Vicenzaoro January opens, and closes, the calendar of events with a double look at the future. It opens with five hundred young people from “Generation Z” at the show so that they can discover the opportunities and beauty of the jewellery manufacturing world, and closes with an overview of the three paradigms of the future, uniqueness, sustainability and inclusiveness, outlined by sociologist and essayist Francesco Morace.
VIOFF, Vicenzaoro’s off-show event, together with Skuola.net, knocked on school doors and made an appointment at the show before the opening ceremony with the Vicenza area’s youngsters. In fact, Italian Exhibition Group’s jewellery, goldsmithing and watchmaking boutique show, to be held from 17th to 21st January, will be proposing attention to the new generations, their values, expectations and attitudes as one of its main themes. Career guidance and training to gain interest in the world of jewellery, from generational transitions in companies to market changes and the various design, value and sustainability sensitivities that now lead to a jewellery purchase.
For sector insiders, particular attention will be paid to the new geopolitical scenarios that they will find themselves operating in over the coming year. A calendar of 21 events over four days for a total of approximately 30 hours – more than a whole day on top of the business activities between exhibitors and international buyers. Vicenzaoro January thus confirms that, together with its partners who organise the calendar of events, it is also a central training and information platform for the industry
On Friday, after the opening ceremony, in celebration of their cooperation’s 20th anniversary, Club degli Orafi Italia and Intesa Sanpaolo will present the report “The goldsmith business in the current context: today’s data, thoughts about tomorrow and the impact of generational changeover on business strategies” outlining the sector’s most recent economic data and prospects for 2025 (3 pm, Educational Hub). Speakers: Sara Giusti, economist at Intesa Sanpaolo Research Department; Augusto Ungarelli, Club degli Orafi Research Centre delegate and Past President of Club degli Orafi Italia; Maria Cristina Squarcialupi , President of Club degli Orafi Italia and UnoAerre Industries, Federorafi Vice President with responsibility for sustainability; Alessandra Tognazzo, Family Business Professor at Padua University, and Andrea Buccellati, President and Creative Director at Buccellati Holding Italia SpA.
The following day, Saturday 18th, Intesa Sanpaolo and Club degli Orafi Italia will provide operators with a focus on the opportunities and challenges for Italian jewellery companies in the US macroeconomic scenario. The new director of the Italian Trade Agency’s Houston Office, Filippo Fusaro, will be introduced at the conference for an initial contact with companies. Licia Mattioli, Managing Director of Mattioli SpA, former Vice President of Confindustria delegated to Internationalisation and founder of Exclusive Brands Torino, will also speak.
Saturday 18th will be Trendvision Jewellery + Forecasting’s day. IEG’s Independent Observatory directed by Paola De Luca will be bringing Amanda Triossi, jewellery historian; Damiano Zito, president and CEO of Progold; designer Richard Wu and Livia Lazzari, founder of Voodoo Jewels onto the stage of the Expo Centre’s Palladio Theatre for the event entitled “Portraits. The Anthropology of Body and Adornment” with an introduction by actor and storyteller Fabrizio Raggi (11 am).
CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, will be back in Vicenza with no less than seven talks between Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th, the main focus of which will be sensitivity for topics regarding ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) and generational changeover between succession and tradition with Luca Buccellati, director of special sales and VIP customers at Buccellati; Alessia Crivelli, general manager at Crivelli; Alice Vanni, CSR director at Italpreziosi; Azzura Cesari , project manager for Cesari & Renaldi Gemmai. Edward Johnson from Gemfields Group will be moderating. Among the other talks organised by CIBJO, Vicenzaoro will host Mahiar Borhanjoo, chief commercial officer at De Beers Group, who will talk about how the world’s largest diamond producer intends to reposition itself in the market in the near future.
Again on Saturday 18th, Assogemme is organising a meeting with Andrea Raselli, CEO Gruppo Errepi – Raselli Franco SpA, who will be speaking with luxury consultant Raffaele Ciardulli, in the talk “The Italian Touch of a convinced internationaliser” (3 pm, Educational Hub). On the same day, the theme of sustainability and certifications will return in a meeting organised by Italpreziosi and D’orica on “B-Corp in precious metals”. Guest speakers (4.15 pm, same room) will include Ivana Ciabatti, founder Italpreziosi SpA and Matteo Farsura, IEG’s Global Exhibition Manager Jewellery & Fashion division. Gianpietro Zonta, founder of D’orica Srl Società Benefit; Antonio Bizzotto, chief data and sustainability officer at D’orica; Silvia Cantele, Verona University; Joy Harvey, goldsmith for La Luce.
On Sunday 19th at 10.30 am, the opening of the Jewellery Technology Forum in the Educational Hub, an event that brings together the high-tech community of the T.Gold show for jewellery and goldsmithing machinery. In the afternoon, the award ceremony will be held in the Palladio Theatre for the Progold3d® Design Contest 2025, dedicated to The Crivelli Man: a Contemporary Interpretation.
On Monday 20th, starting at 10.30 am, the wonder of amber, especially the succinite variety, commonly known as “Baltic”, but also Burmese or Mexican, will take centre stage, a material that requires an expert eye both to enhance its clarity and to appreciate it. Simetite amber, on the other hand, captures an instant of life in the colours of the Sicilian sun that artisans transform into unique jewellery. Two topics of the Gem Talks organised by Assogemme with speakers Guy Lalous, former president of FEEG (Federation for European Education in Gemmology) and Ugo Longobardo owner of Longobardo 1935.
The Retail Talk entitled “Change is inevitable. Growing is a choice”, organised by Confcommercio Federpreziosi, will explore the present and future of the Italian retail jewellery sector with a focus on the role of the consumer in the buying experience evolution and how jewellers are coping with rapid technological change. Speakers will include: Stefano Andreis, president of Federpreziosi Confcommercio; Pierluigi Ascani, president of Format Research; Manuel Aucella, Aucella in Torre del Greco; Dino Bracci, Gioielleria Bracci in Viterbo; Agostino Gazzo, Gioielleria Magnone in Genoa, and Giuliano Gori, Gioielleria Gori in Rome. Lastly, President Andreis will discuss security in the retail sector with Carabinieri General Massimo Mennitti.
Technology and digitalisation will be the topic of the “Blockchain and Love” meeting where Unoaerre will explain why it has introduced blockchain into its wedding rings to guarantee traceability, transparency and authenticity for the customer in the “Unoaerre Forever” line. Speakers will include Maria Cristina Squarcialupi, president of Unoaerre Industries SpA and Giulia Caldon, commercial director of EZ Lab Blockchain Solutions; Federica Frosini, Editor VO+ Jewelry Magazine, and Matteo Masini from the Italian Trade Agency.
Lastly, on Monday (3.30 pm, Educational Hub), the Italian Trade Agency will present the market survey on “Gold and jewellery in Europe and the United Kingdom” curated by Yoodata with speeches by Maurizio Forte, ITA Central Director for Export Sectors, Egidio Chini, Vice President of Confindustria FEDERORAFI and Matteo Masini, ITA Consumer Goods Office Manager. Closing the day will be the meeting (5.30 pm) with sociologist and essayist Francesco Morace , founder of Future Concept Lab, on “Future paradigms: uniqueness, sustainability and inclusiveness. The purchasing trend scenario in the global jewellery market”: the three paradigms of the future that will have the greatest impact on the world of business and trade, gold and jewellery included.
