January’s Vicenzaoro breaks its sparkling record – our post-fair report

For the jewelry industry, the year doesn’t start on the 1^st of January but with Vicenzaoro. Winter VO editions are filled to the brim with dazzling premiers – the most prestigious jewelry makers, creative brands and hot “newcomers” gather to showcase their newest collections. Here, you can see and, more importantly, TRY ON the bling that jewelry lovers around the world will be obsessing over the rest of the year.

What better way to spend your birthday (yes, yes, I celebrated yet another 18^th b-day in Italy ;)) than surrounded by stunning jewelry and wonderful colleagues, under the brilliant Italian sun on a winter day. Although I always expect these fairs to amaze me, this edition of VO simply blew me away! While you know I’m more into carats than statics, let’s take a look at the record-breaking numbers the event has noted this year: a +11,5% increase in turnout (beating the previous already extremely successful editions), with guests from 136 countries. And I’ve just double-checked, there are 195 countries, which means nearly all of the world was in attendance at Vicenza. Isn’t that impressive? Imagine, dear jewelry lover, a venue the size of a small shopping mall with nothing else but jewelry …  Seeing as 1300 brands displayed their creations at Vicenzaoro, I think it’s a fitting analogy!

 

The WOW factor

 

I’ll now round out these numbers with a couple insider observations. During the pandemic the VO organizers proposed a new fair arrangement with a unified booth look: smaller stands, salmon-pink carpeting. In a time when many companies were struggling with market uncertainty and budgetary constraints, this was a much-welcome solution which decreased the cost of presenting at the fair. It was an unprecedented move by the Golden Team, led by Marco Carniello, demonstrating a great sensitivity to the industry’s needs. The time has come, however, to throw caution to the wind. #VOJ2023 was a lavish affair and the booths, particularly in the premium brand section, looked just like the luxury boutiques of Milan or Venice.

 

With such a grand scale of the event, it probably won’t surprise you, dear reader, to learn that we had our hands full! It was our most intensive visit to Vicenzaoro yet. The press program was bursting at the seams: premiers of new collections in the brands’ section (there were 12 listed in our press agenda!), VO Vintage, discussion panels, and countless other smaller additional events. So, armed with a phone and camera, we set out to document as much as we could for you, dear fellow jewelry lover. And, as we do our job well, our efforts have once again been recognized by VO’s PR team and we had the honor to share the fair not just on our BLINGSIS channel but also on @vicenzaoro’s, as part of a 24-hour Instagram takeover.

 

 

 

An image worth a thousand words 

 

… if you’re impatiently awaiting to read about the dazzling pieces I’ve seen in Vicenza, then all I can say is: there are simply to words for such radiance! Hence, for this part of my report I’ll turn to images, because how can I possibly describe the brilliant play of light in the 35-carat yellow diamond mounted on a ring from Schreiner? What adjectives could I use to adequately express the phenomenal gradients from the brand new Trafiori collection by Palmiero? How to convey the beauty and emotions which accompany you when you admire and touch the masterful creations from atelier Fabergé? Vicenzaoro is a jewelry lover’s paradise, therefore allow me, fellow aficionado, to take you on a visual journey. At @blingsiscom you will find fabulous reels and countless carousel posts with our snapshots from Vicenzaoro.

 

Awe, admiration and … great gratitude. Those are my takeaways from Vicenzaoro January 2023. A heartfelt thank you to the #GoldenTeam and their leader VO CEO Marco Carnellio for the opportunity of being part of this amazing community and contributing, even if just a little, to the event which sets the tone for the rest of the jewelry industry’s year. Grazie, brava and see you in September at the next Vicenzaoro!