Vicenzaoro January is taking place from 19-23 January at the Vicenza Expo Centre. The fair was established in 1954. Seven special exhibitions have been constructed for this year’s fair, detailing the history and heritage of the event across seven decades. Luxury jewellery, diamonds and gemstones, services, visual merchandise and packaging, and emerging technology will also be showcased.

Organised by the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), this year’s show is expected to feature more than 1300 exhibitors from more than 35 countries. Visitors from more than 130 countries are expected to participate. “The 70th-anniversary celebrations extend throughout the year, featuring exhibitions, a celebratory logo, and online content accessible to the community,” a statement from IEG reads. “The success of Vicenzaoro reflects its ability to adapt, evolve, and anticipate industry trends, thanks to the support of companies, customers, buyers, institutions, associations, and media.” Organisers declared last year’s January show to be an overwhelming success, attracting a reported record level of visitors following the interruption of the global COVID pandemic.

Two exceptional mentors, Alessia Crivelli and Alessio Boschi, for the new “The8” project; the opinions of IED students from Rome and Turin; the competition organised by Labigem in 2023; training opportunities on the Vioff calendar with two events also in the city centre: Vicenzaoro will offer initiatives to link training and industry, with the mission of finding and providing an international showcase for new jewellery talents.

“The 8”, two mentors for four emerging designers

Two mentors, Alessia Crivelli and Alessio Boschi, for four young emerging designers who will exhibit in the Design Room (Hall 7). This is the project that Vicenzaoro has called "The 8". A patronage and jewellery design regeneration project to link education and the jewellery industry, created by IEG together with the managing director of Valenza brand Crivelli and president of the "Intelligent Hands" foundation, and the jewellery designer, founder and creative director of the eponymous Thailand-based brand. Igor Quagliata, 26, a graduate from the IED in Rome, composes coloured titanium surfaces that, between solids and voids, embrace precious stones and contrasting gold combinations for modern, genderless jewellery with a contemporary look. After the master's course in jewellery design in Arezzo, Iranian Roshanak Payrovi delved into the micro-mosaic technique with Roman artist Roberto Grieco, making it her signature style in jewellery. Antonia Ascolillo, 24, a student at the IED in Rome experiments with textures and metallic coatings on round organic surfaces. Juan Sebastian Plah Galindo Galindo, a 22-year-old Colombian with roots now in Milan and winner of Digital Jewellery Week (an event in the metaverse reserved for under-35 designers and promoted, among others, by Vicenzaoro), translates the movement of dance into the shapes, colours and various elements of his beloved Cartagena de Indias. As of this edition of Vicenzaoro January, every year “The8” will involve all the professional schools, universities or Jewellery Design master courses, which put forward their most talented students. The projects chosen will be communicated at the September edition of IEG’s Show to start the process of sponsoring and promoting the selected participants.

Tomorrow's trends through the eyes of IED students in Rome and Turin

Trends seen through the eyes of those who are getting ready to create them. Jewellery of the Future is an interdisciplinary research observatory organised by third year jewellery design students at IED Rome, coordinated by Barbara Brocchi with the collaboration of Alessia Crivelli. Rather than commissioning a jewellery collection, the organisers chose to focus on telling the students' point of view through art, architecture, culture, AI and contemporary technology, allowing their personal vision of the future of jewellery to emerge. Started last year, the project will continue until Vicenzaoro September 2024.

Sixth edition for Inspiration Boards, the training project directed by Laura Inghirami, involving students enrolled on the Jewellery Design course at IED Turin to research new trends among the halls of Vicenzaoro, who will have a dedicated page on the VO website as well as an Instagram profile (@vo.inspiration).

Measuring up against myth, the “Pharaoh's Jewel” Award Ceremony

Last year, Labigem, Italian Gemmology Laboratory, launched a competition aimed at the under-35 age group, asking students from more than 25 institutions to draw inspiration from Tutankhamun's treasure to mark the centenary of the discovery of his tomb. Of the 125 entries, eight were selected. Labigem, with the patronage of institutional partners such as the Jewellery Museum in Vicenza and Museo Egizio in Turin, will award the winners on Monday 22nd January in the Educational Hub (Hall 8) at Vicenzaoro.

Training and schools in the city with VIOFF: Vicenzaoro’s “Off Show”

Talks and design competitions, training young people will also be carried out during the town’s events on the calendar of VIOFF, Vicenzaoro’s “off show”. Two appointments will be aimed at young people: firstly, the morning of 19th January will see the Golden Talk (9 am in Teatro San Marco, Contrà S. Francesco, 76), for first and second grade high schools in Vicenza area, featuring representatives from national jewellery companies. Secondly, the Progold 3D Design Contest held in Vicenza’s historic centre: an open-air exhibition with free-standing totems depicting ten selected jewellery sketches produced by students from leading national and international design institutes. The totems will have a QR CODE so that visitors can vote for their favourite jewel, which will be awarded on Sunday 21st at the Show.

In the Palladian Basilica, the Jewellery Museum will host a number of VIOFF initiatives during the days of the show and, for the entire year, will be an open stronghold to bring the public closer to the goldsmith art with particular attention on younger generations, thanks to its "Italian Jewellery" exhibition and workshop programme for families.

“Mauro Baschirotto Award" competition for scientific research

About a hundred youngsters will be visiting Vicenzaoro on Monday 22nd for the design competition promoted by Vicenza-based NPO, the "Mauro Baschirotto" Rare Diseases Association, which, for more than a decade, has been rewarding international researchers with a ring inspired by DNA’s double helix. Award ceremony at Vicenzaoro on Monday morning.