Spot the Designer - Valeria Rossini/ Italy

What did you want to be when you were a child?

I don't have a precise memory of what I wanted to do when growing up, but after all, I don't believe much in definitions and even today I don't know exactly what I will do tomorrow. But I have always been very fascinated by jewels and, above all, stones.

When have you started creating jewelry? How did this passion come about?

I started accidentally, while at college. I was studying design at the Milan Polytechnic and felt the need to do a more "practical" activity, disconnected from mere theoretical design. So I enrolled in a goldsmith school. Finally, having the chance to autonomously give a shape to an idea, was a devastating and beautiful experience. Since then, I have never stopped.

What was your first project or significant piece for you and from what point of view?

I believe it was my first modified square chevalier. I gently broke the symmetry, which I always love doing in my pieces.

How do you charge your batteries? What other passions and creative interests do you have?

I am very fascinated by analogue photography, I have a Canon AE1 from the 70s, I quite often carry it with me while traveling.

What does the connection between manufacturing tradition and contemporary design mean to you?

In our field, I see them as somehow competing with the creation of objects that, regardless of the technique, contain an artistic function or meaningful use in today's world. I personally have a greater passion for the more traditional techniques, even if I try not to use them in a manneristic perspective, but as a means of personal expression.

Is there a self-portrait piece that speaks most about you?

I change abruptly, so I believe there are several pieces that represent different phases of me over time. Right now my self-portrait piece is this ring with rough malachite, because it represents how I’m feeling: calm and able to take all the space I need.

Which material have you not yet used is a temptation and a challenge for you?

Being very attached to materials of natural origin, I have a complex relationship with resins. I haven't been able to include them in any project yet, but I expect to find my own way of ‘reading’ them soon.

How was the pandemic period for you as a jewelry designer?

It was a moment of great introspection. Overall, I am very grateful for what it gave me in terms of personal growing.

How do you see the future of contemporary jewelry?

I hope it will move more and more towards a "functional" direction. To quote a dear friend of mine, who’s an artist too, it is practically the only form of art that does not need a museum to be exhibited - the human body is its museum. And I believe this is an incredible potential to develop to create objects that live with and thanks to the people who use them.

Find more about the designer Valeria Rossini