Good Turnout at Italy’s VicenzaOro

RAPAPORT… Attendance
was strong at the January edition of VicenzaOro, spurring confidence that Italy’s gold-jewelry exports would improve in 2018.




Rising
production and consumption of gold jewelry signaled a favorable outlook for the
sector, said Lorenzo Cagnoni, president of organizer Italian Exhibition Group (IEG),
in his opening address on January 19.



“VicenzaOro January opens in a highly positive context, both in terms of
confirmations coming in of a recovery in demand for gold, and of the
significant results that our group is proving to obtain at this and at the
other 60 shows in our company’s portfolio,” he said.




The VicenzaOro show, which ran until January 24, is a gateway for
exports of Italian gold jewelry, manufactured in centers such as Vicenza and
Arezzo, to leading markets, including the United Arab Emirates and the US.



The show, which kicks off
the international trade-fair season, is a barometer of jewelry-design trends
for the coming year.



Halls
were packed as jewelry retailers from around the world came to stock the latest
designs in their stores. VicenzaOro January hosted
more than 4,500 exhibitors, 35% of which were from outside Italy, and an estimated
more than 96,000 visitors from 130 countries.



A highlight of the event was the awarding of best designer to
Massimiliano Bonoli, who works for jeweler Mattia Cielo, in the Andrea Palladio
International Jewellery Awards staged on January 19.



Trends emerging at the show included the influence of gender neutrality,
preferences for ethically sourced jewelry, growing demand for men’s jewelry, and
a profusion of color across a range of mixed-and-matched materials.



“Among the
trends that stood out this year was the playful application of color beyond
gemstones, be it through nano-ceramic plating, as seen at Noor Fares, enameling, or even
hand-painted creations,” said Kathryn Bishop, jewelry writer and cofounder of
the Women’s Jewellery Network.



The next edition of VicenzaOro
will take place in Vicenza from September 22 to 26.

Image: Fiera di Vicenza