The Italian Jewellery

 
There is no country in the world that produces jewellery like Italy. It doesn’t matter if it’s hand- or machine-made or a combination of both, jewellery makers produce a seemingly endless variety of pieces that combine superb artistry and craftsmanship.

But despite its international reputation for excellence, recent years haven’t been kind to the Italian jewellery industry. A combination of the global economic downturn, the spike in the price of gold and the high cost of quality labour, has left the industry in despair.

“Things have been very bad,” one exhibitor confided in me. Especially for gold jewellery,” which the Italians do best.

VicenzaOro may have marked a turning point. Approximately, 1,200 Italian and foreign brands from 30 countries presented their jewellery interpretations to more than 18,000 buyers (10,879 from Italy and 7,160 from 111 other countries).

Show officials were particularly excited about the “return” of some Italian retailers, seeing it as “an encouraging sign considering the much-desired end of the most critical phase of the recession.”