In my previous life, I must have been an Italian! I love all things Italian - Italian cars, Italian fashion, Italian food, and of course...Italian jewelry! So you can imagine my excitement at having the opportunity to return to Italy for VicenzaOro - my first trip back to Italy since September 2019, when the world was a very different place indeed!
While the focus of this blog post will be on the jewelry I discovered there, I would be remiss if I did not mention that the entire experience began with the white glove, personalized service received from IEG - Italian Exhibition Group - who took care of the travel details in such an efficient and seamless way, that it made traveling across the globe easy! Big thank you to Stephania, Emma, and the entire International Exhibition Group for being such warm and welcoming hosts!
Upon arrival, we were transferred to our hotels, where we had an evening to rest before the show opened the next day. Of course that never happened - being reunited with friends and fellow bloggers from all over the world was beyond exciting and joyous, and an impromptu celebratory dinner with Bebe (ChampagneGem), Barbara (Whatsonherwrist) and Claudia (High Jewelry Dream) was the perfect way to kick off the Italian experience.
We arrived at the show the following day, and fortunately the organizers had allowed for plenty of time to explore and discover, because there was just SO much to see! Here are a few of my highlights, it’s impossible to cover everything, but hopefully this gives a good overview.
1. Nanis
At the start of VicenzaOro 2019 we went in a factory tour to Nanis. Meeting this Italian jewelry brand, and learning about their handmade jewelry was eye opening for me. So it was with great pleasure that I was able to see them again this March, and see their latest creations. As always, their collection are designed to be personalized and expanded upon and - short necklaces that can have additional links added to make them long necklaces. Earrings that can have extra links added so that go from being hoops to long dangling earrings that gently touch your shoulders. There are
versions - to suit your own style - from their many collections. Head designer, Laura wants to offer women something that can make them express in a unique and special way, but above all in a personal way. And to do so she created jewels that are not only refined, but also incredibly versatile and light, so that they can follow and adapt to today’s sophisticated, dynamic, elegant women. I was so excited to learn that Nanis have just launched an online e-commerce site in the USA, bringing Italian stye and flair into our homes right here inn the US! More about this to come in a later blog.
What a joy it was to spend time once again with this talented designer, and to see what creative endeavors he has been up to in the past few years. And boy - are they creative! One item in particular caught my attention, and to me, it personifies everything about Alessio - original, unusual, beautiful, tasteful, and oh so creative! I reached out to master jeweler Alessio and asked him for some additional details about the DOLCE VITA ring. His response was so beautiful, so poetic and passionate that I have decided to quote him, rather than try to describe this masterpiece myself!
"We want our fans, clients and Friends of the media, to leave our booth with a smile or by looking the pictures and videos posted by the fabulous Tracey, TheDiamondsGirl, to create a network of smiles … to forget , at least for a little while, about the past years of pandemic and the unfortunate events of the Ukraine-Russian conflicts . Just a little distraction from the dramatic moments to celebrate different aspect of the Italian lifestyle . From art to architecture from food to cinema and music from fashion to fairy tales in the cordial atmosphere of our beautiful and cheerful country . Each door represents 8 localities of Italy ( Milan , Venice , Florence , Civita di Bagnoregio , Rome , Naples , Sardinia and Sicily islands ) . The number 8 is symbolic of the infinite and is also the perfect number in many cultures . Amongst the most visited touristic locations I decided to include also CIVITA DI BAGNOREGIO : a jewel of the Tuscia ( part of Umbria , south of Tuscany and north of Latium regions ) , to represent the simple, genuine and idyllic lifestyle of the many medieval villages disseminated around the country. This is a little personal touch as I bought a house many years back nearby the area and I picture something related to my place . Each door is engraved and enameled to disclose an iconic image related to the place I want to talk about , but the surprise has to be discovered yet …. As you pull the little bump , created by a micro diamond set on the door extremity , a miniature created by Persian Artist Arash Groyan appears with bright colors in all its beautiful and detailed image . But is not all : when you look below the miniature, in the inter space occupied by each of the closing doors , you will see another enameled subject which will bring smile to you ! For instance if you pull the door of Rome with the Coliseum and the ancient SPQR writing on it and indicating SENATUS PULUSQUE ROMANUS ( in the name of the people and the senatus of Rome … put in place already after 80 BCE In public documents and building inscriptions for civil works ) you will find a surprise . A nice plate of spaghetti carbonara on a white and red Checkerboard table cloth ! Yummy! And then when you look carefully u will also see an enameled red Vespa a bit of remember ( but in red ) of the fabulous movie with Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant : Roman Holidays!
