Damiani heralds the advent of spring with the first blossoms of the season.
The advent of spring heralded the first blossoms of the season, courtesy of Italian jeweller Damiani. Karishma Tulsidas discovers the bouquet of precious blooms in Milan
The first day of spring is a joyous occasion, a time for reinvention and new beginnings. It was no wonder then that Damiani timed the launch of its newest jewellery collection, the Margherita, to coincide with the start of the new season. Held in Milan, Italy, the collection launch was also an opportunity for the Italian jeweller to showcase a retrospective of its 93-year heritage, one that still remains in the hands of the founding family—a rarity today as a decreasing number of global jewellery companies still remain independently owned. The exhibition, held at Palazzo Reale, took us through a journey of the brand’s origins all the way through to its current collection, via the visual imagery of its award-winning jewellery. The historical pieces on display gave us a better understanding of the brand’s identity, one that is guided by the values of creativity and craftsmanship. To further delve into the essence of what Damiani stands for, we were also invited to discover the hallowed process of conceptualising, designing and crafting the jewellery at its manufacture in Valenza. The quaint town, which is about 80km from Milan, has one of the highest concentration of jewellery makers in Italy, and has been specialising in jewellery-making and goldsmithing since the 1800s. We were reminded of the significant role Damiani has played in the development of jewellery-making in Italy as we spotted a fountain that features the Damiani logo, created specially to honour this familyowned company that has helped create jobs and train artisans, thus driving the town’s economy. Guido Damiani, president of the company, descendant of founder Enrico Grassi Damiani and one of the three siblings that run the brand today, explains, “Damiani was born in the most beautiful jewellery district in the world, Valenza. It is the place that made the most beautiful iron jewellery in the world. When LVMH started to produce its own jewellery, it didn’t open a factory in France, Switzerland or Rome, it came to Valenza because the best is here. We have been based here since generations; there have been people who have worked with my grandfather, father, mother, and now with us: they really breathe jewellery in this city.” At the modern-looking facility in the heart of this Italian town, we were taken on a tour of the workshops to discover what makes a Damiani piece so special. We ran through the entire process of making a Damiani jewel, and visited the various workshops to learn the Damiani difference: each Masterpiece (the brand’s high jewellery line) starts with a hand drawing, and is then handmade by craftsmen who have at least eight years of experience; only 10 to 15 craftsmen out of 100 at Damiani have the training (and natural talent) to work on a Masterpiece; each collection that is developed must present something inventive, but with a nod to the brand’s identity; and each diamond that weighs more then 0.29 carats must come with a certification by GIA or the Gemological Institute of America. The latest collection to emerge of the workshops in Valenza is the Margherita, released on the first day of spring this year. “This is when flowers bloom,” enthuses Guido. “The collection is dedicated to the Queen of Savoy, Margherita, which is also the name of a flower. And we chose Milan because it is the trendiest city in Italy.” The collection was inspired by the 1970s archival drawings by Damiano Damiani, son of the founder of the house, who drew upon the floral imagery that defined the zeitgeist of the era, and dedicated it to the memory of the Queen of Italy Margherita di Savoia, wife of Umberto I. Repurposed for the modern woman, the Margherita collection introduces architectural lines to the curved form of the daisy. It comprises a fine jewellery and a high jewellery line. The latter, part of Damiani’s Masterpiece line of exquisite jewellery, features an explosion of precious diamonds, meticulously arranged so they appear weightless and seemingly floating freely—an accolade to the jewellery-making skills of the craftsmen at its manufacture in Valenza. With one fell swoop, the Margherita collection duly pays homage to Damiani’s family heritage, its legacy of meticulous craftsmanship, as well as its innovation in jewellery-making.