The World Jewellery Confederation (CIBJO) will celebrate its 100th anniversary with the unveiling of two original works by Canadian visual artist and jewellery designer Reena Ahluwalia during the opening day of the 2026 CIBJO Congress in Vicenza, Italy. The presentation, set for September 4 to coincide with Vicenzaoro, marks a cultural highlight of the centenary year and underscores the enduring link between fine jewellery and the visual arts.
Both pieces were created especially to commemorate CIBJO’s Centenary Year and will be donated to the permanent collection of the Museo del Gioiello, located within Vicenza’s historic Basilica Palladiana. Their inclusion in the museum collection ensures the works will be preserved as part of the ongoing story of jewellery, design and craftsmanship.
A Diamond as CIBJO’s ‘North Star’
The first work, titled “The CIBJO Centenary Icon,” is a circular painting that draws on the Renaissance tondo format. At its center sits a marquise- or navette-cut diamond, set within a broad field of liquid gold tones. The composition balances classical formality with contemporary symbolism, using light and metallic texture to direct the viewer’s gaze toward the gemstone.
Ahluwalia refers to the central gemstone as the “Diamond Eye.” In her conception, this gem functions as a visual metaphor for CIBJO’s role in protecting the jewellery sector, promoting international standards, and guiding the industry through periods of change. The diamond’s clarity and geometry suggest a navigational vision—like a North Star—that calls for constant recalibration to maintain trust, transparency and consumer confidence across the global jewellery supply chain.
Centenary Celebrated in Gold
The second creation, “The CIBJO Centenary Medal,” is conceived as a numismatic piece that marries medallion tradition with contemporary jewellery aesthetics. One face displays the CIBJO Congress logo above the table of a round, faceted diamond. The reverse side presents a compass motif, linking the piece’s iconography to ideas of direction, governance and moral guidance within the trade.
The compass motif embodies CIBJO’s mission to steer the international jewellery industry by championing principles of ethics, integrity and standards. A solid-gold edition of the medal has been produced specifically for the congress by the Arezzo-based precious metals refinery Italpreziosi, adding a material resonance to the symbolic message and creating a tangible keepsake for the centenary celebrations.
Reena Ahluwalia’s Art Meets Jewellery
Toronto-based Reena Ahluwalia is known for integrating precious stones into contemporary artworks and wearable pieces. Her practice bridges jewellery design, fine art and emerging technologies, and she has previously achieved recognition for placing gemstone-centered work in prominent institutional collections.
Her portfolio includes a diverse range of commissions and accolades: designs incorporating diamonds into ceremonial and public objects, philatelic recognition, industry honors and record-setting timepieces. Ahluwalia has also been an early adopter of digital tools in the field, experimenting with blockchain technology to create immutable provenance records that document the history and ownership of diamond art.
Art Preserving a Century of Jewellery Heritage
CIBJO President Gaetano Cavalieri has highlighted how the collaboration with Ahluwalia naturally connects jewellery and artistic expression, noting that both disciplines celebrate human creativity and the poetic use of nature’s most precious materials. The artworks are intended not just as commemorative objects but as cultural artifacts that reflect shared values across the jewellery community.
For Ahluwalia, both pieces function as a visual archive of the jewellery sector’s collective heritage. Their installation in the Museo del Gioiello will make the Centenary tangible and accessible to future generations, linking CIBJO’s institutional history with the continuing evolution of design, craft and ethical practice in the jewellery world.
By entering the museum’s permanent collection, the artworks will provide a lasting artistic legacy for CIBJO’s 100-year milestone, illustrating how craft, creativity and governance in the jewellery industry can be commemorated through enduring artistic expression.