The 62nd edition of the Vicenzaoro First fair, the first significant fine jewelry show of the year, opened on Saturday in Vicenza, Italy. Held over five days, this year’s event houses some 1,548 exhibitors–down 11 percent from last year–with the bulk, 1,120, coming from 58 Italian provinces. The remaining 428 firms are from 31 foreign countries. Pre-registration numbers were not available at press time (show officials stated they would not be released until the end of the show).

Fiera di Vicenza officials, the show’s organizers, channeled a theme of renewal, rolling out some redesigned exhibition spaces with more modern, user-friendly looks. Among them was a newly created Brand Lab for retail service companies and the International Premium Hall in Pavilion I to showcase manufacturers from Turkey, China, India, and Thailand. Turnover was evident in Pavilion B1, which houses well-known brands like Marco Bicego; noticeably absent this year were Pianegonda and Calgaro, the former which didn’t exhibit and the latter which bunked with Rosato in Pavilion G.

In fact, in press information, Pavilion B1 is called “an exclusive showcase for the very best of Italian jewellery production,” yet the booth of Australia-based pearl brand, Autore, stood adjacent to Roberto Coin. The fair’s international marketing manager, Cristina Salvi, chalks up the placement to a “sales problem,” and insisted that the roots of Autore‘s Italian owner are quite evident. “[The design] coming out from his product is Italian, I can see it,” she says. Meanwhile, the Glamroom–a concept area launched in 2008 to highlight the intersection of fine and fashion jewelry–also returns, with exhibitors aiming to push the limits of design with materials like adhesive jewels, plastic, and more.

At lunchtime on Saturday, Fiera di Vicenza’s new president and chairman, Roberto Ditri–who replaces president, Dino Menarin–addressed visitors on the show floor from Pavilion B1. Appointed to the post just the day before, Ditri spoke to the crowd in Italian, stating that he was aware of the present-day challenges in the jewelry sector. He also spoke of some tenuous “mini recoveries,” while upticks in markets like China, India, and Brazil were more tangible, and have the potential to trigger recovery in other economies. His goal for the fair is “to be one of the three leading international players in the gold sector, without renouncing to leadership ambitions in other market sectors.”

Newly appointed Fiera di Vicenza president and chairman Roberto Ditri–who replaces former president, Dino Menarin–was put in the hot seat by journalists on Saturday after just one day on the job.

Educational seminars are also part of the fair. On Sunday, the Responsible Jewellery Council educated interested parties on how to use its certification system to reinforce consumer confidence and promote ethical business practices. And on Wednesday, a three-and-a-half-hour-long talk on counterfeiting and Italian-made jewelry is scheduled to take place.

JCK