VICENZAORO & 2018 JEWELLERY TRENDS
So sorry for keeping you all waiting so long for my jewellery discoveries at VICENZAORO in Italy this year. As always it was an exciting, fashion-forward jewellery fair, organised by Fiera di Vicenza who does a fabulous job of putting Italy on the jewellery map. I managed to sandwich this trip to see VICENZAORO in between my trip to Paris for the Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery exhibit and my visit to Brazil and the mesmerising waterfall and breathtaking glacier in Argentina.
One of the things I love about VICENZAORO is that it recognizes and promotes Italy as a leader in the “capital of jewels.” It saddens me to say it, but the Made in Italy label has lost some of its status in the eyes of the jewellery lovers and regrettably, Italy is no longer the first place people turn to when they’re in search of fine jewels. Thanks to Fiera di Vicenza, however, that myth holds no credibility as you will soon see from my discoveries. Jewellery from four areas of Italy are represented at VICENZAORO: Arezzo, Vicenza, Valenza and Campania.
After a short drive from Venice’s Marco Polo airport, I arrived at VICENZAORO with a full agenda of seminars, jewellery events, and a trip to the jewellery museum in Vicenza that just recently opened. If that wasn’t enough, all the guests were offered a beautifully presented book of jewellery trends called TRENDBOOK 2018+ that looks at the next 18 months and the future of jewellery, watches and diamond trends. A result of Fiera di Vicenza’s think tank – TRENDVISION Jewellery+Forecasting – it forecasts fashions that will influence the design, production and distribution of jewellery from 2018 onwards and predicts four distinct Mega Trends that will influence the next generation in jewellery design: Sustainable Harmony, Preserving our Heritage, Searching for Poetry, and Futurama.
SHOP THE LOOK:
Take a look and let me know what you think in the comments below:
SUSTAINABLE HARMONY
Identifies the jewellery consumer as a Digital Modernist in love with technology and a healthy lifestyle, who believes in a sustainable future. With a “less is more” sense of style, the Digital Modernist’s idea of Haute Design is wearable art fashioned in laser-cut geometric patterns, hi-tech materials, enamelled surfaces, coloured inlays, all together creating with new visual codes. When it comes to diamonds, it’s slim chains and hanging diamonds with a hint of 1970s charm.
PRESERVING OUR HERITAGE
This trend remains fiercely loyal to the historical context and symbolic heritage of jewellery. A playful jewellery consumer called the Custodian who likes to frequent local markets and online jewellery depots in search of anything with Gothic and Renaissance characteristics. Crosses, amulets, talismans, lucky numbers, all these esoteric elements of the fairytale soothe the soul of the Custodian.
SEARCHING FOR POETRY
Known as the New Globalist, this jewellery consumer falls into the class of modern hippie meets digital boho – someone who likes to travel the world in search of handmade jewellery created with the support of 3D printers, laser cuttings, digital printing, engravings and photography. An eclectic, exotic mixture of extravagant styles and patterns with echoes of the 70s and 80s and rich, allegorical and floral motifs from ancient cultures.
FUTURAMA
Where technology, fantasy and introspection merge, the Retro-Futurist is all about cyber glamour, electric colours and pixelated effects using nano-ceramics and PVD coating, laser and 3D printers. An element of the mechanical housed in a sporty style known as Athleisure+Couture-Fitness.
At VICENZAORO – so happy to see so many animal-inspired jewellery pieces, as well as hot enamelling and innovative jewellery and I am so excited to share my picks with you. From 1,300 brands from the Italian gold districts of Vicenza, Valenza, Arezzo, Milan, Naples, and Caserta, plus 35 other countries, I have narrowed it down to just seven must-see jewellery designers.
Let me know which one you like the best in the comments below.
1 SANTAGOSTINO JEWELLERY
The surreal beauty of Nature is crystalised in the jewellery of Santagostino. Such precious creations, you can almost smell the scent of strawberries and taste the candy sweet fairytale land that jewellery designer Ilenia Corti has injected into her pieces. Following in her parents footsteps, who founded the company in 1969, Ilene fuses precious and semi-precious stones woven together with elaborate golden threads, dotted bases and tiny settings, and often as many as 20 different gemstones, all a different cut. The result is an enchanted forest that will fascinate you.
I am so into enamelling right now! I have seen some beautiful designs here in Italy, like Santagostino, as well as in London when I met with Russian jeweller Ilgiz Fazulzyanov who specialises in enamel work and sees the gems as icing on the cake! You can read the full interview with Ilgiz Fazulzyanov on GEMOLOGUE. I can’t wait to try my hand at enamelling. Perhaps the next time I’m in India, I’ll give it a try.
There’s something quintessential about the clean lines of Italian modern design that I am so very fond of. Whether it’s jewellery, fashion, architecture, or interior design, there’s something so refreshing about this style.
