Copenhagen
The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire
glyptoteket.com/exhibitions/current-exhibitions/power-fashion
Step into a world of colour, drapery, magnificent footwear and fabulous hairstyles as the exhibition 'The Power of Fashion in the Roman Empire' explores fashion in antiquity for the very first time. This ambitious special exhibition, extending over more than 1,000 m2 is a first in Denmark and internationally.
Uniting the museum’s exceptional collection of Roman sculpture and unique loans from international museums, the exhibition examines how people in the Roman Empire used clothing and jewellery to express status, identity and power.
At a time when fashion and staging the self demand more attention than ever, antiquity opens new perspectives on the ways – then and now – we view ourselves and each other.
1/10/2026 - 29/03/2027
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek
Dantes Plads 7 1556 Copenhagen
Tusday - Sunday 10:00 - 17:00, Thursday 10:00 - 21:00
Adults DKK 150, under 27 DKK 120
Næstved
Til Bal paa Slottet
To the Ball at the Castle
Ending soon
gavnoe.dk/event/til-bal-paa-slottet This special exhibition, in the most beautiful rooms of the palace, features 33 pieces of head and hair jewellery, most of which were created especially for the exhibition by some of Denmark’s best goldsmiths and jewellery designers.
The exhibition was created in collaboration with jewellery writer Nina Hald and goldsmith Bodil Binner. It draws on the contemporary fascination with balls and tiaras, as seen in everything from the smashing success of the Netflix series “Bridgerton” to the graceful ballerinas who waltz through the rooms of Schönbrunn Palace during the broadcast of Vienna’s traditional New Year’s Concert.
The designs of the hair jewellery – for example tiaras, diadems, hair clips, pins and combs – are diverse, and they are in both a literal and symbolic sense the crowning glory on very special occasions. No other piece of jewellery represents power, rank and wealth to such a great extent, and we also associate the tiara with the royal and tradition-bound. But what does a modern head and hair ornament look like? From June 19, the answer will be given in the most spectacular way at Gavnø Castle. The exhibition shows how the category is interpreted today – and the audience will also have the opportunity to experience creations of exceptional craftsmanship.
19/06/2026 - 15/11/2026
Gavnø Castle
Gavnø 9 • 4700 Næstved
26/05/26 - 5/07/26, 10:00 - 16:00, 6/07/26 - 9/08/26, 10:00 - 17:00, 10/08/26 - 18/10/26, 10:00 - 16:00
Adults DKK 160, 16-17 DKK 85
FRANCE
Chantilly
Exhibition – The Pink Diamond
chateaudechantilly.fr/en/evenement/exhibition-pink-diamond-chantilly
Known as the “Grand Condé,” the Pink Diamond is a historic stone weighing over 9 carats, documented in the collections of the Princes of Condé since the 18th century. This jewel, renowned for its exceptional colour and provenance, was stolen in October 1926 but recovered shortly thereafter, hidden inside an apple.
A century later, the Pink Diamond is once again on public display as part of this special exhibition. To mark the occasion, the Musée Condé and L’École des Arts Joailliers have undertaken an extensive interdisciplinary research project — the first of its kind for a diamond of this calibre. Thanks to wide-ranging gemmological and historical analyses, all of its secrets are now being revealed.
17/10/2026 - 3/01/2027
Château de Chantilly
Rue du Connétable, 60500 Chantilly
Wednesday - Monday, 10:00 - 18:00
Marsal
Le Trésor de Bassing
Extended to 6 December 2026
moselle.fr/jcms/pr_52010/fr/le-tresor-de-bassingImmerse yourself in the fascinating history of a major archaeological site in the Moselle region, explored in 2010 by INRAP (National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research) during the construction of the high-speed rail line to the East European region.
Occupied for nearly a thousand years, the Bassing site traces the evolution of a territory and its inhabitants from the Celtic farm to the sumptuous Gallo-Roman villa, and on to the constructions of the Early Middle Ages. Through an immersive experience, the exhibition offers a true journey through time, revealing the transformations of a society and the richness of its heritage.
The exhibition highlights a remarkable selection of objects discovered during the excavations including exquisite jewellery. These remains offer invaluable insight into the lives, social status, and cultural practices of the local elites.
15/04/2026 - 6/12/2026
Musée Départemental du Sel de Marsal
Porte de France à Marsal
Tuesday - Sunday, 9:30 - 12:30 and 13:30 - 18:00
Adults €7, Concessions €5
Paris
La Mode en Majesté. Royal Thai Dress from Tradition to Modernity
Ending soon
madparis.fr/La-Mode-en-Majeste-Royal-Thai-Dress-from-Tradition-to-ModernityGathering more than a hundred exceptional garments and accessories, including stunning jewellery, the exhibition showcases the royal wardrobes, highlighting the eight traditional Thai costume formats designed by Her Majesty Queen Sirikit in collaboration with a team of historians and local Thai designers. The exhibition also emphasizes the unique history of cultural and artistic dialogue, marked by over thirty years of collaboration between Queen Sirikit and fashion designer Pierre Balmain, later continued with the Balmain and Lesage houses.
13/05/2026 - 1/11/2026
Musée des Arts Décoratifs
107 Rue de Rivoli, 75001 Paris
Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 6pm, Thursday 11am to 9pm
Adults €15, age under 26 free
Paris
Mariages - Farah
parisjetaime.com/evenement/exposition-mariages-farah-institut-du-monde-arabe
An exploration of Maghreb wedding rituals through costumes, finery and contemporary creations.
The "Mariages - Farah" exhibition reveals the cultural, aesthetic and social importance of weddings in the Maghreb, presenting a selection of rare costumes and finery from Moroccan, Tunisian and Algerian collections, never before exhibited in France. These historic pieces, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, are contrasted with works by 18 contemporary artists from the Maghreb countries and their diasporas, who take a contemporary look at the rituals, roles and symbols of these celebrations. Immersive scenography, dialogues between heritage and contemporary creation, and collective moments are at the heart of the experience offered by the Arab World Institute.