Enjoy the ride and discover the many features of this little master ones which was created in over 20 pieces and 25 people in 6 months of hard work to bring a smile to your journey !!!! " Alessio Boschi
Below enjoy various images of the DOLCE VITA ring - you will see how i have opened several of the doors, revealing hidden images pertaining the particular Italian city in question.
You may not know this about me, but I am a huge fan of wearing evil eyes - The evil eye is a “Luck Charm” believed to “deflect evil eyes”… and thereby protects a person or an object against misfortune. The evil eye is a shield that guards against various forms of bad luck that is willed onto you or an object by others. I was therefore delighted to meet this talented and beautiful jeweler in The Design Room at Vicenza Oro this year. Growing up in the fashion epicenter, Milan, Italy, Netali often accompanied her father, one of the world’s most experienced gemologists, to his studio. This is where Nissim perfected her design skills and trained her eye for details and the art of gemology. Nissim has always held a strong love and understanding of the visual experience. Film, photography, visual arts in general are a significant influence in her work. Netali’s deep heritage and lifelong exposure to culture, fashion and travel most importantly fine jewelry, has resulted in a signature line filled with pieces that are equally chic and classic as well as whimsical and fun.
Every collection from Netali holds an innate sense of strength, power and spirituality. Netali’s connection to nature, love, and spirituality shine through with every handcrafted piece. Nissim’s gift is creating glamorous jewelry that is comfortable and versatile enough to be worn daily. This every day glamour is found in all of the collections. Her strong sense of aesthetics enables her to create pieces that can be worn alone, however the delicate lightweight design and hidden clasps, allow them to be easily layered. Each bracelet, ring, necklace or set of earrings is handcrafted in Italy using only flawless gemstones and the finest of materials. Nissim’s meticulous sense of detail and impeccable eye for quality ensures that each piece will last many years to come and become a beloved family heirloom.
This was a brand new brand discovery for me, and I fell in love with the jewelry and the people from this fabulous company! The company has multiple brands, all with a unique signature, but I truly fell in love with a collection from Falcinelli Italy - a company that was born in 1968 and immediately established itself as a jewelry maison of unique and contemporary taste. Fabrizio Falcinelli, son of the founders of the parent company, dedicated himself from the outset to designing and exploring new forms, true and proper architectures. In 2012 Falcinelli Italy became part of Gold Art Group.
The collection I adore is "Le Secret" a message of love. Each single object of this collection, holds a message, a thought, an inscription. For romantics and “never ending stories” lovers, for whom loving to wear products that enclose a meaning and a memory to cherish.
Mentions too must go to Palmiero, who once again dazzled with Carlo Palmiero's innovative designs, Picchiotti, whose Xpandable range never ceases to impress me, Peruffo Jewelry (another new discovery) whose "Guitar" choker in 18KT gold was like wearing silken, molten gold! The impressive list of exhibitors included many of my favorite jewelry brands, including Yoko London Pearls, Roberto Coin, Gogoglione, Gismondi, and MORE! It's impossible to list them all, but suffice is to say that I could have spent weeks at the show, and still not discovered all the treasures it had to offer.
The final evening was spent visiting the Gold Museum in Vicenza, which is always such a treat as they are so diligent in updating their exhibitions that its always a new and exiting experience to discover what they have on show. This year had an incredible combination of historical important pieces, combined with modern Italian pieces. The crown featured below was simply spectacular- what a masterpiece! Afterwards, cocktails were served, and we bid one another farewell…only
to begin counting the days until we can all be back again #AllAtOnce experiencing the wonders of VICENZAORO!
