rom 24 to 26 October 2025, Rome once again became the international jewellery capital with the fifth edition of Roma Jewelry Week (RJW). The event was held in the evocative setting of the Corsie Sistine within the Monumental Complex of Santo Spirito in Sassia, a Renaissance site of great historical and artistic value. Now a benchmark fixture for contemporary and designer jewellery, this occasion was inspired by the theme Gaudium (the Latin word for joy) chosen in dialogue with the 2025 Jubilee. This refers not to fleeting cheerfulness, but rather a quest for deep joy rooted in spiritual well-being and capable of illuminating an era marked by conflict and uncertainty.

The show featured a packed schedule of exhibitions, workshops, talks and performances involving master goldsmiths and jewellery designers, along with academies and galleries from Italy and beyond. The main highlights included the inaugural exhibition in September with goldsmithing schools; an illustration competition organised with Temple University Rome; the “State of the Art - Culture of Jewellery” lecture at WeGil; as well as a 35th anniversary celebration of Le Sibille, a historic Roman company specialising in micro-mosaics.

Monica Cecchini, creator of RJW

The heart of the event was the central exhibition at the Corsie Sistine, bringing together creations by international players in the sector and works competing for the Incinque Jewels Prize. Now in its sixth edition, the latter is dedicated to research, innovation and dialogue between art, philosophy, religion and contemporary life. The Jewels for Freedom project, Domitilla Funghini’s Sottrazioni fashion show and various talks were also on the agenda.

Promoted by the Incinque Open Art Monti cultural association and directed by architect Monica Cecchini, creator of RJW, the event stands out for its ability to combine goldsmithing tradition with experimentation and cultural reflection, reinforced by new synergies with Italian and international educational and creative institutions.

We spoke with Monica Cecchini about the vision behind this edition, the value of jewellery as an artistic and social language, as well as future prospects for Roma Jewelry Week.

Europa Star Jewellery: What are the highlights of your career to date?

Monica Cecchini: My passion for art and creativity began in childhood. After studying at a scientific high school and graduating in architecture from La Sapienza University, I freelanced in interior design and technical consulting. At the same time, I started organising cultural events and guided tours in the Monti district, as well as curating exhibitions in a gallery which I subsequently managed independently. This is where the journey that led me to Roma Jewelry Week began.

Alessio Boschi, Golestan Palace collection

How did the idea for RJW come about?

From my gallery, Incinque Open Art Monti. In 2018, I met Emanuele Leonardi and his “narrative jewellery”. This encounter resulted in the creation of the Incinque Jewels Award in 2019, featuring 30 participants from all over Italy. Its success in turn led to the creation of Roma Jewelry Week, with the aim of promoting jewellery culture, not from a commercial point of view, but instead from a genuinely cultural one. Studying the sector and building a network of professionals has enabled me to develop this project, now in its fifth edition.

What is the thread that connects the selected artists?

Each edition revolves around a specific theme reflecting cultural shifts of the moment. The selection is not based solely on style or technique, but above all on the depth of thought and on the narrative capacity of the jewellery creations that become stories and fragments of culture.

Arata Fuchi, This Conveniently Incomplete World ring

The theme for 2025 is “Gaudium - The Jubilee Jewel”. How has it been interpreted?

We invited artists and schools from all over the world – from Mexico to Korea and from China to Romania – to express the concept of Gaudium, understood as a deep and lasting joy, rooted in philosophy, spirituality and human relationships. Coming at a difficult moment in history, the Jubilee provided the ideal context for reflecting on this dimension, transforming jewellery into a tangible symbol of hope and beauty.

Jewellery by Chiara Fenicia

What was the profile of the artists involved and what were their expectations?

The main stakeholders were master goldsmiths, designers and students, whose works combine tradition and innovation – often with a focus on sustainability and experimentation. RJW is exclusively a cultural event that has stimulated international exchanges and comparisons. Some of the talents to have emerged from RJW include Matteo Vitali, François Santo and Luigina Rech for fine jewellery, Arata Fuchi, Livia D’Agostino and Anna Paparella for experimental jewellery.

What new features characterised the 2025 edition?

The Jewels for Freedom project against gender-based violence starring jewellery by Elina Chauvet and Alessio Boschi; the collaboration with the Nobil Collegio and the Università degli Orefici exhibiting historical pieces, including creations by Valadier; as well as new synergies with local organisations such as Federpreziosi Roma. The event has confirmed its status not only as a platform for creativity and innovation, but also as an opportunity to share and promote cultural identity.

Arata Fuchi, Aspect brooch

Gaudium through artists’ eyes

The Gaudium theme found personal and intense interpretations in the works of three artists who participated in RJW 2025.

Angela Gentile, has been a gold artist since 1987. She transformed her experience in classic jewellery into a research journey into contemporary jewellery sculpture. Awarded the I Daverio prize and presented in the DiVento exhibition, her creations speak of light and memory, of joy flowing from a dialogue between fragility and strength.

Arata Fuchi draws inspiration from the vitality of Nature and the beauty of spontaneous shapes. His reinterpretation of the ancient Korean craft of Keum-Boo, enriched by his own “pulverisation” technique, generates granular surfaces that transform the material into tactile and luminous vibrations. Here, joy is an unstable harmony between opposites, a sensory experience combining geometry and organicity.

Alessio Boschi, Jubilee ring

Chiara Fenicia takes rusted metal pieces found on the street and puts them at the heart of jewellery that retains the traces of time while being reborn in a new form. Her work, which she has already shown in London and at RJW as part of the Jewels for Freedom project, expresses Gaudium as resilience: beauty that regenerates itself from decay; light that re-emerges in forgotten matter.

Three different paths that demonstrate how joy can be translated into multiple aesthetic languages, capable of uniting memory, Nature and transformation in a common vision.