Vicenzaoro September 2026 gets under way with the inauguration of the new Hall 2

Vicenzaoro, Europe’s leading trade fair for the gold and jewellery sector, opens on Friday morning for its September 2026 edition, marked by growth on two international fronts. Among the 1,300 exhibiting brands from 40 countries, the share of international exhibitors has risen to 45% this edition, with the largest European contingents from Germany, Belgium, Spain, France, Greece, and the United Kingdom, while the leading non-European ones are Turkey, Hong Kong, Thailand, India, and the United States. New entrants include South Korea, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

The number of hosted buyers is also on the rise: 910, up 33% on the 605 recorded in September last year. Thanks to a partnership with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ICE Agenzia, the international delegation spans 73 countries and brings 700 buyers to the fair. The largest delegations come from the United States, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia (on a par), China and Spain; there are also 210 Italian buyers.
 
“International demand is expanding in both breadth and volume, confirming Vicenzaoro’s ability to attract operators from the world’s leading markets. From this edition, we are responding to this demand by reorganising the exhibition areas, thanks to the new Hall 2. From high-end jewellery to packaging, gemstones, technologies, and goldsmith manufacturing, the entire supply chain is now under one roof, and the Jewellery Boutique Show is more competitive than ever,” emphasises Matteo Farsura, the director in charge of jewellery trade fairs at IEG-Italian Exhibition Group, the event’s organiser.

At 11.00 am, the event will open with an inaugural ceremony hosted by Marino Smiderle, editor-in-chief of Il Giornale di Vicenza, to which the following guests have been invited: Maurizio Ermeti, president of Italian Exhibition Group; Giacomo Possamai, mayor of Vicenza; Andrea Nardin, president of the Province of Vicenza; Maria Cristina Squarcialupi, president of Confindustria Federorafi, representing all the national associations in the jewellery sector; Fabrizio Lobasso, deputy director general for growth and export promotion and central director for the ‘Sistema Italia’ and investments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Matteo Zoppas, president of ICE Agenzia; Senator Mara Bizzotto, undersecretary of state at the Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy; and Marco Zecchinato, councillor for interregional cooperation, Territorial Governance and Infrastructure for the Veneto Region.
 
There are 170 exhibiting brands at T.Gold, the parallel B2B trade fair making its debut at the September edition. The technology segment, with 60% Italian companies, is now part of the show and is located in Hall 4, which previously hosted Italian and international jewellery manufacturing- now housed in the new Hall 2. This edition of T.Gold is accompanied by the Jewellery Technology Forum, whose central theme will be ‘Design. Print. Transform,’ with a focus on additive manufacturing in the jewellery industry on Monday.
 
Economic conditions, business sentiment and analysis of production districts are the three pillars of the event that Confindustria Federorafi will present to the public on Saturday. The analyses by economists Daniela Corsini, Stefania Trenti, and Sara Giusti of Intesa Sanpaolo will be complemented by a round-table discussion featuring four companies representing each of the production districts of Vicenza, Arezzo, Valenza, and Torre del Greco, concluding with remarks from Federorafi president Maria Cristina Squarcialupi. The discussion will be moderated by Laura Biason of Federorafi.
 
Also as part of the events at the fair, the ‘Bridge to Japan’ initiative will offer deeper insight into the Akoya pearl with Preziosa Magazine; the Gem Talk organised by the Italian Gemmological Institute is dedicated to the Padparadscha sapphire, while Assogemme brings to Vicenzaoro one of the most authoritative voices in coral craftsmanship from Torre del Greco: Enzo Liverino. Trendvision, Vicenzaoro’s independent observatory headed by Paola De Luca, will present the new The Jewellery Trendbook 2028+ on Saturday and take participants inside the ‘engine’ that analyses consumer and style trends to produce the industry’s annual trend volume.
 
Vicenzaoro is also hosting the centenary congress of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation chaired by Gaetano Cavalieri. Among the prominent figures attending the congress’s opening event on Friday afternoon is Gareth Penny, former CEO of De Beers and now chairman of Ninety One, which manages assets worth $250 billion. Also in attendance is Cyrille Vigneron, former president and CEO of Cartier and now chairman of Fondation Cartier.
 
Admission to VO Vintage- the IEG exhibition and market open to the public, including collectors and the simply curious- is free, subject to registration on the dedicated website. There is a strong chance of finding that long-sought watch, or discovering Victorian or Art Deco jewellery sets. Saturday’s programme of events offers the chance to learn more about the world of timepieces.

Furthermore, VIOFF is back- Vicenzaoro’s off-site event, now in its 16th edition, a project by Meneghini & Associati. ‘Golden Road’ is the concept behind this year’s VIOFF: the road as a route winding through Vicenza’s historic centre and, at the same time, a metaphor for the journey each of us undertakes every day. Exhibitions, workshops, tastings and performances bring various parts of the city to life, along a route that the public can explore at their leisure, taking in art, craftsmanship, gastronomy, and entertainment.
 
The official poster for this edition was designed by Jacopo Rosati, an Italian illustrator and graphic designer who, in his work dedicated to the event, transforms iconic elements of the city into a visual narrative that interprets Vicenza’s identity as the ‘City of Gold.’ In Piazza Castello, on Saturday and Sunday, VIOFF is also dedicating an open-air exhibition to the artist, featuring a selection of his works, including collages and vector illustrations- the hallmark of his artistic output.
 
The artistic narrative also comes to life at the Jewellery Museum. On Friday evening, the museum will remain open exceptionally until 9.30 pm. On Saturday and Sunday, during normal opening hours (9.00–18.00), the section devoted to coral will offer the interactive experience ‘MAC³- The Paths of Coral,’ in collaboration with MAC³, the world’s first ‘phygital’ museum dedicated to coral and cameos: a headset takes visitors on a virtual journey through the peoples and cultures that have long worked with this material, a common thread linking distant civilisations.