Otto Jewels, a family run business, has captured this style in a line of limited edition unisex rings in rhodium plated and brushed rose gold. It’s a unique take on the classic diamond with a touch of colour to offset the sparkle. You know I can’t resist heart-shaped diamonds and these beauties are handmade and 100% made in Italy. Based on a philosophy of “slow jewellery,” Otto Jewels houses an energy and passion and I’d love to see these pieces outside of Italy.
This is the same Italian jewellery powerhouse where I discovered another of my favourites – art-inspired jewellery – and the Four Seasons of Giuseppe Arcimboldo.
The Mattioli brand got its start back in 1995 when they acquired the oldest and most esteemed goldsmithing house in Torino, along with the oldest trademark in Italian jewellery history – 1 TO. With Licia Mattioli at the helm, the brand’s name has long since established an association with the most famous and masterful goldsmithing tradition of Torino, and continues to support the local community and the world’s jewellery industry.
Original in style, Mattioli jewellery is classic yet modern, an interpretation of contemporary luxury that will one day find a place in my jewellery box. I was instantly drawn to these rings and was taken by their likeness to a beautiful fireworks display, coming alive in a flash of light and colour with variegated pavé, sparks of morganite and tourmaline, suspended in the darkness of black diamonds.
Which one’s your favourite? Let me know in the comments below.
SHOP MATTIOLI JEWELLERY ONLINE:
Roberto Coin came to the world of jewellery design after a successful career managing hotels. In 1996 he gave it all up to pursue his dream of launching his own jewellery company, inspired by his love for art and fashion, and he’s been designing jewellery ever since. His collection embraces a number of different styles, all with a hint of elegant romanticism that hovers between the traditional and innovative designs. This particular piece –Arabian Horse bracelet in rose gold with diamonds and onyx from the Unique and Limited Edition collection particularly caught my eye. Beautiful, wearable, classic yet modern.
Wherever I go, I find myself drawn to the allure of these beautiful jewellery animals. From Van Cleef & Arpels L’Arche de Noé High Jewellery Collection to Ilgiz Fazulzyanov’s nature-inspired enamelled pieces, I just can’t get enough!
In anticipation of my trip to Brazil, these striking earrings with paraiba tourmaline and rubelite captured my heart. When I last encountered Paolo Piovan Gioielli jewellery, it was last year during my trip to Bahrain and Jewellery Arabia, hosted by the lovely Azza Fine Jewellery. Paolo Piovan Gioielli is a family run jewellery business with more than 40 years experience in creating exclusive and sophisticated pieces of jewellery.
Founder Giuseppe Picchiotti opened the doors to the very first atelier in 1967 in Valenza, an ancient Italian village known for jewellery-making. With a reputation for creating classical jewellery with a twist and an extraordinary use of colour, the entire Picchiotti collection is made in-house in the company’s atelier.
I was taken by this sapphire ring from the Picchiotti XPANDABLE™ collection, a revolutionary new line of diamond and gemstone jewellery that uses innovative and invisible technology to expand and contract, solving a myriad of comfort challenges. A dream come true! Now I can travel and not worry if my ring will fall off or become too tight in humid weather!
To spice up my selection – let me present an Italian brand with a headquarter in Istanbul as I could not resist the butterflies. The jewellery passion of Kamar family started at 1948 and continues for 3 generations. This jewellery brand offers daring and creative approach through extraordinary collections introduced me into fascinating and magic world of gold, diamond and enamel.
The Roberto Bravo collection perfects the art of fire enamel, which creates a shimmering effect and makes the colourful pieces glow with life. Fire enamel is applied in many layers and then fired. A long process that requires a lot of patience to produce these extraordinary pieces. I love the bright, colourful finish and look forward to visiting the Roberto Bravo workshop in Turkey.
It was a pleasure discovering the world of Italian jewellery and I am looking forward to attending VICENZAORO Dubai, which will be held in the United Arab Emirates on November 15-18, 2017.
Thanks for stopping by!Leave me a message in the comments below.
I am extremely happy to announce that my new jewelry book – GEMOLOGUE: Street Jewellery Styles & Styling Tips – is now on Amazon. I’m so excited. It’s the first book of its kind solely dedicated to jewellery.
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GEMOLOGUE jewelry blog by Liza Urla is a celebration of fine, fashion and vintage jewellery featuring talented jewellery designers, trendy urban street style, exclusive interviews and rare jewellery reviews. This jewellery blog’s goal is to encourage and educate about jewellery online in a fresh and original fashion to inspire women and men across the globe in a fashion and travelling context.
Jewellery blogger, writer Liza Urla, the founder of GEMOLOGUE, is a London-based and NYC-educated gemologist, who has travelled to and lived in many countries. She is now one of the most influential digital jewellery tastemakers. Her jewellery influence has been acknowledged by Financial Times, The New York Times, Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
*Styling and Art Direction by Liza Urla. Graphic Design by Anastasia Zanadvorova.All photos belong to GEM Kreatives for GEMOLOGUE.
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