By David Brough
VICENZA, Italy – Vicenzaoro September was a vital conduit for exports of “Made in Italy” gold and silver jewelry spanning leading brands to SMEs, as well as for exports of the latest designs from suppliers such as China, India and Turkey, with a total six percent year-on-year rise in visitors auguring for robust business.
Vicenzaoro September, one of the world’s largest jewelry trade shows, held in Vicenza, northeast Italy, presented from September 8-12, 2023, a vast and varied offering of state-of-the-art jewelry designs from around the world, notably the most innovative Italian goldsmithing creations.
Vicenzaoro, organised by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) and staged twice a year in January and September, is a showcase for cutting-edge Italian gold and silver jewelry exports from high brands such as Roberto Coin, Damiani and Annamaria Camilli, as well as from other leading supplier countries.
Buyers from 132 countries visited 1,200 exhibiting brands at Vicenzaoro September. The event was promoted by a diverse mix of international trade journalists, Instagrammers and bloggers.
The mood was upbeat, with demand for “Made in Italy” exports seen as constructive.
‘Solidity’ was a feature of this edition of Vicenzaoro with the economic growth curve for “Made in Italy” production and sales growing in terms of both turnover (+10.2% in the first six months) and exports (9.3% over the first five months), making the gold jewelry sector the best performing in the Italian fashion system with a more than average growth than Italian manufacturing as a whole, according to the Vicenzaoro press statement.
Show director Marco Carniello, in a briefing with journalists, estimated that the total value of Italian gold and silver jewelry exports was some 10 billion euros in 2022 following the pandemic, up from 6-7 billion in 2019.
He said that in his view, there were three reasons for the surge: supply bottlenecks during the lockdowns; a growth in branding, with more manufacturing shifting to Italy and then exported; and the sustained operations of Vicenzaoro during the lockdowns, keeping the show open within the prevailing restrictions.
Trends
Creative director Paola De Luca, head of Vicenzaoro’s independent observatory TRENDVISION, presented the Trend Book 2025+, with a focus on how human creativity will continue to flourish despite the integration of fast-emerging AI into jewelry manufacturing and design.
Prominent jewellery design trends seen at the show included the popularity of the colour blue, with a profusion of sapphire and tanzanite designs; pendants in chunky sizes; and gender fluidity, said Italian journalist Laura Inghirami, who runs the widely followed donna.jewel Instagram feed.
UK-based buyer Jayant Raniga of east London jewellery retailer PureJewels, said he was impressed by the comprehensive layout of the fair.
“Vicenzaoro is an energetic and stylish show with a lot of innovative ideas,” Raniga said
“It is a great place to network and lots of fun – and a true glamorous representation of our industry, as it should be.”
Another panel looked at how AI will impact the global jewelry industry: one panellist, David Block, CEO of Israel-based Sarine Technologies, said diamond grader jobs risked disappearing over the next few years as AI-led technologies advanced.
Sara Yood, deputy general counsel at the New York-based Jewelers Vigilance Committee, said that establishing a legal framework to protect trademarks and copyright from risks of AI-led infringement, would be vital to protect consumers.
