Italian jewelry Archives

VOICE: Italian jewelry returns with Vicenzaoro International Community Event.

September 4, 2020

The past year has brought challenges to so many of us, but one of the silver linings for me has been watching my beloved jewelry industry adapt to 2020 with strength and creativity. The upcoming VOICE: Vicenzaoro International Community Event is the perfect example. After a difficult year, the vibrant jewelry industry in Italy is bursting back onto the international scene in a blaze of glory.

A cutting edge multimedia event, VOICE really is the perfect metaphor for The Extraordinary Italian Jewelry industry itself: a mix of tradition and innovation, taking the best of the past and blending it with the most advanced technology of the present to bring inspiration, beauty, and thriving business into the future! VOICE is organized by the Italian Exhibition Group and it marks a true turning point in the resurgence of the Italian jewelry industry after the tumult of early 2020.

Scheduled for September 12-14, the VOICE event will take place at the same time of year as the traditional fall VicenzaOro jewelry show. VOICE will have an in-person component that offers many of the same advantages as the traditional VicenzaOro show, but VOICE takes things to the next level with sophisticated digital systems that will both transmit the event’s talks and seminars to a live international audience and allow long-distance participation through digital meetings.

VOICE will unite community leaders from the jewelry industry, both in Italy and around the world, to create new opportunities to connect with national and international business partners after many months of lockdown. As the prestigious Italian jewelry sector relaunches, VOICE will provide the perfect opportunity to forge new connections, discover the latest innovations and technologies, and discover new trends. The Extraordinary Italian Jewelry lives on!

A “Buyer’s Virtual Room” will serve as the meeting place for those attendees who aren’t able to travel to Italy at this time, allowing those of us in travel-restricted locations to be a part of the VOICE experience. It’s an opportunity for connection across the entire global jewelry industry.

Making friends at the Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza, Italy.

Me exploring the Teatro Olimpico during my last trip to Vicenza, Italy.

Besides all of the communication-related innovation, VOICE will also offer the core of what we have all learned to expect and appreciate from the Italian Exhibition Group’s events: extraordinary Italian jewelry! VOICE is also a product showroom that will present new collections, the hottest design trends, and the most advanced manufacturing developments of the leading companies in the industry.

I’m sad that I can’t visit Italy in person this year, but I’m so excited to see this brand new event unfold. I’m looking forward to the jewelry, obviously, but I’m also very excited about all of the talks and educational seminars that will be transmitted live during the VOICE event. Topics range from technology to sustainability to trend forecasting and more! I won’t list them all here, but you can see specifics on the VOICE event website.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Italy a few times for the Vicenzaoro show in the past and it’s always been a spectacular experience, packed with culture, warmth, prosecco and, of course, Extraordinary Italian Jewelry! (Click here to see my past Vicenzaoro adventures.) I’m so excited to see the evolution of this long-standing jewelry industry tradition and I can’t wait to experience what VOICE has to offer!

For more information, please visit the VOICE website here. It’s just around the corner on September 12-14, so don’t wait!

This sponsored post is brought to you by the Italian Trade Agency.

The Italian Pavilion at JIS Miami: behind the scenes!

November 16, 2018

It’s well established by this point that I adore Italian jewelry – the passion and creativity are unparalleled, and the country’s rich history of jewelry production means that Italian jewelers have centuries of skilled craftsmanship at their disposal to bring those inspired visions to life. So when the Italian Trade Agency invited me to join them at the Italian Pavilion at JIS Miami, I jumped at the chance to bring you more coverage of The Extraordinary Italian jewelry!

JIS Miami is the second-largest jewelry trade show in the Western hemisphere, after JCK Las Vegas, and the Italian Pavilion is that show’s mini Italian jewelry embassy; a vibrant collection of 30+ remarkable Italian brands and one hidden espresso machine.

Enough talk – let’s look at the The Extraordinary Italian Jewelry.

These rings were the first design I was drawn to at the Italian Pavilion, and I’m still fascinated by them. The brand is called Spartan Ring and, as you might have guessed, the design is inspired by the ancient Greek warriors of Sparta.

The jewels are unisex, in recognition of the warrior spirit that lives inside all of us, regardless of gender. Each ring is designed in the shape of a warrior’s helmet, carefully curved to fit comfortably on the finger. They are just so creative and so well executed!

My favorite element is the reverse-set diamonds and sapphires on the cheeks of the all gem rings. Such a bold and fierce look! Also it’s worth mentioning that the all metal rings (which are perfect as an everyday reminder of one’s inner strength) are pretty affordable for such well-made jewelry.

