MAD About Jewelry 2026 spotlights upcycling, men’s jewelry, global makers
MAD About Jewelry returns with 45 artists from 20 countries, putting upcycled pieces and men’s jewelry at the center of a museum-backed market for wearable art.
Upcycled jewelry and men’s jewelry will share the spotlight when MAD About Jewelry opens at the Museum of Arts and Design, giving two categories often treated as niche a polished institutional stage. The 26th edition runs May 5 through May 9 at the Jerome and Simona Chazen Building at 2 Columbus Circle in Manhattan, with 45 artists from 20 countries bringing one-of-a-kind work directly to collectors and the public.
That scale matters. MAD describes the fair as one of the most influential showcases of contemporary artist-made jewelry in the United States, and this year’s mix makes the point plainly: gold and silver sit alongside titanium, glass, wood, fabric and upcycled objects. The result is less a conventional retail presentation than a survey of how jewelers are thinking about adornment now, through identity, memory, architecture, nature and material innovation. For buyers, that means the strongest pieces are likely to be the ones with visible construction, clear material intelligence and a point of view.
The opening benefit preview, set for Tuesday, May 5, adds early-access shopping, cocktails and a buffet dinner with participating artists at Robert restaurant, turning the first night into a collector’s room rather than a standard sales floor. That direct contact is part of the show’s appeal. Bryna Pomp, who curates the event, has described MAD About Jewelry as a career catalyst because it lets makers meet collectors face to face and receive immediate feedback. Her scouting takes her internationally, which helps explain why the roster feels less regional showcase than global exchange.
The history gives the event added weight. Once known as LOOT: MAD About Jewelry, it has been running under that banner since at least 2014, and MAD marked the title change again in 2021 when it referred to the twenty-first edition. Recent years show the show’s reach has stayed broad even as the lineup shifts. The 2025 edition featured 50 artists from 23 countries, 2024 brought 50 designers from around the world, and 2023 included 50 artists from 20 countries.
Among the 2026 makers, Fatma Mostafa of Egypt bridges embroidery and metalwork, while Srečko Molk of Slovenia works primarily with wood and draws on nature and traditional craftsmanship. MAD also highlights Ana Norman, Raluca Buzura, Sabrina Formica and Eunhee Cho, underscoring the fair’s range from textile-inflected work to more experimental forms. For readers tracking what will matter next in fine jewelry, this is where the market’s newest arguments are being made: not just in precious materials, but in how those materials are reimagined.
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