I was both delighted and honored to attend the September edition of Vicenza Oro together with my fellow bloggers and journalists as part of a press contingent.

Having attended in the past, I knew I was in for a feast of the best fine jewellery, but still found myself gasping in delight at every booth I visited! A brief overview of the events numbers, as provided by of Vicenza Oro

1,300 brands from 36 countries

23,000+ attendees from 115 countries

Countless pieces of exceptional fine jewellery!

The festivities began the evening before the show opened, with a tour of Museo del Gioiello, Vicenza. Carrying the significance of being the first jewelry museum in Italy, this beautiful museum is a must see for jewelry lovers! I saw innovative designs from emerging jewelers who are finalists in the Next Generation Emerging Talent design contest, as well as rare, one of a kind pieces from established jewelry houses such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels. What really had me standing still in my tracks was this Giampiero BodinoChoker, with red spinel, emerald, blue sapphires, yellow sapphire, amethyst, diamonds, and pink gold. An absolute masterpiece that incorporates all we love about Italian jewelry.

The next few days were a whirlwind of events and meetings, but I know that you are waiting to see my top picks from the event, so here goes…please note that they are not in any order! I love all these items, and wish I could share everything I saw with you!

1. Roberto Coin: legendary jewelry Roberto Coin once again welcomed visitors into their rich jewel toned booth. As always, I was immediately drawn to the Animalier Collection: lifelike, whimsical, bejeweled earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets of virtually every animal in the animal kingdom! I loved the lion with the mane that moves, see it by clicking here. Also a firm favorite? These adorable rings, a black and white diamond tiger, and a sapphire and diamond covered Gecko, which immediately made me homesick for Miami, where I come across these creatures every few minutes. But I have yet to see one as beautiful as this one ?

2. Zydo Italy: As my name implies, I am partial to diamonds! So I was in seventh heaven viewing some of the exquisite diamond pieces shown to me by Zydo Italy. Magnificent diamond rings of all shapes and sizes, and a passion for quality diamonds and expert craftsmanship, was evident when chatting to the sons of this family business. My day was complete when I saw this pair of Fancy Intense Yellow diamond earrings. Perfectly matched center stones of 8 carats each, surrounded by D color white diamonds. It doesn’t get any better than this!

3. Picchiotti Fine Jewellery: At every event, I wait with baited breath to see what Picchiotti are going to reveal! And they never disappoint! Celebrating their 50^th year anniversary, Picchiotti pushed the design boundaries with this heart shaped sapphire and diamond necklace. Anyone who follows me on Instagram will know I adore heart shaped gemstones – this masterpiece has my name written all over it!

4. Jjewels Milano: My first introduction to this fine jewellery brand, and it definitely won’t be my last! Their “Extraordinaire Collection” is exactly that, and while many pieces caught my eye, these two rings stand out for their bold and innovative designs.

5. Stefan Hafner: They call their jewellery “The Essence of Italian Beauty”, and I have to agree! Every piece combines design excellence with Italian craftsmanship, but for me, surely the most unforgettable moment must have been having the chance to wear this necklace from The Scheherazade Collection. 1,300 diamonds, weighing nearly 70 carats – now that’s quite something to see!

My focus thus far has been on Italian brands, this was an Italian event after all! But as I mentioned in the beginning, the event attracts both exhibitors and visitors from far and wide, and it would be remiss for me not to mention brands that are not Italian! Two of my favorites were French brand Djula Jewelry, and German brand Hans D. Krieger. Djula Jewelry delighted me with their beautiful, delicate pieces, which are designed to be worn in layers and stacks. Hans D. Krieger was my go-to booth at the end of the day, because in my opinion…there is no better way to end the day than with champagne and diamonds!