29/09/2026 - 31/01/2027
Institut du monde arabe
1 rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard Place Mohammed V - 75005 Paris
Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 7pm
Adults €15, age under 26 €5
Paris
The Emerald Routes
lecolevancleefarpels.com/fr/en/exhibition/exhibition-emerald-routes
An exploration of Maghreb wedding rituals through costumes, finery and contemporary creations.
The "Mariages - Farah" exhibition reveals the cultural, aesthetic and social importance of weddings in the Maghreb, presenting a selection of rare costumes and finery from Moroccan, Tunisian and Algerian collections, never before exhibited in France. These historic pieces, dating from the 19th and 20th centuries, are contrasted with works by 18 contemporary artists from the Maghreb countries and their diasporas, who take a contemporary look at the rituals, roles and symbols of these celebrations. Immersive scenography, dialogues between heritage and contemporary creation, and collective moments are at the heart of the experience offered by the Arab World Institute.
4/12/2026 - 13/06/2027
L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Hôtel de Mercy-Argenteau, 16 bis, boulevard Montmartre, 75009 Paris
Tuesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m, Thursday 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m
Admission free
GERMANY
Hochheim
eins zwei drei – Cose della vita
rosemarie-jaeger.de/en/ausstellung/one-two-three-cose-della-vita
'Cose della vita' is the laconic title of a group exhibition that piques curiosity. On display are selected pieces of jewellery, objects, and drawings by Giampaolo Babetto, the outstanding goldsmith of the Paduan School, which reveal his holistic approach to design, drawing equally on Renaissance art, nature, and the human body. Stefan Kraus, known as the curator of the Kolumba Museum — which he directed until the end of 2025 — has appeared as a photographer in many of his publications. In 'Cose della vita', he combines these with small-format paintings and text fragments to form an associative tapestry of memories of places and things. Katja Krumbeck paints and draws whimsical scenes that, with a dreamlike (un)certainty, evoke the fullness of life, yet are anything but unambiguous. As oil pastels often rendered with exaggerated strokes, they call for a relief-like, almost physical interpretation. A delight for the eye, lived experience, and a quiet sense of humour in dealing with the “things of life” unite the three artists, who collaborated on the gallery’s 123rd exhibition at the invitation of Rosemarie Jäger.
27/09/2026 - 29/11/2026
Galerie Rosemarie Jäger
Wintergasse 13, 65239 Hochheim
Saturday to Sunday, 11 am – 3 pm
Pforzheim
21st International Silver Triennial
schmuckmuseum.de/en
Pforzheim’s Jewellery Museum will be showing the creations selected from the 21st International Silver Triennial that were previously on view at the DIVA Museum in Antwerp. Since 1965, the Association for the Promotion of the Goldsmith’s Art and the German Goldsmiths’ House in Hanau have been organising the competition to promote the work of contemporary silversmiths. Meanwhile, thanks to presentations both in Germany and abroad, the Silver Triennial has become an internationally recognised exhibition series that enjoys international recognition. This time too, visitors can look forward to admiring exceptional silver objects whose designs and craftsmanship testify to artistic sophistication and an impeccably high level of artisanal precision.
17/05/2026 - 17/01/2027
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Free with general admission (€ 4.50, concessions € 2.50)
Pforzheim
Cool Brilliance – the Jewellery Museum’s highlights made of silver and diamonds
schmuckmuseum.de/en
Everything that glitters catches people’s eye. No other metal reflects light as much as silver. It has a bright, warm white hue to which it owes its Latin name of "argentum". The cool brilliance of diamonds is shown off to maximum advantage only in a setting of white precious metal, something that suited people’s self-indulgent desire for luxury and extravagance in the Baroque and Rococo periods. Well into the 19th century, diamonds used in jewellery were often set in silver because white gold had still had to be invented, and the methods for processing platinum weren’t fully developed yet. So it was not uncommon back then for people to outfavour silver over gold. In our Historical collection, we’ll be spotlighting the multifaceted importance of silver, a multimedia installation will be placing the metal in an art-historical context, and samples in a large type case will be giving visitors an opportunity to interactively explore it.
17/05/2026 - 17/01/2027
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Free with general admission (€ 4.50, concessions € 2.50)
Pforzheim
Afghanistan, Oman or the Black Forest? Silver highlights from the ethnographic Herion collection
schmuckmuseum.de/en
Ancient silver finds date back to the 5th millennium BC and were excavated in the mountainous region between Asia Minor and Afghanistan. But silver was also mined in the Black Forest since the Middle Ages. It is still popular worldwide in the form of jewellery or as a means of payment, as is testified by the Eva and Peter Herion collection in the Jewellery Museum’s “What Is Jewellery?” presentation. The respective exhibition area can be rediscovered with this aspect in mind, not least with the help of a digital excavation table that allows visitors of all ages to slip into the role of archaeologists. With a little skill, they can unearth silver treasures from all over the world – an interactive fun game for the entire family. The originals can be admired in the exhibition room.
17/05/2026 - 17/01/2027
Schmuckmuseum Pforzheim
Jahnstraße 42, 75173 Pforzheim
Tuesday - Sunday 10.00 - 17.00 p.m.
Free with general admission (€ 4.50, concessions € 2.50)
Stuttgart
Decoration & Symbols: What adorns men
landesmuseum-stuttgart.de/en/exhibitions/decoration-symbols
For thousands of years, men have adorned themselves using jewellery as a means of expressing their identity. Whether crowns, rings, watches, tattoos, or belt buckles: jewellery tells stories of power, status, and belonging. Yet, the phenomenon of men's jewellery has received little attention in cultural history to date.
