No matter the economic tension bearing down on the industry, when it comes to jewelry trends for the coming year, Italy is the place to be. Walking through the halls at Vicenzaoro First, it is clear that pavé looks set to run and run while its all about finishing touches for manufacturers trying to maintain their position in these challenging times.

 

Although companies such as Marco Bicego, among others, have been showcasing matte finishes to their jewelry for the last few seasons, the move towards textured gold was visible in many display cases, right from the high-end, branded companies in Hall B1 down to the smaller manufacturers.

 

 

Pavé, always a popular look, gathered strength over the past year as evidenced by the huge numbers of companies dedicating more and more display space to the style.

 

Leo Pizzo went all out for traditional pavéd shapes such as hearts and hoops in white and pink gold. Like last year's January show, over-sized pavéd rings were hot and looking to get even hotter. After all, it's really no wonder that the power of pavé prevails - it's a style fitting for these budgeting times. While it's a great look for consumers searching for a big diamond look at a small diamond price, it's not so good for diamantaires selling large stones – items that were definitely less prominent in show windows.

 

Another design trend that has been gaining strength over the past year is mixing pearls of all shapes and colors with diamonds and gold for a new play on the traditional string of pearls. London-based Euro Pearls displayed baroque pearl pieces featuring “rondels” or beads designed to look like pearls. The 'pearls' and are fashioned out of different colored sand blasted gold and studded with tiny diamonds. The company also displayed necklaces featuring baroque pearls interspersed with baroque shaped rondels pavéd with diamonds.

 

While hoops dominated for seasons, their dominance appears to be fading designers seem to be thinking in 3D with an apparent shift to spheres as the shape of the show. Chunky spherical necklaces (many finished with either hand hammering or hand satinizing) shared window space with ball-inspired bracelets and earrings. All in all, a welcome break after seasons of spheres. Orbiting around this trend, Italian manufacturer Giante managed to mix three of the show's trends together in an uber fashionable parure from its “Pois” collection for Gold Expressions that utilizes satinized gold orbs accented with purple enamel.

 

Enamel is also taking its place in the designs of many high-end designers. Like the trend towards mixing precious materials and gems with non precious materials such as leather and cord, this may well be seen as a cost decision, but it's a decision that opens the design doors even further. Carlo Barberis displayed a collection of colorful enamel rings accented with pavéd diamonds that were almost cartoonish in their boldness – a theme also seen in other booths.

 

Other trends appearing on the show floor include:

 

·        Charms continuing their charm offensive.

·        Filigree work also holding its place.

·        Religious iconography evident

·        Black diamonds (and black materials in general) remaining popular

·        Cameo-inspired jewelry appearing to be making a dent though it remains to be seen in the coming seasons if its anything more than a passing phase.

·        Playful designs and whimsical creations continuing to make their mark.

 

Vicenzaoro First runs until January 18.