New Trends in Jewelry Emerge as Vicenza Show Opens Sunday

Buyers used Sunday, the show's first full day, to scope out what companies had to offer

The VicenzaOro First jewelry show opened this weekend with the sense that global market for luxury goods and jewelry was awakening once more. After a quiet first day on Saturday, crowds began to flow in on Sunday, expressing interest in the offerings.

A wide variety of styles and price ranges could be found in the exhibitors’ display cases. High-end companies such as Damiani and Roberto Coin entertained long lines of visitors from their booths beside small companies with modest stands exhibiting unique designs. The show is featuring 1,548 exhibitors, the majority of them Italian firms, with 428 coming from 32 countries around the world, including China, Thailand, India and Turkey.

The styles, as always at the January addition of this show, are forward-looking, setting the tone for the rest of the year.

A number of style elements could immediately be discerned. Large, hollow, electro-form components are widespread as pendants, charms, whole bracelets or links in necklaces. This is a reaction to the high cost of gold and an attempt to prevent price points from jumping. Yet, there are bigger and bolder components than previously seen.

Etched and worked surfaces are another trend. These take the form of textured surfaces that go beyond the brushed surfaces to include deep grooves in either a symmetrical or more random fashion, such as scratched enamel surfaces and layered outlines of flowers and butterflies.

Elastic link bracelets, rings and necklaces that stretch were created by many designers.

Oversized earrings - long, wide, flat and worked or three-dimensional - is another distinct trend, as is the use of rose gold. Some structural items, another way to create large three-dimensional items, as well as the use of fabric were seen in several booths.

In what is clearly a reaction to the economic situation, two additional style elements have emerged, worked surfaces that create the illusion of being set with diamonds and a certain return to classical designs that would keep the items fashionable for several years.

After their initial round of seeing and comparing items, buyers are expected to start placing orders, each according to their clientele, styles and budgets. The coming days will indicate whether the industry believes that its on its way out of the 2009 rut, or hesitating on the brink of a wide recovery.