Speaking of bold and beautiful – I am so excited to have had another chance to see Amlè’s charismatic designs. I met this brand at JCK Las Vegas, but their booth was mobbed and I didn’t have a chance to really get up in there.

At the Italian Pavilion during JIS Miami, I made a point of visiting Amlè early in the morning so that there would be less competition! These pieces – the star tiara and glorious pearl statement earrings – were my favorites of the brand’s new fall collection. I always enjoy a tiara, but these earrings are the real star of the show.

I want to make sure to point out that Amlè makes costume jewelry: these beauties are high quality material, but they’re not real pearls or solid gold. So you get all this look without emptying your bank account.

This beautiful necklace from Carada remains one of my favorite pieces from the Italian Pavilion at JIS Miami.

Carada does something very unique: they specialize in creating custom settings for both new and vintage cameos. They make beaded frames, necklaces, earrings – you name it. The cameo is affixed to a backing of leather and then the beadwork is hand knotted around the mounted cameo, either in a halo to frame the cameo or sometimes to form a whole chain, like with this piece!

This killer bracelet is from another brand that makes luxury costume jewelry: Graziella. It’s still very high quality – think more affordable stones and gold plated metal – but it’s a price point that’s accessible to more consumers.

This piece is a perfect example of something I love about The Extraordinary Italian Jewelry: these designers offer beauty that spans all price points. You don’t have to be rich to enjoy adorning yourself with gorgeous jewelry.

The jewels of VicenzaOro 2018.

October 2, 2018

I’ve been lucky enough to have many jewelry adventures since starting Diamonds in the Library, but VicenzaOro remains one of my very favorites.

Located in Vicenza, Italy – a city at the center of the country’s vibrant jewelry industry – VicenzaOro is an event of great importance in Italian, European, and even global jewelry markets. It’s absolutely huge and offers a staggering variety of finished jewelry, as well as loose gemstones, components, and more.

The finished jewelry is obviously my favorite part of the show, but I love the whole experience together: it thrills my imagination to be able to walk from Hall 7, filled with looming, lavish booths from mammoth brands like Roberto Coin and Pasquale Bruni to the GlamRoom, where up and coming designers show their wares (sometimes for the very first time) on arrangements of small tables.

I only had two days on the show floor this year, but that was enough time to see quite a range of jewelry: both exciting pieces by completely new-to-me designers and new stunners from old favorites.

Shall we take a look?

Let’s kick things off with some fireworks!

These glorious cocktail rings are by Vendorafa, an Italian brand famous for its richly textured gold. These babies feature Vendorafa’s iconic goldwork in a an irresistibly fun and joyful way. If you look closely at the orbs without stones on the yellow gold ring, you’ll that see the metal isn’t smooth. These details help every surface of the ring catch the light in a spectacular way, stones or no stones.

Vendorafa is a well established brand, but I’d never had an opportunity to meet them before. Now I have a very severe craving to own one of their glorious gold bangles. (I loved the rings, but the bangles took my heart.)

Here I am with visionary jewelry designer Alessio Boschi! As if you’re paying any attention to the humans in these pictures when that jaw-dropping SHARK brooch is visible.

Can you even with that piece?? I firmly believe that every man should have a bejeweled shoulder pet as fine as this one. For the record, he was not just modeling it for me: he wore it all day, because Alessio Boschi is just that cool. He makes masterpieces and then rocks them himself.

In addition to being a jewelry genius and very dapper gentleman, Alessio Boschi is also a delightful person. It was so lovely seeing you at VicenzaOro, Alessio! Thanks again for letting me take so many pictures of your shoulder.

Here’s another jewel by Alessio Boschi.

This gorgeous bracelet was inspired by the architecture of the Italian city of Florence. This whole collection – as well as a similar one inspired by Milan – is utterly beautiful. In the background, you can see the designer’s original designs and calculations.

Oh hello, magnificent amethyst cabochon! As if this stone weren’t enough, it’s set in a beautiful blooming halo of delicate, textured goldwork set with bright diamonds.

This killer piece is one of the showstoppers from Roberto Coin‘s Roman Barocco collection, which (as you might have guessed) is the same collection that brought us the magnificent pen I showed you up above. The irresistible goldwork and use of cabochons are both hallmarks of the collection, which ranges from a few killer pieces like this ring to extremely wearable and majorly beautiful smaller pieces.Read More

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