From 17 October 2026, the Landesmuseum Württemberg will, for the first time, present a major special exhibition dedicated to this fascinating topic, tracing the history of men’s jewellery from the Stone Age to the present day. Enriched by educational and interactive elements, the exhibition showcases the diversity of how men adorned themselves across the ages – from historical artifacts and handcrafted objects to everyday items.
Moving beyond the idea that jewellery is mere decoration, the exhibition asks: What messages does jewellery convey? What meanings have been attributed to specific forms of adornment? And how is men's jewellery related to when thinking about gender and masculinity?
Ten thematic sections offer a fascinatingly rich insight into the history of men’s jewellery, bringing historical objects into dialogue with contemporary perspectives: from bodily adornment and insignia of power to functional jewellery, expressions of belief, social conventions, and their transgression. Jewellery is far more than decoration: it is a system of symbols that has shaped perceptions of masculinity for millennia.
17/10/2026 - 25/04/2027
Landesmuseum Württemberg
Altes Schloss, Schillerplatz 6, 70173 Stuttgart
Tuesday - Sunday 11:00 - 17:00 p.m.
Adults €8, Concessions €6
ICELAND
Reykjavík (CR)
A Voyage in History - The Bridal Costume
thjodminjasafn.is/en/syningar/med-sogu-i-farangrinum---brudarbuningurinnOne of the most magnificent bridal costumes in Iceland’s history is the highlight of an exhibition in the Arc Hall at the National Museum of Iceland. The costume, dating primarily from the late 18th century, was believed to have been lost in a shipwreck off the south of Iceland. Later it was discovered that the costume was not lost at sea, but its whereabouts were unknown. In 1963, Elsa E. Guðjónsson, textile and costume specialist, discovered it in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
This is a unique opportunity to see this costume, and its lavish accompanying jewellery, and learn about its extraordinary story from the 18th century until today.
9/05/2026 - 9/05/2027
National Museum of Iceland
Suðurgata 41, 102 Reykjavík
Daily 10.00 - 17:00
Adults: ISK 3,300, Concessions ISK 1,600
ITALY
Casalmaggiore (CR)
Montagna: oltre la vetta
Mountains: Beyond the Summit
Extended to 8 November. Ending soon
museodelbijou.it/it/mostre/2025/mostre-temporaneeThe 2026 edition of 'Redefining Jewellery', a curatorial project dedicated to researching and promoting contemporary jewellery as an autonomous artistic language, brings together 47 artistic jewellery pieces that interpret the theme of the mountain: not just a natural landscape, but an archetype and symbolic body, an experience of ascent and a measure of the profound time of matter. This tenth edition presents a new summit to be reached, an invitation to look beyond and raise one's gaze, translating the mountain not as an image to be reproduced, but as energy and a metaphor to be interpreted. The competition has identified several macro-areas for reflection (time and stratification; journey, climbing, and elevation; landscape anatomy and relationships; archaic forces and the power of nature), understood not as rigid categories, but rather as fields of design tension within which each artist was able to move freely, exploring one or intertwining several according to their own research.
7/03/2026 - 8/11/2026
Museo del Bijou di Casalmaggiore
Via Porzio, 9 - 26041 Casalmaggiore (CR)
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Sunday 9.00 - 15.30, Saturday 1.00pm - 7.30pm
Adults: €5, Concessions €2
Ischia di Castro (VT)
L’importanza di essere bella. Gioielli e ornamenti delle donne etrusche
The Importance of Being Beautiful: Jewellery and Ornaments of Etruscan Women
Ending soon
archeologiavocidalpassato.comThis exhibition, opening in honour of International Women's Day on 7 March, focuses specifically on the characteristics of the Etruscan woman, considered queen of the domestic universe and a living representation of the family's status. Etruscan women participated in public games and banquets, raising concerns among ancient writers who often exaggerated their "excessive freedom."
Thanks to recent excavations at the Vulci necropolis, the exhibition features extraordinary objects and contexts, such as those from tombs 27 and 129 at Poggio Mengarelli, and the Tomb of the Silver Hands at Osteria: small idols and scarabs of Egyptian origin, pendants and buckles made of amber, faience, and precious metals. The exhibition is further enriched by references to terracotta votive offerings from sanctuaries, which allow for a precise reconstruction of hairstyles and the use of jewellery in the Etruscan world, as well as the recent discovery of the Greek marble kore head from the Tempio Nuovo near the decumanus of the Etruscan city.
8/03/2026 - 8/11/2026
Museo Civico Archeologico "Pietro e Turiddo Lotti"
Piazza Cavalieri di Vittorio Veneto, 5 - Ischia di Castro (VT) - 01010
Tuesday: 4:00 -7:00 p.m, Wednesday: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m, Thursday: 4:00 -7:00 p.m, Friday: 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m, Saturday: 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. / 4:00 -7:00 p.m, Sunday: 09:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
NETHERLANDS
Doesburg
MAGNIFICENT JEWELS! art nouveau & art deco jewellery by René Lalique and contemporaries
laliquemuseum.nl/en/now-showing/exhibition-magnificent-jewels
“MAGNIFICENT JEWELS! - art nouveau & art deco jewelry by René Lalique and contemporaries” will display no fewer than 130 of these rare jewels in context. This allows visitors to follow the development of modern jewellery at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century and enjoy their exceptional beauty and imagination.
This exhibition also marks the official opening of the renovated Lalique Museum, which has been in the works for years since 2016, with the support of many funds and private benefactors. To celebrate this milestone, private collectors, international jewellers, and museums have agreed to loan their precious Lalique jewellery especially for this opening exhibition.
Together with these (international) loans and a few pieces of Lalique jewellery from our own collection, we can take visitors on a journey through Lalique's development as a jewellery designer and the great influence he had on his colleagues in France and beyond.
