The key points
- 300 companies between goldsmiths and technology, almost all Italian, have exhibited at OroArezzo
- No buyers from China and Russia, but you come from non-traditional countries
- In 2021, made in Italy jewelery and goldsmiths exported a value of eight billion euros
The Italian goldsmith industry takes another step towards regaining markets and customers wiped out by the pandemic, and it does so in Arezzo, home to one of the most important districts in the country. three years after the last edition, the historic OroArezzo fair, organized by the Italian exhibition group (Ieg).
With a reduced number of exhibitors compared to the past (300 companies between goldsmiths and technology, almost all Italian) and with buyers still struggling with Covid restrictions, the risk of seeing few meetings and few deals was high. A risk amplified, among other things, by the overcrowding of international fairs in the last three months, from Dubai to Vicenza to Istanbul.
On the other hand, companies appreciated the edition (the 41st) of the restart, which was held in an overall positive market phase, despite the turbulence related to the war, the increase in costs and the fluctuation of the price of gold. .
“Being able to meet suppliers, customers and friends again was important – explains Giordana Giordini, president of the Goldsmiths section of Confindustria Toscana sud (Arezzo, Siena, Grosseto) and owner of the Giordini Gioielli brand – the buyers were numerous lower than in the past, but the positive element is having seen new buyers, who do not meet at other fairs ». South America, Southeast Asia with Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam, but also Kosovo were the “surprises” of the edition that Ieg defines “permeated by a widespread sentiment of trust towards a restart path, thanks to the decisive system synergy generated between the protagonists “.
The presence of buyers from non-traditional markets was appreciated by Maria De Toni, owner of the homonymous Vicenza brand that creates design jewels inspired by the cultures of the world: “This edition of OroArezzo has exceeded expectations – says the stylist-entrepreneur – because the coordinated action of Ieg and Ice has brought buyers from countries such as Jordan, Lebanon, Japan and even Europe. While in March, when the Vicenza fair was held, there were still travel restrictions in many countries, a plurality of markets were seen here. For us it was the best edition of OroArezzo in the last ten years ».
The absence of Russian (for the war) and Chinese (for Covid) buyers, and the scarce presence of American ones, was obviously felt, given the importance of those markets for the sector. “But in a moment like this, in which the clouds have not cleared, the fair has allowed us to meet significant companies – says Gino Di Luca of the Neapolitan Cameo Italiano, producer of jewels with a strong artisan content according to the cameo tradition – from from both the Americas and Europe and the Southeast Asian basin. There were qualified presences, which confirm how the made in Italy jewel is appreciated and sought after ».
OroArezzo has also opened new commercial horizons for the Arezzo brand Graziella Braccialini, committed to diversifying the distribution, which signals the meetings with operators from South America and Central America. «The return in the presence of OroArezzo – says Eleonora Gori, commercial manager of Graziella Braccialini – is an excellent signal for the goldsmith sector and for our territory. The end of Ramadan limited the participation of Arab operators, despite this the balance remains positive due to the general restart of the sector and the new commercial relations started, which allow us to look forward to the next semester with optimism ». In 2021, made in Italy jewelery and goldsmiths exported a value of eight billion euros: the challenge is to do better.