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.

Techn-Or’s “Morea” collection for Gold Expressions consists of sand dollar shapes of hand-hammered gold held together in a netting of various gold links while Matioli has “mattified” its trademark links in a bid to update a traditional style. And it works. This attention to finishes is a beautiful way to revamp older styles and is certainly a look that will filter through the rest of the world in the coming seasons as other designers play catch up with Italian design innovation.

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.Click the link below to read the full article....

Vicenza Report: Finishing Touches in Italy