To start off the New Year right, most of the Italian jewelry industry convenes in Vicenza in early January. The best part of all: We are all invited.
Starting tomorrow is VicenzaOro First, the first official fine jewelry trade fair of the year, which is organized by Fiera di Vicenza. The show runs Jan. 15–20 at the Fiera di Vicenza fair grounds in Vicenza, Italy.
While one is never certain of everything to expect—new materials, collection themes, organizer announcements, etc.—a few points on the show agenda are available now.
For example, attendees will learn on Saturday about the new Gioielli d’Autore initiative, an artisan association proposal in collaboration with the Scuola Italiana Design and the Vicenza Trade Fair “created to give small gold and silver companies an opportunity to innovate and earn visibility,” according to show management. Speakers at that event include Corrado Facco, general manager of the Vicenza Trade Fair, Franco Pozzebon, precious metals sector president, Confartigianato Vicenza, and, Eugenio Farina, design project coordinator for Scuola Italiana.
On Sunday, representatives from CIBJO host a seminar about corporate social responsibility, and on Monday, the World Gold Council will debut its 2011 Gold Expressions collections. Later in the show, there will even be seminars on new finishing processes for the manufacturing of jewelry, physical vapor deposition techniques, and increasing productivity.
Blog readers may be most interested in seeing the newest collections, which I will highlight daily throughout the show.
Please weigh in if you have requests to see the works of specific companies: I’ll definitely be stopping by the Roberto Coin and Autore booths, among others. I recall that last year, many firms—in light of the tough economy—showed little in the way of new work, stating they were “waiting for Baselworld” to unveil most new works. With the economy starting to turn around here in the States, I’m interested to see if VicenzaOro First will be a repeat of last year, or, if the Italian design community is ready for a robust 2011.
An 18k gold necklace from Le Scintille collection weighs 74.50 grams and has a fabricated, diamond-cut surface; $8,910. Lorenzo Ungari for Gold Expressions 2010
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