Vicenzaoro, the largest jewelry and gold show in Europe, begins on January 19th through 24th. This year, jewelry writer and TrueFacet contributor Barbara Palumbo is heading to Italy to walk the convention’s floors and give us an exclusive look at Vicenzaoro.

To prepare for Barbara’s trip and coverage, follow @TrueFacet on Instagram and read on for a quick overview of Vicenzaoro and why this trade show is so significant to the greater industry and the future of jewelry making.

Vicenzaoro and Vicenza, Italy
The Vicenzaoro jewelry trade show kicks off the international trade show circuit. Over 1,500 brands—including small-scale artisans and global powerhouses like Roberto Coin—from 30 countries, descend upon Vicenza, Italy to showcase their latest designs, discuss the upcoming industry trends and hobnob with editors and tastemakers.

And the host city, Vicenza, Italy could not be a more suiting location for this fanfare event. Vicenza is one of Italy’s premier gold jewelry epicenters, producing roughly 1/5th of Italy’s gold and jewelry and home to 900 jewelry houses.

The Vicenzaoro Jewllery Awards
The Vicenzaoro show also hosts its own awards ceremony on the first night of the trade show. The Vicenzaoro Jewellery Awards honors excellence in the field of contemporary jewelry design, production and retail with categories like best international designer, best Italian designer and best marketing campaign.

The winners are determined by an international panel of jurors. For a complete list of the categories, visit their site here.

Environmental Sustainability at Vicenzaoro
The cornerstone of this year’s Vicenzaoro show is a seminar on environmental sustainability. The jewelry industry has been largely criticized for mining and using raw materials, so this panel will take a hard look at the environmental, economic and social responsibilities and solutions brands need to exercise. The panel will include experts from the Sustainable Pearls Project, The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) Pearl Commission and CIBJO Coral Commission.

This initiative is a crucial step in promoting international support from the jewelry and gemstone sectors to help the United Nations achieve their critical 17 Sustainable Development Goals.

Follow @TrueFacet on Instagram as our contributor and Adornmentality blogger Barbara Palumbo takes us on an exclusive tour of Vicenzaoro with a behind the scenes look at the world’s most magnificent jewels and the jewelry trends for 2018!