VO Awards: Applications Open for the Second Edition
Ten categories, an international jury, and a selection process focused on craftsmanship, design, innovation, and sustainability. The VO Awards return to Vicenzaoro January 2027
Jewelry as an expression of savoir-faire, research, and industrial vision. Following its debut, the VO Awards return for a second edition, reaffirming their role as Vicenzaoro’s official awards program dedicated to the creations and companies helping shape the present and future of the jewelry industry. Applications are open until November 30. Exhibitors from the Icon, Look, and Creation communities can enter by completing the product entry form and submitting the required materials. The winners will be announced on Sunday, January 17, during the awards ceremony at Vicenzaoro January, taking place from January 15 to 19, 2027.
The initiative aims to give visibility to the companies that bring Italian Exhibition Group’s show to life. For more than 70 years, Vicenzaoro has been an international benchmark for the gold, jewelry, and watch industries. The awards offer an opportunity to spotlight creations that explore different approaches to materials, craftsmanship, and design, providing a snapshot of the directions in which the market is moving. “Within the Vicenzaoro ecosystem, the VO Awards celebrate manufacturing excellence, careful material selection, the ability to innovate, and a commitment to sustainability,” says Matteo Farsura, Global Exhibition Manager of IEG’s Jewellery & Fashion Division. The initiative aims to strengthen the show’s community by bringing together tradition and innovation, talent and industry.
The competition features ten categories, reflecting Vicenzaoro’s exhibition structure, which organizes its offering into thematic communities defined by identity, positioning, and design language. For Icon, the world of high-end jewelry, there are three awards: Best in Icon – High End Jewellery, dedicated to creations distinguished by material quality and technical complexity; Best in Icon – Fine Jewellery, focused on luxury jewelry designed for everyday wear; and Best in Icon – One of a Kind Jewellery, celebrating unique, unrepeatable pieces at the intersection of jewelry and art.
The Creation community highlights manufacturing expertise through Best in Creation – Gold Manufacturing, Best in Creation – Silver Manufacturing, and Best in Creation – Gold & Gems Manufacturing, recognizing excellence in gold and silver craftsmanship, as well as gold jewelry set with precious and semiprecious stones. Two categories are dedicated to Look, the community focused on contemporary jewelry: Best in Look – Semi Precious Jewellery, for accessible creations combining precious and semiprecious materials with sophisticated design, and Best in Look – Fashion Jewellery, for versatile, youthful jewelry made with alternative materials. Two additional awards span all three communities: Best in Special – Sustainability Award and Best in Special – Innovation Award. The first recognizes sustainability integrated into a product throughout its life cycle; the second honors manufacturing innovation that creates added value.
An international technical jury will evaluate the entries, bringing together professionals whose expertise spans the entire jewelry value chain, from sustainability and innovation to manufacturing, design, gemology, retail, trends, and journalism. Sustainability will be assessed by Alice Vanni, CSR Director and Member of the Board of Directors at Italpreziosi, and Iris Van Der Veken, Executive Director and Secretary General of the Watches & Jewellery Initiative 2030. Innovation will be evaluated by Damiano Zito, CEO and Chairman of Progold; manufacturing by Nicolò Rapone, Jewellery Chief Operations Officer at Bulgari; design by Tomasz Donocik, designer; and gemology by Rui Galopim de Carvalho, Gem Education Consultant. The jury also includes Carlo Bartorelli, President and Director of Bartorelli Gioiellerie, representing the retail perspective; Paola De Luca, Founder and Creative Director of TRENDVISION Jewellery + Forecasting, bringing her expertise in luxury trends; Kyle Roderick, a fine jewelry and timepiece journalist for Forbes.com, author, and founder of @bijouxreview; and Federica Frosini, Editor in Chief of VO+ Jewelry Magazine.
The selection process unfolds in several stages. The jury will review the entries and select three finalists in each category. On January 14, ahead of the opening of Vicenzaoro January, the judges will have the opportunity to examine the shortlisted creations in person once again. The pieces will be displayed in a dedicated area in Hall 7. From Friday through Sunday morning, buyers, exhibitors, journalists, and visitors will be able to vote for the finalists at the show. The public vote will account for 30% of the final result, complementing the technical jury’s evaluation.
“With the VO Awards, Vicenzaoro reaffirms its role as a space for dialogue and exchange among industry professionals,” says Michela Amenduni, Product Marketing & Communication Manager. The process brings together the entire community, from exhibitors and jury members to buyers, media representatives, and visitors.
The awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, January 17, 2027, during Vicenzaoro January. Starting in December, the nominated creations will be available to view in a dedicated section of the official website.