Yesterday
08 april 2010
When consumers are asked to think of a country that produces elegant and sophisticated design in many aspects of life, the name they usually come up with is Italy. But with its great success in the art of producing highly original work comes the problem of imitation. In an age of globalisation where information can be downloaded in seconds, Italian-style jewellery can be found all over the world, but it has not necessarily been made or even designed in Italy, AWDC reports.
A further problem for the country is the fallout from the global financial crisis which saw a sharp reduction in demand for jewellery in general, and high-end creations in particular. And that has forced the Italian jewellery sector to overhaul its marketing strategies, to pay closer attention to what customers actually want, to create lower price points as well as a wider range of prices, and to search for new markets. The soaring price of gold last year also has led jewellery firms to r