5/07/2026 - 27/06/2027
Lalique Museum
Gasthuisstraat 1, 6981 CP Doesburg
Tuesday - Sunday 11:00 - 17:00
Adults: €21
Leeuwarden
REDBAD: the legendary king
friesmuseum.nl/en/see-and-do/exhibitions/redbad
Once, in a distant, distant past, a legendary king ruled over the great Frisia. His name was Redbad, the greatest king these regions have ever known. More than a thousand years after his death, we are finally coming to truly know the mighty King of the North Sea.
In 'REDBAD: the legendary king', Frisia of the 7th and 8th century comes to life like never before: a North Sea region stretching from the Dutch to the North German coast and the river area of Utrecht. The central focus is the mighty, Frisian king Redbad (c.670-719). The exact size of his kingdom is to this day debated. In any case, his influence was noticeable in an extensive area that was then known as Frisia: this roughly included the Dutch and North German coasts and the Utrecht river area. Redbad was also part of a wider European network. On the one hand there was contact with the coastal areas around the North Sea, on the other hand with the Frankish neighbours.
With archaeological, historical and landscape-historical sources, the era of Redbad is being completely mapped out for the first time, and the newly restored Wijnaldum fibula will be a centrepiece of the exhibition.
5/09/2026 - 7/02/2027
Fries Museum
Wilhelminaplein 92, 8911 BS Leeuwarden
Daily 10:00 - 17:00
Adults: €14
Leiden
Galleria: From Moroccan jewellery to Egyptian symbols and personal stories
Ending soon
rmo.nl/en/exhibitions/temporary-exhibitions/galleria Galleria is a unique museum experience that brings together twelve small exhibitions under one roof. From fragments of an Egyptian temple and Moroccan jewellery to contemporary art and personal stories, each exhibition has its own atmosphere, perspective, story and connection with antiquity. They combine to form an unexpectedly beautiful journey, where past and present meet.
This summer exhibition features multiple topics on personal appearance, from the splendour of Nubian dignitaries of the 9th century, Roman hairstyles and fashion, to an exhibition on Roman and Moroccan fibulas, curated by Fatima Oulad Thami and Sigrid van Roode. We explore how this piece of ornament is practical clothing fastener, carrier of identity, amulet, and living symbol of Amazigh culture all in one.
11/06/2026 - 1/11/2026
Rijksmuseum van Oudheden
Rapenburg 28, 2311 EW Leiden
Daily 10:00 - 17:00
Adults: €14
POLAND
Gdansk
Unnecessary Jewellery
gdanskjewelleryweek.pl/en/#program
'Unnecessary Jewellery' is an open curatorial project that looks in equal measure for high-quality works of jewellery art that are representative on a global scale (the objects are made by recognised artists who have won awards at international reviews), and for a new audience and an occasion to show that work to a public reaching beyond the narrow circle of specialists and enthusiasts of this niche field. Its curators believe that, along with the growing interest in the applied arts observed in recent years (textiles, glass and ceramics among them), the time for jewellery is coming.
The name 'Unnecessary Jewellery' refers to the only apparent superfluity of jewellery, which in essence has remained a strong sign of identity and a means of self-expression for thousands of years. The exhibition presents works by 20 artists from Poland, Austria, Germany, Finland, the United Kingdom, Mexico and South Korea, who have interpreted the title phrase each in their own way, using goldsmithing and non-goldsmithing techniques, always with care for the smallest detail. The exhibition is made up of several dozen jewellery objects, items of everyday and out-of-the-ordinary use whose value will not fade with time.
3/10/2026 - 20/12/2026
International Amber Association Gallery
IAA Gallery, ul. Heweliusza 31, Gdańsk
Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m
AMERICAS
CANADA
Quebec
A hidden treasure. A Century of Mystery
mnbaq.org/en/programming/exhibitions/hidden-treasure
We are proud to present, as a world premiere, a showcase of prestigious jewels related to the Habsburg family. Long kept out of sight, the collection is now presented to the public. The fifteen jewels on display, including the legendary 137-carat Florentine diamond, tell a story of exile, transmission and resilience that unexpectedly unites Europe and Quebec.
If these pieces impress with their radiance, their refinement and their historical charge, their presence at the Museum is first inscribed in a trajectory deeply linked to Quebec: that of Zita de Bourbon-Parme, the last empress of Austria and queen of Hungary, who found refuge in Quebec with her family in October 1940. After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I, Emperor Charles and Empress Zita took the path of exile. As the war again transformed the fate of Europe, Zita fled the troops of the Nazi regime and found refuge in Quebec City, at the Villa Saint-Joseph de Sillery. The imperial family builds lasting bonds that will help anchor this story in Quebec memory. With the Empress travels a set of jewels that will go through the decades with the utmost discretion.
From 4/09/2026
Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
179 Grande Allée W, Québec City, QC G1R 2H1
Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m.– 5 P.M
Adults $28, seniors $27, age 18-30 $21, age 13-17 $8
USA
Baltimore, MD
Luxury & Loss: Feather, Shell, Tusk, Horn
thewalters.org/exhibitions/luxury-loss
Some of the most luxurious historical objects in Asian, European, and American art were made from four natural materials taken from the animal world: kingfisher feathers, tortoise shell, rhinoceros horn, and elephant ivory. For centuries, these materials were desired by the powerful and wealthy due to their scarcity and the difficult nature of obtaining and working with them. However, the cost to wildlife, coupled with a growing environmental consciousness, led to all four materials being banned from use in artworks starting in the 20th century.
'Luxury & Loss: Feather, Shell, Tusk, Horn' takes a deep dive into the history surrounding objects made from these materials and features a number of objects drawn from the Walters’ collections of Asian, European, American, and African art. The exhibition showcases remarkable examples of each of the four materials and looks at how art and luxury goods made from wild animal materials testify to the enduring human desire to capture the beauty and power of wild animals while exploring contemporary responses to society’s evolving relationship with nature, providing an opportunity for reflection and reconciliation.
