Italy is well-known for its skilled jewelry artisans as well as its fashion forward thinking, so this seems to be the perfect fit for those lucky enough to attend the 4th International Gemological Symposium in San Diego, CA this August. The Jewelry Weblog would love to hear from any readers who plan to attend.

Here's the scoop from Diamonds.net:

The Gemological Institute of America (GIA) invites attendees of the 4th International Gemological Symposium to an Italian-themed gala evening of jewelry trend forecasting at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego, California on August 29, 2006.

Sponsored by the Vicenza Fair, in collaboration with TJF Group, the Italian Jewelry Guild is producing the special social event, titled "Moods, Sensations, Differentiations: the Soul and Future of Italian Jewelry." The event will feature a dinner and a unique look at future trends in Italian jewelry and fashion as well as worldwide lifestyle and social trends that affect the items people produce, wear and desire.

Open only to those who register for symposium, the evening will feature jewelry representing the TJF Group 2007 forecasted mega-trends of Heritage, Cultural Bridges, and Biolosophy (bio-philosophy).

Heritage looks to history to inspire new jewelry, while Cultural Bridges merge the styles of different traditional cultures into creative new designs. Biolosophy takes experimental approaches to project an environmentally conscious modern lifestyle with jewelry that embodies a consideration of the past, present, and future. A fashion show with runway models in themed wardrobes will showcase each of these trends.