Facing Reality at Vicenzaoro Winter
January 16, 12
(IDEX Online News) – Vicenzaoro Winter got off to a slow start over the weekend. Perhaps it is the continued uncertainty over the Euro zone, retailers being scared off by the rising price of materials or perhaps local buyers were affected by the cruise ship tragedy that is still ongoing off of the coast of Italy, but visitor numbers for the first few days have been below expectation.
 Jewelry by Adami & Martucci |
If the show’s brand is undergoing something of a transformation, some of the product offerings at the show are also evolving to reflect the new reality of a post-economic downturn world that is still unsure of its footing.
In the past, Vicenza has always been the gold show. Now exhibitors with silver product lines are displaying the fact proudly in their vitrines, no doubt in the hope of attracting buyers suffering from gold jewelry sticker shock.
Chimento has a silver collection, called “Stretch HD Silver” that incorporates silver with precious stones such as topaz, pearl, amethyst or citrine, while Giovanni Raspini’s entire product line of nature-inspired pieces, including pigs, frogs and turtles, are all rendered in sterling silver.
The use of innovative silver design seems to be a winning formula for Vicenza-based Adami & Martucci. Designer Alberto Luzzi specializes in silver mesh to create eye-catching products at an accessible price point. “People want big jewelry, but they also need it to be affordable,” said the company’s Henrik Michel. He said that although visitor numbers were down, especially over the September Vicenza show when people were stocking up for the holiday season, the company was very pleased with the amount of buyers it had seen so far.
Some designers have gotten around the price constraints of precious metals by doing away with them altogether. A growing number of companies are offering pieces strung not on gold, platinum or even silver chains, but on brightly colored material or leather straps. This direction was seen to great effect in the windows at The Fifth Season, the newly launched brand from Roberto Coin.
 Jewelry by The Fifth Element |
Vicenza-based One Karat Gold took the opportunity to launch its 1 karat gold alloy at the fair. Containing just 1 karat of gold (4.167 percent) the product’s creators are hoping that designers and manufacturers will licence the material to create their own collections.
In some ways, it makes a lot of sense. Designs have been getting smaller and thinner over the past few years, as designers seek ever more innovative ways to counter the escalating prices of gold. With a much cheaper 1 karat gold alloy, manufacturers – especially at the lower end of the market – could create large, exciting pieces, without breaking the bank. Whether it catches on with designers, and with the buying public, is another matter altogether.
Vicenzaoro Winter runs until January 19.