This wasn’t really the plan. My weekly Britt’s Pick typically features one wonderfully irresistible jewel and far too many paragraphs of me relating to it in some way. I had intended to (virtually) walk through the neighborhoods of JCK Virtual online and come away with a single item to share, but I got caught up in the first neighborhood, Bella Italia. And I couldn’t just pick one thing.
The 2020 JCK Virtual show closed officially this past Friday, and while I must say I hope we don’t have to experience it again out of necessity (as in, I hope we all can meet in person next year), there was a lot I really liked about it.
There’s nothing particularly convenient about this pandemic (it’s awful, that goes without saying), but the digital show that came as its result offered a multitude of conveniences for me personally, as I’m sure it did for many others.
For one, I didn’t have to travel any farther than to my home computer to attend, and if I didn’t want to, I didn’t need to worry about dressing the part, either. I did, however, lament the way it felt to connect with my peers from all over the industry, and my phone’s photo reel is utterly devoid of sparkling jewelry shots at the moment.
But on the bright side, the flexibility that this show experience offered me was utterly appreciated. For instance, I tuned in to a number of JCK Talks presentations and educational sessions when I could—my 2-year-old even joined me!—but when time wouldn’t allow, I could still access those discussions through the platform later. I hated the idea that I was missing my colleagues’ presentations (turns out you really can experience FOMO, even online), but juggling life at home meant it just wasn’t always possible. I may have missed some of the live chats and discussions—a great feature that aided in that feeling of togetherness—but I can still learn from them.
The same is true for browsing product, which for me at the show is always the best experience. I love perusing each neighborhood on the show floor, even as my feet protest (especially toward the end of the week—you know the feeling), but for now, I appreciated being able to scroll through the products that exhibitors uploaded to the platform with the option to organize by neighborhood.
So as I said, I got caught up in Bella Italia, which is often true of the physical space on the show floor in Vegas, too. It’s probably because I don’t connect with the exhibitors in Italy as often as I do in the States, so I don’t know many of them as well, but in the past few years I’ve found myself marveling at the discoveries I’ve made there. It’s always a must-visit, and the same has been true for the time I’ve spent on my virtual visits.
And so of course I couldn’t pick just one. There are worse problems to have than being overwhelmed by so much beautiful jewelry, so there’ll be no complaining from me. But I wanted to share the pieces I came across from the Bella Italia neighborhood that I feel most excited about.
If you’ve got a login for JCK Virtual, you can search for these pieces on the platform and get in touch with the exhibitors with your interest. I’ve also linked the designers’ websites for more information there, too.
I’ve rounded up other jewels from additional neighborhoods of JCK Virtual, but I felt these needed their own highlight. Here’s hoping next year I’ll get the chance to inspect these and others like them up-close-and-personal.
Top: Bracelet and earrings in 18k yellow gold with diamonds, price on request; Vaid Roma
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