7/11/2026 – 24/01/2027
The Walters Art Museum
600 N. Charles St. Baltimore, MD 21201
Wednesday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Thursday 1 p.m.–8 p.m. Friday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
Admission free
Bentonville, AR
Nature Adorned: The Artistry of Tiffany & Co. and the American Imagination
crystalbridges.org/events/nature-adorned-the-artistry-of-tiffany-and-co-and-the-american-imagination
Founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has shaped American jewellery design for nearly two centuries. Bringing together treasures from The Tiffany Archives with paintings, glass, books, minerals, and sculpture from the Crystal Bridges collection, 'Nature Adorned: The Artistry of Tiffany & Co. and the American Imagination' explores the natural world as both inspiration and material. From native flora and fauna to gemstones sourced across the country, the exhibition places the House within the broader context of American art, revealing how Tiffany transformed the country’s landscapes and natural resources into enduring works of creativity and beauty.
9/10/2026 – 29/03/2027
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art
600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712
Wednesday - Monday, 10 am—6 pm, Thursday - Friday 10 am—8 pm
Admission free
Bloomington, IN
The Journey of Women: Yemeni Women and Social Growth
iumaa.iu.edu/exhibits/current-exhibitions/journey-of-women/index.html
This exhibition will feature silver jewellery and textiles created for and worn by women from various regions of Yemen. The jewellery to be displayed showcases the meticulous craftsmanship of skilled silversmiths who passed their techniques down through generations. Once gifted, this jewellery becomes part of a family’s movable wealth and is considered the property of women. Yemeni women have the autonomy to decide how to use their jewellery, including the option to sell it in times of economic need. Similar to other cultures around the world, the types of jewellery worn often reflect social status, significant life events such as marriage and motherhood, and regional identities. The themes explored in the exhibit include recognising the social capital of Yemeni women through their material culture and how this, in turn, influences their identities and the transition from girlhood to womanhood, all while preserving their cultural heritage.
25/10/2025 – 13/08/2027
Indiana University Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology
416 N Indiana Ave, Bloomington, IN 47408
Tuesday – Sunday: 10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m, Saturday 12:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
Brockton, MA
Stories on the Planet: Asagi Maeda
Ending soon
fullercraft.org/exhibitions/stories-on-the-planet-asagi-maeda Fuller Craft Museum is proud to present 'Stories on the Planet: Asagi Maeda', a finely detailed exhibition featuring the wearable art of Japanese metalsmith Asagi Maeda. A gifted storyteller, Maeda creates miniature sculptural worlds designed to be worn on the body. Created from wood, plexiglass, resin, enamel, silver, gold, and precious stones — and often intricately engraved or enameled — the evocative artworks offer powerful reflections on everyday life. Swimmers, musicians, readers, and dancers express joy, tenderness, and sorrow, reminding viewers that even the smallest objects can hold entire worlds of feeling.
Born in Tokyo in 1977, Maeda has been creating since childhood, inspired by her mother’s art classes and her family’s connection to pearl-making. She studied sculpture at Tokyo Zokei University and later jewellery at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, blending fine art and craft traditions in her practice. Now based in Tokyo, she continues to create and exhibit internationally, while teaching wax carving at Jyoshibi Art University.
27/06/2026 – 8/11/2026
Fuller Craft Museum
455 Oak Street, Brockton, MA 02301
Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00AM – 5:00PM
Admission is offered on a pay-what-you-can basis
Houston, TX
Going Underground: The Jewels of Bernhard Schobinger
mfah.org/art/exhibitions/going-underground-the-jewels-of-bernhard-schobinger
One of the most significant artists working in contemporary jewellery today, Bernhard Schobinger reimagines it as a subversive medium, using scavenged and alternative materials to reveal their hidden histories. 'Going Underground', the first U.S. exhibition to examine Schobinger’s career, features pivotal pieces of experimental jewellery and selected sculptures from 1968 to the present, with necklaces, bracelets, and rings drawn from prominent private collections and the holdings of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
The exhibition explores the artist’s work in critical dialogue with the long shadow of World War II, the anarchy of punk music, and the political and cultural forces that have shaped his life. Schobinger’s aesthetic inspirations include Dadaism and Concrete Art. His Swiss cultural inheritance and an abiding interest in Japanese culture have also informed his practice.
Schobinger’s pioneering work invites audiences to explore the ways in which jewellery can be made from detritus, nature, and precious metals in order to provoke new meanings. Unexpected elements are transformed by the artist’s keen eye and meticulous hands: fishing lures and wedding rings foraged over decades of diving in Lake Zurich; metal and asphalt shards dug out of a decrepit New York City street in the late 1970s; glass, nails, and saw blades that were salvaged.
3/09/2026 – 3/01/2027
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH)
Kinder Building, Main St, Houston, Texas
Sunday 12:30 pm to 6 pm, Wednesday 11 am to 5 pm, Thursday 11 am to 9 pm, Friday 11 am to 9 pm, Saturday 11 am to 6 pm
Adults $24, Concessions $20
Memphis, TN
From the Bluff to the Park: The Metal Museum's Collection Through Time
metalmuseum.org/upcoming-exhibitions/fromtheblufftothepark
Our first major exhibition in the Metal Museum's new home at Overton Park, 'From the Bluff to the Park: The Metal Museum's Collection Through Time' traces the history and evolution of the museums collections, from the Metal Museum's founding in 1979 to its expansion. This exhibition will show early collecting milestones, showcase exceptional work from the collections, and highlight how the collection may grow in the future.
