About J luxury show attracts international buyers
About J – 2010
VICENZA, Italy, May 22, 2010 – Sixteen top-tier brands showcased their jewels at the About J buying event in the elegant Palladian Villa Rotonda, near Vicenza in northern Italy, to an elite group of international buyers on May 21.
Buyers from the United States, the Middle East, Russia and Asia mingled with mainly Italian brands such as Roberto Coin, Scavia and Mattia Cielo, as well as two non-Italian jewellers, Rodney Rayner and Hulchi Belluni, as fashion models showed off their jewels amid tight security.
Jewellers talked of strong buying enquiries despite worries over the global economic outlook.
“We had lots of interest from American buyers. It’s been very busy,” UK-based Rayner told Jewellery Outlook.
Massimiliano Soffiato, sales development manager with Milan-based Scavia, said jewellers were grappling with various economic challenges this year, such as soaring and volatile precious metals prices, and the weak euro, which benefited Italian export prospects but made purchases of diamonds and gold more expensive in dollar terms.
Franco Minonne of Milan-based Bonato said he had seen strong buyer interest at About J and was optimistic about the sales outlook for this year.
Jewellers and buyers gathered in black tie and elegant attire at the splendid villa in the evening to celebrate the occasion over dinner.
The CHARM edition of the VicenzaOro jewellery fair fair began on May 22.
