This article first appeared in the JNA March/April 2026 issue.

VicenzaOro January ended its five-day run on a high note, setting the stage for creativity and innovation in 2026. The show – the first major international trade event of the year – opened on January 16 amid economic and geopolitical instability, highlighted by US tariffs, soaring gold prices and global trade tensions.

Overall sentiment at the fair, however, remained positive, with exhibitors presenting an eclectic selection of fine jewellery, including classic designs and contemporary collections. Colours were a standout: Fancy colour diamonds and coloured gemstones alongside vivid enamel and ceramic interspersed with gems adorned display windows at the fair.

Trending too were innovative combinations of gold with other metals such as titanium and tantalum as well as lightweight gold jewellery pieces, in light of record-high gold prices.

Giampaolo Della Croce, gemmologist and former High Jewellery senior director at Bulgari, affirmed the prevalence of colour in fine jewellery collections presented at VicenzaOro January 2026.

Speaking at the Trendvision event where Paola De Luca, creative director and co-founder of Trendvision J+F, unveiled new design and style guides for 2026/2027, Della Croce also pointed to the need for a multifaceted approach to resonate with today’s consumers.

“After Covid, we must redefine luxury. It is no longer the same as before, as modern luxury now revolves around time,” he remarked. “Emotions, as well as memorable and meaningful experiences, have become far more significant. We now expect a higher standard for our lives.”

Customers are also becoming collectors. Having developed a more discerning and sophisticated taste, they are also more passionate and insightful, shaped by their travel experiences. These new collectors likewise include a new generation of buyers, who are mostly Chinese Gen Zs, added Della Croce.

The new connoisseur is attracted to iconic jewellery with intrinsic value, hence the need to be respectful of the past while looking towards the future.

“The value of heritage is enormous. This is what big brands, from Cartier to Van Cleef, Bulgari and Tiffany, are doing through foundations, books and retrospectives,” Della Croce noted. “New collectors respect this. They want a reason to collect your jewellery.”

Unparalleled craftsmanship

Italian fine jeweller Moraglione 1922 displayed its coloured gemstone expertise at VicenzaOro. According to Carolina Pagella, sales and marketing manager at Moraglione, buyers are drawn to natural coloured gemstones in refined, distinctively Italian designs.

The company has a rich assortment of gem-studded jewellery pieces adorned with ruby, sapphire, emerald as well as garnet, tourmaline, topaz, aquamarine, opal and amethyst, to name a few.

“Coloured gemstones are in focus,” said Pagella. “What is selling is a combination of multicoloured stones in unique designs and yellow gold. Customers ask for yellow gold now more than white.”

Moraglione’s major market is Europe, but it is looking to gradually return to Asia, depending on economic and political developments.

Italian jewellery house Busatti 1947, for its part, offered an eye-catching variety of black titanium pieces with gold and diamonds at VicenzaOro. Sales Director Luca Busatti said while gold prices played a part in developing newer titanium collections, the Milan-based high jeweller has been widely recognised for blending traditional goldsmithing with innovative, lightweight materials, particularly black titanium in the last 20 years.

“Buyers are on the lookout for striking pieces and bold forms especially now that supply outweighs demand,” remarked Luca. “Jewellers have to offer ultra unique pieces to stand out in a challenging environment.”

Response to Busatti’s titanium collections at VicenzaOro was extremely positive, with the company receiving a good deal of enquiries from buyers.

Andrea Deambrogio, CEO of Deambrogio Fratelli Srl, stated that unique, never-before-seen designs have become a hit with the increasingly discerning local market.

Gracing the company’s display windows was a set of diamond-studded jewellery pieces designed with an inverted dome with a unique inward curve. The collection was launched in 2025 and has been well-received in Italy.

“The classic style needed an upgrade. We decided to focus more on yellow gold and do something new as well. Hence, the launch of this collection,” explained Andrea.

Patricia Karg, managing director of customised wedding ring specialist Acredo of Germany, connected with potential clients at the show.

The company offers bridal rings in 100 per cent recycled gold, silver and platinum.

“We gathered some very interesting contacts, which bodes well for us as we are expanding into several markets and looking for new customers,” noted Karg.

Acredo has a huge customer base in German-speaking countries, but it also has a presence in South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the US.

“High gold prices are a challenge. In response, we must be creative. We change our collections and adjust designs to make lightweight, but not hollow, rings,” she said.

Global scale

VicenzaOro January saw strong foreign buyer attendance, with 60 per cent of visitors from abroad, led by the US, according to organiser Italian Exhibition Group (IEG). Buyers from 130 countries attended, including Türkiye, India, Spain, France, the UK and Germany. The Italian Trade Agency facilitated the participation of 560 high-profile buyers.

The event also featured T.Gold, which showcased advanced jewellery manufacturing technology, and VO Vintage, a marketplace for second-hand watches and vintage jewellery. Other highlights included the inaugural VO Awards for jewellery design and seminars by the World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO).

The next VicenzaOro and T.Gold will run from September 4 to 8, 2026, in the newly renovated Vicenza Expo Centre, with VO Vintage scheduled for September 4 to 7.

VO Awards

Winners of the first VO Awards were announced on January 17, 2026. Matteo Farsura, global exhibition manager, Jewellery & Fashion at IEG, said, “The VO Awards was conceived as a project deeply rooted in VicenzaOro's identity. We celebrate the people behind every creation, the product as a synthesis of creativity and manufacturing, and VicenzaOro as a place where skills, supply chains and markets come together.” The second edition of VO Awards will take place at VicenzaOro January 2027.

Held in Italy from January 16 to 20, the January edition of VicenzaOro shone the spotlight on the latest jewellery design and manufacturing trends that are likely to inspire collections and purchasing decisions in 2026.