5/09/2026 – 21/03/2027
Metal Museum at Overton Park
1930 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104
Wednesday - Sunday, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
Adults $10, seniors $8, young $5
Nashville, TN
The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture, and Opulence
fristartmuseum.org/exhibition/the-great-mughals
This major exhibition celebrates the breathtaking art and cosmopolitan culture of the Mughal court’s golden age (about 1560–1660) during the reigns of its most famous emperors: Akbar and his son Jahangir and grandson Shah Jahan. Known as the Great Mughals, the three men in turn ruled over a vast territory that extended from Afghanistan into much of the Indian subcontinent. They accumulated enormous wealth and power, and art and architecture flourished under their patronage. Best known for the Taj Mahal — the majestic and romantic white-domed mausoleum along the Yamuna River in Agra, India — the Mughal court also commissioned vast fortified palaces, brilliantly coloured paintings, jewellery studded with rubies and emeralds, ornamental carpets, glittering metalwork, vessels made of mother-of-pearl, and more.
Bringing together cultural elements from South Asia, Iran, China, and Europe, the empire’s artists forged a distinctive new tradition that included naturalistic portraits of men and women, vibrant representations of exotic animals, and luxurious decorative arts. Floral designs proclaimed the empire a garden of paradise. The exhibition highlights all these aspects of Mughal art while also revealing how court artists used sophisticated skills and precious materials to wonderous effect. The exhibition concludes by showing the legacy of the Great Mughals in India, Pakistan, and beyond.
5/02/2027 – 9/05/2027
Frist Art Museum
919 Broadway, Nashville, TN 37203
Friday - Saturday, Monday: 10 a.m.–5:30 p.m, Thursday: 10 a.m.–8 p.m, Sunday: 1–5:30 p.m.
Adults $20, Concessions $16
Norfolk, VA
Constellations: Contemporary Jewelry from the Dallas Museum of Art
chrysler.org/exhibition/constellations-contemporary-jewelry-from-the-dallas-museum-of-art
'Constellations: Contemporary Jewelry from the Dallas Museum of Art' brings more than 350 works of wearable art to the Chrysler Museum of Art, showcasing nearly a century of creativity from jewellery artists across the globe. Organized by the Dallas Museum of Art, the exhibition explores the myriad ways artists have reimagined jewellery, revealing an extraordinary range of materials, forms, and ideas. Featuring golden crowns formed to look like cardboard, enchanting necklaces made from plastic bags, and whimsical brooches resembling toast, 'Constellations' captures the depth, breadth, and diversity of contemporary jewellery design.
Featuring over 230 artists from 41 countries, the exhibition is presented in four thematic “constellations” that draw connections between works and explore how artists have expressed concepts of their time: Zones of the Body, Archetypes, Signals, and Play. Just as constellations allow stargazers to map a structure onto the vast night sky, these groupings help visitors navigate paths through the diverse pieces on view. Each features a case study that takes a deep dive into an artist or form, and an additional section explores the evolution of the collection, from initial acquisitions in 1950 to newly commissioned works by emerging talents. 'Constellations' is the first exhibition dedicated to the Dallas Museum of Art’s world-class collection, offering visitors a fresh perspective on contemporary jewellery as both intimate adornment and bold artistic statement.
10/07/2026 – 3/01/2027
Chrysler Museum of Art
One Memorial Place, Norfolk, Virginia 23510
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m.–5 pm, Sunday: noon – 5 pm
Admission free
Oak Brook, IL
The Art of Transformation: The Jewelry of Mark Schneider
lizzadromuseum.org/calendar
Mark Schneider has won 68 prestigious jewellery industry awards since he began his career as a jewellery designer.
Segueing from his family’s jewellery business which he had been a part of for a number of years, he began to work with a range of precious and semi-precious stones that “speak” to him and allow him to create exciting jewellery. Many jewellers design a piece of jewellery first and then search for the stones to mount into their design. Mark works in a completely different way — he finds stones he thinks are beautiful or interesting, and sometimes rare, and designs a piece of jewellery around the stones. He works with gem cutters and lapidaries who often use unusual faceting techniques. Mark’s designs complement the stones as a frame does a painting.
7/11/2026 – April 2027
The Lizzadro Museum
1220 Kensington Road, Oak Brook, Illinois 60523
Tuesday – Saturday: 10 a.m.–5 pm, Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m
Adults $10, Seniors $8, Young $5
Princeton, NJ
Joyce J. Scott: Declarations
artmuseum.princeton.edu/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/joyce-j-scott-declarations
This exhibition spans the career of the renowned Baltimore artist Joyce J. Scott, whose multimedia practice is deeply rooted in her African American ancestry and in global craft traditions. 'Joyce J. Scott: Declarations' showcases the artist’s intricate sculptural beadwork, which she often combines with handblown glass, quilting, and found objects. Approaching charged themes such as gun violence, misogyny, and racial injustice with both humour and horror, Scott choreographs narratives that are as disturbing and personal as they are beautiful and universal. This exhibition of Scott’s compelling and timely “declarations” connects past and present and casts a powerful lens on the presence of slavery at Bainbridge House during the time of the American Revolution.
An exhibition celebrating the artist’s materially rich, multilayered, genre-defying work and her commitment to free expression, presented on the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
15/08/2026 – 15/01/2027
Princeton University Art Museum
Princeton University Campus, Princeton, NJ
Monday – Saturday 10 a.m.–5 p.m., Thursday – Friday 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sunday 12–5 p.m
Admission free
Racine, WI
Tanya Crane: Embodied Histories—Exploring the Legacy of African Jewelry
ramart.org/exhibit/tanya-crane-embodied-histories-exploring-the-legacy-of-african-jewelry
In 2022, RAM invited Crane — who was teaching at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University, and has since moved back to her home state of California — to consider making work in response to a small selection of historical African pieces in the museum’s collection. Crane’s personal investment in using jewellery to make connections and her stated interest in the history of adornment made her a good candidate for this provocative project — she was ready to consider tackling the metaphorical weight of these metal historical objects that once functioned very differently than they do in a museum collection.
