Man on the Move - Vicenza Jewellery Fair Sees Strong Footfall, Order Flow
16 Sep 2021
VICENZA, Italy - The September 10-14 edition of the Vicenza jewellery fair, Vicenzaoro, saw high footfall and strong orders by buyers delighted to meet again in-person after months of lockdown.
More than 800 companies exhibited at the show in northeastern Italy, around 70 percent of them Italian.
Buyers came in strong numbers from Europe and North America, but coronavirus restrictions prevented some visitors from Asian markets such as India and China from attending.
Italy is a leading exporter of gold and silver jewellery.
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Event Director, Marco Carniello, said,
“We are very satisfied because we basically almost reached in terms of numbers of visitors the pre-Covid figures,”
Among UK exhibitors, Daniel Vecht of London Pearl spoke of strong UK retailer orders of cultured pearls, adding that Brexit had complicated EU-based supplies to the UK.
Yoko London's booth attracted plentiful enquiries from international retail buyers looking to restock high-end gem-set pearl jewellery.
Image Credit: Yoko london
At a panel on the state of the industry, Jerome Favier, CEO of Damiani, and Nicolò Rapone, Senior Director, Operations of Bulgari, spoke of strong demand for coloured gemstone and diamond jewellery in Asian markets, notably China and South Korea.
London-based Stephen Lussier, Executive Vice-President, Consumer Markets, De Beers Group, noted a sharp increase in diamond jewellery demand in the United States this year, compared with 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
Gender Equality
Another panel heard calls to accelerate achievement of gender equality in the jewellery industry by developing and promoting partnerships and furthering government and corporate policy initiatives.
Iris Van der Veken, Executive Director of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), said,
“We need partnerships that are transformational,”
As RJC released a report urging strong action on one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to build on achievements to make sure that there is an end to discrimination against women and girls everywhere.
Synthetic Diamonds
Image Credit: Lab-created blue diamond earrings
A study presented at Vicenzaoro showed that the trade needs to inform younger consumers about the sustainability and ethical debate surrounding natural and synthetic diamonds as many Millennial and Gen-Z consumers are poorly informed.
The study, presented by entrepreneur, journalist and influencer Laura Inghirami (Insta @donna.jewel), cited the results of a survey of a sample of more than 200 young consumers in Italy, which showed that many of them were not well educated on these issues.
Laura said,
“The new generations (of consumers) need to be informed, educated and made sensitive to diamonds and the themes of sustainability and ethics,”
This education by the trade would help younger consumers make better informed choices over the type of diamonds they wish to buy.
Gaetano Cavalieri, President of CIBJO, World Jewellery Confederation, said in the panel discussion that suppliers of both natural and lab grown diamonds need to clearly disclose and identify the product that they are selling.
Trend Book
Image Credit: TRENDVISION
Vicenzaoro presented the digital Trend Book 2023+, revealing macro design trends in a post-pandemic universe, encompassing tastes for joyfulness, “neon bright” colours, compassion and gender fluidity in jewellery styles.
Paola De Luca, Creative Director of TRENDVISION, a research unit supported by the fair, presided over a panel of designers and industry experts who spoke of the main upcoming trends in jewellery and watches design, reflecting a vastly changed world due to coronavirus.
The main global jewellery design trends in the Trend Book 2023+ incorporated shifts in tastes accelerated by the pandemic, with a drive towards more joyful pieces in very bright colours; the rising popularity of talismans and meaningful jewellery; geometric shapes inspired by architecture; and a continuing trend towards unisex styles.
Downloaded The Trend Book 2023+
Fabergé Egg
Image Credit: Fabergé
At the fair Fabergé showcased their extraordinary, one-of-a-kind Centenary Egg, commemorating 100 years since Peter Carl Fabergé passed away.
Handcrafted in 18-carat yellow gold, and weighing 10 kg, this unique objet takes inspiration from the first-ever Imperial egg, the 1885 Hen Egg, as well as the 1887 Third Imperial Egg.
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David Brough