VICENZAORO JANUARY 2026 – DAILY NEWS SUNDAY 18TH JANUARY

MARTIN RAPAPORT AT VICENZAORO
Why are diamond prices falling? Martin Rapaport, guest at Vicenzaoro January during one of the important talks organized by the International Confederation of Jewellery (CIBJO) on the third day of Italian Exhibition Group's international jewellery show currently underway in Vicenza, has the answer. It is society that has changed, not market mechanisms. For Generation Z, natural diamonds are no longer as desirable as they may have been last century. But diamonds are a particular kind of commodity: the more their price rises, the more people want them. They are an example of “Veblen goods.” Rapaport’s message to market operators attending his talk was therefore: cultivate relationships with customers who can purchase the best in terms of quality and rarity. This applies above all to independent jewellers and small companies that do not work on large-scale productions. But be careful. While Rapaport reiterated a well-known market law, this does not mean that luxury goods that thrive on rarity cannot also benefit those who are not likely to be high-end jewellery customers. With CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri at his side, Rapaport recalled the story of the 709-carat Peace Diamond, the 14^th largest in the world, found in Sierra Leone in 2017 and sold on the market on the condition that part of the proceeds would be donated to the village of Koryardu, where drinking water and schools were a mirage. Diamonds for the few, certainly, but only if truly ethical. Respect for working conditions does not depend on carats, it can be done, says Rapaport.

ASSOCORAL, A VIRTUOUS MODEL FOR TRAINING THE ARTISANS OF TOMORROW
On the third day of IEG's Vicenzaoro January, the Educational Hub at Vicenza Expo Centre hosted a meeting promoted by ASSOCORAL entitled The power of artisanal craftsmanship: young people at the forefront. The focus was on the story of a virtuous model which, thanks to collaboration between the Fondazione Cologni, the Istituto Francesco Degni, and Assocoral, has been generating concrete results in recent years in the professional integration of young artisans. Ciro Mazza , "Jewellery Design” teacher at the Francesco Degni Artistic High School in Torre del Greco, recalled how the school, the only one in the world that teaches engraving and glyptics, has been accompanying young people into the world of work for almost 100 years. Thanks to collaboration with the Fondazione Cologni and Assocoral, students can participate in scholarships and initiatives that enhance their talent. This project confirms how schools, institutions, and companies can work together to provide concrete professional opportunities in artisan professions.

VO VINTAGE, THE CULTURE OF TIME BETWEEN ICONS AND COLLECTING
Yesterday, VO Vintage celebrated a true icon of watchmaking. The Canova Room hosted the event “His Majesty, Gilt,” dedicated to the famous GMT-Master Ref. 1675 with a gilt dial, described through the voices of experts and authors of the book GMT-Master 1675 – The Gilt Era, by Andrea Piccinini and Marco Di Falco. One of the most fascinating exhibitions of the event provided the ideal setting: 15 Gilt specimens produced between 1960 and 1967, displayed in chronological order and accompanied by period memorabilia and advertising materials. Still in the Canova Room, the vintage timepiece was also the star of the Laboratorio’s live podcast recording, hosted by Dody Giussani, editor-in-chief of L'Orologio, with Pietro Pannone, co-author of the podcast, and Giorgia Mondani, founder of Mondani Web: The collector, this unknown figure? Amid passions, rituals and the dynamics of the vintage market, the podcast defined the profile of the contemporary collector.