Responding to her own bi-racial background, Tanya Crane imbues her enamel, metal, and found object jewellery with reflections on history, resiliency, migration, community, adornment, humanity, identity, family, and heritage. As she considers how traditions shift across space or through time, Crane creates patterns that echo designs of global Indigenous makers. This exhibition features jewellery inspired by historical adornment in RAM’s permanent collection — specifically, incised metal bracelets and neckpieces from West Africa that were used as currency. Objects like this were exchanged within trade or barter networks, not only for local agricultural and luxury products but also in transatlantic slave trade negotiations. This potential compelled Crane to cautiously move forward with her explorations.
21/01/2026 - 9/01/2027
Racine Art Museum
441 Main Street, Racine, WI 53403
Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Adults $10, Concessions $8.
Racine, WI
RAM Showcase: African Adornment
ramart.org/exhibit/ram-showcase-african-adornment
Implying a body whether or not one is present, adornment speaks to the human condition regardless of where, when, or by whom it was created or worn. People choose to adorn their bodies for a multitude of reasons, and how and with what they do it speaks volumes — forming a complex web of meaning linked to material or social value, luxury, fashion, emotions, status, wealth, and commerce. Not all societies approach these issues from the same perspective, but adornment can play a pivotal role in reflecting some or all of these concepts.
This exhibition is comprised of objects with layered and potentially uncomfortable histories. Specifically, these works are from a collection of incised metal bracelets and neckpieces from West Africa that span the eighteenth through twentieth centuries. Objects like this were used as currency, often within a trade or barter network, in exchange for local agricultural and luxury products. However, they were also often used in transatlantic slave trade negotiations.
14/05/2026 - 20/02/2027
Racine Art Museum
441 Main Street, Racine, WI 53403
Wednesday – Saturday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Adults $10, Concessions $8.
Santa Fe, NM
Silver and Stones: Collaborations in Southwest Jewelry
Extended to 2027
nmhistorymuseum.org/exhibition/details/5423/silver-and-stones-collaborations-in-southwest-jewelryCurrently on display in the New Mexico History Museum’s Palace of the Governors, is an unusual jewellery collection from the 1940s and 1950s that exemplifies a beneficial economic relationship between Diné (Navajo) silversmith, David Taliman (1901–1967), and Jewish merchant, William C. Ilfeld (1905–1979). William C. Ilfeld was the grandson of the Jewish pioneer Charles Ilfeld, who emigrated from Germany in 1865. William managed the Native American jewellery department at the family’s department store in Las Vegas, New Mexico. Taliman worked in several trading post shops including Maisel’s in Albuquerque and Julius Gan’s Southwest Arts and Crafts in Santa Fe. Ilfeld’s designs were produced by Native artisans, like Taliman, who often used stones from his personal collection. The jewelry was donated by Ilfeld to the New Mexico History Museum in 1971 and is part of the museum’s permanent collection.
Ends 28/02/2027
New Mexico History Museum
113 Lincoln Avenue, Santa Fe, NM
Daily 10:00 am - 5:00 pm, Friday 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Admission $12
Santa Fe, NM
The Stories We Carry
Extended to December 2026
iaia.edu/event/the-stories-we-carry For over half a century, the Institute of American Indian Arts (IAIA) has fostered an environment where emerging Indigenous artists have had the freedom to develop the means to tell their own stories in their own ways. The unique format of jewellery has played a large role in storytelling as it is a deeply human practice that gives people the tools to carry their histories and identities — a powerful reminder to ourselves and to others who we are.
This exhibition features contemporary jewellery created by more than 100 Indigenous artists across decades stewarded by the IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA) permanent collection. Guest curated by IAIA Assistant Professor Brian Fleetwood (Mvskoke Creek) ’12, the exhibition explores the extraordinarily diverse recent history of Indigenous jewellery and its enduring relationship with IAIA. Many of the works were made by IAIA students, faculty, alumni, and artists-in-residence presenting another side to the IAIA’s rich story.
30/09/2022 - 31/12/2026
IAIA Museum of Contemporary Native Arts (MoCNA)
108 Cathedral Place, Santa Fe, 87501
Monday, Wednesday – Saturday 10 am–5 pm, Sunday 11 am–4 pm
Adults: $10, Concessions: $5
Santa Fe, NM
Here, Now and Always
indianartsandculture.org
When the first iteration of 'Here, Now and Always' opened in 1997, it was considered revolutionary. It was the first exhibition of its kind in a museum space, moving authority away from historically non-Native academics and scholars. Led by a primarily Indigenous curatorial team, it centered the voices, perspectives, and narratives on the Indigenous people it represented while concurrently foregrounding meaningful and long-lasting partnerships with Native communities. 'Here, Now and Always' closed in 2019 for a complete re-imagining. Now, the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs invites the public to experience the exhibition as they have never seen it before.
Situated within the museum’s 8,400-square-foot Amy Rose Bloch Wing, 'Here, Now and Always' features more than 600 objects from the museum’s collection. More importantly, it continues to express a fundamental truth about the quintessence of Native communities in the Southwest. To quote the late Zuni scholar and former MIAC curator of ethnology Edmund J. Ladd, 'I am here. I am here, now. I have been here, always.'
