I leave tonight for VicenzaOro, taking place Jan. 23–28 in Vicenza, Italy, and while it’s long been an event to see new designs from Italian manufacturers, it’s increasingly becoming a livelier international destination.

Some American firms are in the mix: Great Neck, N.Y.–based Le Vian is exhibiting for the second consecutive year, and Henderson Collection from Charlotte, N.C., will have a booth for the first time. I’ll certainly hear familiar American accents in the aisles, spying the occasional U.S. buyer, and this year I’ll also be keeping an eye out for Hollywood, Fla.–based designer Jane Basch, who will walk the show for the first time to check out trends.

There will also be some South American firms present, in addition to other Europeans. Brumani, from São Paulo, will be back, as will Tous, a brand headquartered in Catalonia, Spain, which told JCK last year that it aims to start wholesaling the U.S. market once again.

This interest and more is timely considering the advent of new Fiera di Vicenza management last year. The layout of the fair is also being refreshed to be more useful to buyers.

And while I’m sure there will be no shortage of beautiful new jewels, I’m curious about the presence of Russian and Middle Eastern buyers—will they be out in force as they usually are, considering the drop in oil prices that analysts think will affect their buying power? Since this fair usually serves as a decent litmus test for how business will trend for the rest of the year, I’m a tad anxious about traffic and sales.

I’ll be live tweeting (@jenniferheebner) and posting images to my Instagram account (@jenniferheebner), so be sure to follow along. My live blog coverage, meanwhile, will start on Friday, the first day of the show, and continue the following week.

The Style 360 blog is your editorial source for the newest jewelry, trends, market analysis, trade show insights, designer profiles, and more.

JCK