My eyes first go to the meticulously cut, precious gemstones when observing fine jewelry. I think about which remote mine they came from and how long it took the miners to discover them. I’m drawn to the way the gemstones are set into glimmering gold and how the gold is fashioned into a fantastical design with unparalleled precision. Finally, when I’ve visually absorbed all that can be taken in, something inevitably happens. My heart experiences a flutter that quickly grows into a full-fledged burst of sheer delight. And just like pressing a repeat button, the next exquisite piece of jewelry I encounter elicits the same response.
This is how the story unfolded for me last week while visiting a wonderful town in northern Italy that’s not only known for the Teatro Olimpico and the Piazza dei Signori, but also for its contribution to the world of jewelry: Vicenza. Vicenza is home to the first jewelry museum in Italy, the Museo del Gioiello, located in the Basillica Palladian. The 4,400 sq ft museum focuses on jewelry history, design and manufacturing, and is a joint effort between the Vicenza municipality and the Fiera di Vicenza.
Fiera di Vicenza, which recently took place in early September, is one of the global jewelry market’s leading international trade fairs. Jewelry designers and manufacturers from all over the world presented their most stunning pieces. This season, some of the design inspirations showcased came from a tied bow, animals and flowers. These jewels are the work of imaginative artists and skilled craftsmen, and they are indeed delightful. Bellissimi!
View the gallery for more.
Roberto Picchiotti 18K white gold brooch with sapphires and diamonds, $187,000, picchiotti.it
Roberto Picchiotti 18K white gold necklace with sapphires and diamonds, $220,000, picchiotti.it
Roberto Picchiotti 18K white gold brooch with emeralds and diamonds, $270,000, picchiotti.it
Yoko London 18K white gold earrings with Tahitian pearls and diamonds, $41,000, yokolondon.com
Yoko London 18K black gold necklace with Tahitian pearls and diamonds, $34,000, yokolondon.com
Al Coro rose gold earrings with white agate and diamonds, $7,540, alcoro.com
Al Coro rose gold earrings with black agate, white diamonds and black diamonds, $6,240, alcoro.com
J Jewels Milano 18K white gold bracelet with diamonds and Keshi pearls, $13,300, +39 0286463546, bluewhitegroup.it
J Jewels Milano 18K white gold ring with diamonds and Keshi pearls, $5,350, +39 0286463546, bluewhitegroup.it
J Jewels Milano 18K white gold earrings with diamonds and Keshi pearls, $8,100, +39 0286463546, bluewhitegroup.it
Palmiero 18K white gold ring with diamonds and multi-colored sapphires, $21,350, palmierogioielli.com
Palmiero 18K white gold ring with diamonds, sapphires, tourmalines and amethysts, $26,970, palmierogioielli.com
Roberto Coin 18K yellow gold bracelet with diamonds, $18,500, and 18K yellow gold earrings with diamonds, $6,300, robertocoin.com
Otto 18K black gold ring with white diamonds and ruby, $11,700, ottojewels.com
Vendorafa Hammered 18K white gold ring with white diamonds, peridots, green tourmalines, pink sapphires, $13,300, vendorafa.net
Vendorafa (Left) Hammered 18K yellow gold with fancy multicolor sapphires and white diamonds, $9,400. (Right) Hammered 18K pink gold with fancy multicolor sapphires, white diamonds and tzavorite, $9,300, vendorafa.net