2/07/2022 - 2/07/2028
The Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (miac)
710 Camino Lejo off Old Santa Fe Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87505
Tuesday - Sunday 10am - 5pm
Admission $12
ASIA
CHINA
Hong Kong
Treasures of Global Jewellery from the Metropolitan Museum of Art: The Body Transformed
Ending soon
hkpm.org.hk/en/exhibition/treasures-of-global-jewellery-from-the-metropolitan-museum-of-art-the-body-transformedJointly organised by The Met and the HKPM, this will be the first major showcase in Hong Kong of global jewellery from six continents made over the course of nearly 4,000 years between the second millennium BC and the 21st century. The exhibition marks The Met’s debut in the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. With approximately 200 spectacular treasures from The Met along with selected objects from the HKPM collection, the close relationship between body and jewellery will be explored. The masterpieces will display the depth and breadth of the encyclopedic collection of this world-renowned museum and illustrate the diversity and interconnectedness of global jewellery.
15/04/2026 - 19/10/2026
Hong Kong Palace Museum
West Kowloon Cultural District, 8 Museum Drive, Kowloon
Daily 10am – 6pm, Friday, Saturday 10am – 8pm
Adults: HK$230, Concessions: HK$115
JAPAN
Kyoto
Creating Japanese Jewellery: Personal Expression and Memory
momak.go.jp/English/exhibitionarchive/2026
Contemporary jewellery is “a self-reflexive studio craft practice that is oriented to the body”. From the 1950s onward, through relationships between the work, the wearer and the viewer, contemporary jewellery has questioned the existing values attached to jewellery (such as valuableness or representation of wealth), while also evolving by taking in various genres of expression.
At the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, an exhibition titled 'Contemporary Jewellery: The Americas, Australia, Europe and Japan' was held in 1984, which exhibited works by artists such as Otto Künzli (b. 1948) and Caroline Broadhead (b.1950). Today, many Japanese artists who studied with such trailblazers are now playing active roles in their own right.
Jewellery comes alive when it is worn and used. It is also something that reminds us of “the richness of everyday life”. Hiramatsu started making simple rings during the mid 1950s, when the War was not yet far from people’s memories. The rings were made not for exhibitions, stating that “the issue is whether or not a thing has meaning and value in people’s livelihoods”. Mizuno, who drastically changed the curriculum of his school in the 1980s and has been actively taking part in education that goes beyond the practical, views jewellery as “something good for daily life” that is “necessary for the emotional wellbeing of humans”, and “a thing that expresses who a person is”. Because most jewellery products have been made for women, many works carry questions on gender. The reevaluation of the “richness of everyday life” through jewellery has also been questioned from a critical standpoint.
Contemporary jewellery has mainly been examined from the perspective of Europe and North America. In this exhibition, we will weave another story, “our story”, by reexamining contemporary jewellery from the perspective of post-war Japan.
24/10/2026 - 17/01/2027
The National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto
26-1, Okazaki Enshoji-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8344
Tuesday - Sunday, 10:00–18:00
Adults ¥1,800, students ¥1,100
QATAR
Doha
Around the World in Jewellery
marhaba.qa/event/around-the-world-in-jewellery-exhibition
Featuring more than 500 remarkable pieces from the collections of Qatar Museums and L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, the exhibition explores how jewellery has reflected identity, culture, belief and craftsmanship across civilisations.
27/11/2026 - 26/12/2026
M7 Museum
Msheireb, Doha
Saturday - Thursday 11:00–21:00, Friday 15:30–21:00
Admission free
UAE
Dubai
Recreating Gesture: Crafting a Gold Necklace from the Iron Age
lecolevancleefarpels.com/me/en/exhibition/exhibition-recreating-gesture-crafting-gold-necklace-iron-age
The exhibition represents a strategic research project by L'ÉCOLE, combining archaeology, the history of techniques, and goldsmithing craftsmanship. Through experimental archaeology, the project meticulously reproduced a Celtic neck collar from the Second Iron Age, originally discovered in Montans, France, to understand the skills and techniques of that period. Following its successful debuts in Paris, Lyon, Seoul, and Shanghai, the Dubai exhibition offers Middle Eastern audiences a unique opportunity to delve into the complex craftsmanship of this remarkable historical jewel, further enhanced by an Open House, a cultural programme, and an Arabic-translated podcast.
5/11/2026 - 24/04/2027
L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts
Dubai Design District, Building 10, Ground Floor
Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m
Admission free, with reservation
AUSTRALASIA
AUSTRALIA
Melbourne
Made to Move. Australian Jewellery 1960–2020
Extended to February 2027
ngv.vic.gov.au/exhibition/made-to-move-australian-jewellery-1960-2020This exhibition celebrates art, craft and design practitioners whose deep material knowledge informs the creation of pieces made for the body in motion.
Featuring materials such as metal, stone, glass, clay and shell, 'Made to move' highlights enduring traditions of adornment, including those of First Peoples and generations of Australian makers, affirming jewellery’s continued role as a medium for both personal and cultural expression.
18/09/2025 - February 2027
The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia
Fed Square, Melbourne
Open daily 10am – 5pm
Admission free
Melbourne
ROME: Empire, Power, People
Ending soon
museumsvictoria.com.au/melbournemuseum/whats-on/rome-empire-power-peopleFeaturing original statues, mosaics, frescoes, jewellery and everyday objects from the humblest to the most sumptuous, this Melbourne-exclusive exhibition is a vibrant exploration of Rome’s political, cultural and social life.
From the fall of Julius Caesar to the power and ambition of an Empire, the exhibition showcases the luxury of Imperial Rome, the spectacle of the gladiator arena, the bustling marketplaces and the everyday experiences of Romans.
The exhibition, designed by Museums Victoria and developed in collaboration with Contemporanea Progetti and curators Dr Federica Rinaldi, Dr Sara Colantonio and Dr Carlotta Caruso from Museo Nazionale Romano, will draw on the extraordinary collections of the Museo Nazionale Romano and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale di Firenze, two of Italy’s most prestigious museums, for a never-before seen exhibition.
30/03/2026 - 25/10/2026
Melbourne Museum
11 Nicholson Street, Carlton
Open daily 9am – 5pm
Adults A$18, Seniors A$12