By Cynthia Unninayar, Editor-in-Chief, CIJ Trends & Colours magazine

The second in the trilogy of jewellery trade fairs held in the historic Italian city of Vicenza took place May 10 to 13 under the theme “New Frontiers in Jewellery.”

Crowds wait to get their badges at VicenzaOro Spring 2014.

As we have written in these pages on other occasions, the Fiera di Vicenza, organizer of VicenzaOro Spring 2014, is not your typical trade fair. Rather, the organization has become a major actor on the jewellery stage, developing initiatives and partnerships with important industry players on a global level to broaden the horizons of trade and international competitiveness for the Italian jewellery industry. Under the leadership of Matteo Marzotto, President of Fiera di Vicenza, and Corrado Facco, Managing Director, this internationalization includes collaborations with events in Hong Kong, Las Vegas, São Paolo, Mumbai, Dubai, and Armenia, among others.

Left: In the “Grace” collection, ring in pink gold with prasiolite centre, and diamonds, pink sapphires, and tsavorites

Right: ring in yellow gold with madera citrine centre, and white and brown diamonds, and orange sapphires by Italian brand Moraglione (left) & Enamel, silver, and gold butterfly brooch by Italian brand Misis. The Italian brand announced during the fair that it was forming an alliance with a Chinese company to open a number of Misis boutiques in China (right)

With the 2014 Spring edition of VicenzaOro, the Fiera forayed into “New frontiers” with the creation of a show called “Origin Passion and Beliefs,” held in the brand new and modern Pavilion 7. An innovative expo workshop dedicated to the world of fashion accessories, it was established in conjunction with the British company, Not Just A Label (NJAL). For more on the Origin show, see our separate article on this site, entitled “Creating Origin Passion and Beliefs.” Also featured at the Spring fair was a preview of “The Boutique Show” to be inaugurated in January 2015. This new concept represents a strategic development model with a clear-cut platform to orientate buyers, retailers, distribution chains, and concept stores. Stay tuned for more later in the year on this innovative project.

Gold and gemstone “Dune” rings by Italian brand Garavelli (left) & Diamond and gold ring by Italian brand Molina (right)

Some 1400 exhibitors from Italy and 30 other nations showcased a wide range of products to trade visitors from around the globe. Everything from simple silver pieces to sumptuous gold parures set with diamonds and colourful gemstones could be found at the show. In addition to informative workshops and seminars, the fair also featured a number of special events such as the awards ceremony for the winners of the Next Jeneration Jewellery Talent Contest. This international design competition for young talents under the age of 30 was organized in collaboration with the School of Design at Milan Polytechnic, with the theme “Sentimental Jewellery.”

VicenzaOro spring provided a preview of the new and reorganized halls in preparation of The Boutique Show, to be launched in January 2015.

DV Global Link

VicenzaOro Spring opened this year against a backdrop of positive sales for the Italian jewellery industry. According to fair officials, exports rose 7.8 percent by value and 2.8 percent by volume in 2013. In light of the drop in gold prices in 2013, the increase in the value of Italian exports underlines the importance of value-added design in jewellery, especially the “Made in Italy” label. The United Arab Emirates became the largest market for Italian jewellery exports in 2013, with a 20.7 percent share by value, edging out Switzerland, which is now second. Exports to the UAE increased 30 percent in 2013 over those in 2012.

Matteo Marzotto, President of Fiera di Vicenza, shakes hands with His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, after signing the agreement creating DV Global Link, a joint venture between the Fiera and the Dubai World Trade Centre.

Considering the appreciation in the UAE of Italian jewellery, it was perhaps no surprise, then, that a new joint venture between Fiera di Vicenza and the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) was announced at the show. Called “DV Global Link,” this new company will organize, starting in April 2015, a mega jewellery international exhibition in Dubai dedicated to the region. “The agreement reached with DWTC is a decisive turning point in our Company’s internationalization strategy and defines a systemic union that is not just economically highly valuable, but also provides a cultural interconnection with a very prestigious partner,” commented Matteo Marzotto. “The inter-region strategic intermix of visions, strengths, and ambitions shall create a joint-venture jewellery event in Dubai that embodies friendship, creativity, knowledge, and globalization—the precise values that Dubai and DWTC have built their successes on,” stated His Excellency Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing.

Winners in the Next Jeneration Talent Contest were announced at the show: (left to right) Corrado Facco, Matteo Marzotto, Annarita Cavaglia (Second Prize), Maria Celeste Sangermani (First Prize), Alessandra Del Nero (Third Prize), Professor Alba Cappellieri, and Gijs Bakker.

Trendvision and VO+

Trendvision Jewellery + Forecasting Inspirations 2015+ was also present with a display located inside the Origin Passion and Beliefs show and two seminars. Created by the Fiera di Vicenza, Trendvision specializes in decoding consumer habits with a focus on trends in the jewellery, diamond, and watch sectors. The forecasting entity has identified six macro trend areas: “Essentialist,” inspired by geometrical motifs and minimalist forms; “Exoticist,” with its multicultural, luxury, and eclectic feel; “Romantic,” where the look is ethereal, enriched with dark tones; “Digitalist.” with an ultramodern, futuristic style; “Ancient Gold,” where the design is traditional yet innovative, enhanced by oriental features, and finally, “Interlocking,” which looks to capitalize on a rediscovered essential nature, through the concept of minimalist, modest, and authentic luxury. “While ‘collector’ jewellery doesn’t undergo sudden or seasonal changes, the rules are different for accessory jewellery, which has been around for some ten years, thanks to the arrival of fashion brands in the gold and hybrid jewellery industries,” says Trendvision Director and forecaster, Paola De Luca.

To celebrate Vioro’s 30th anniversary, a special display of covers was featured at VicenzaOro Spring.

A very special anniversary was had during the fair. Vioro, the magazine published by the Fiera di Vicenza for the jewellery and luxury goods sector, celebrated its 30th anniversary with a name change—VO+, to symbolize its new look, new concepts, and exclusive style. “‘VO’ is the nickname that leading figures in the jewellery community have always used for Vioro, which is why we have decided to use it as the official name for the magazine, so that it will always be immediately recognizable,” noted Corrado Facco. “The ‘+’ sign has been added to show that the magazine is continuing to evolve, and it also adds a note of positive energy and dynamism to the publication, as well as referring to the exclusive status of some of the industry’s more historical publications.” Already an effective communications vehicle, VO+ has another new feature, the VO+ web platform, available as an app on Apple and Android. During the show, the thirty previous covers provided a colourful history of Vioro throughout the years.

Pearl ring in gold with diamonds in the “Jolie” collection by Italian brand Mayumi.

The next edition of VicenzaOro Fall will be held September 6 to 10, 2014.

www.vicenzaoro.com