The Preciousness of a Moment
ICONIC JEWELS | Chiara Melani
“As a girl, I made extraordinarily colorful necklaces and bracelets for my friends and myself with Murano glass beads”, and so it was a fast track to becoming a high-end designer brand synonymous with Italian craftsmanship. She is a lawyer by training, entrepreneur by choice, and gifted with creativity.
Licia Mattioli began establishing herself with her jewelry now present in more than thirty countries, ever since the end of 1995 when the Mattioli family bought Antica Ditta Marchisio – the historic artisanal goldsmith workshop in Turin – and started reestablishing the company. The Mattioli brand was born, and those plastic and glass beads were replaced with gold and precious stones.
“I spent a lot of time in the workshop learning fusion and then production methods,” continues Licia Mattioli. Her passion was finally revealed and she found energy in the study of old archives as she delved into the company’s history. “I discovered my body and my soul, and decided
that this was my calling”. It is classic goldsmithing and creations with precious stones and gems, as well as many unique pieces. “From the very beginning, we have tried to bring innovation to very static items, anchored to archaic processes and materials, and so we started by experimenting.
First of all, we introduced mother-of-pearls in order to examine a distinctive color palette. I still remember the reaction of an esteemed Italian jeweler who told me, ‘What did you do? Did you put buttons in the necklace?’ …But now everyone uses those ‘buttons!’.” A forerunner of trends, ranging from iron to rare stones: “we tried to use materials from different sectors in Mattioli”, and the culmination is a must-have from the brand, one of her most creative expressions with the Tibet collections. It is inspired by the ring that Tibetan mothers give their daughters when they marry: every ring of filament represents a year of happiness.
“Tibet has been a great success ever since it was first presented on the market, now more than twenty years ago. It is an extraordinary story, a wish for love and prosperity, and at the same time an invitation to meditate on the flux of things that make every moment precious. For this reason, in the tradition of these filaments that follow each other, we are presenting a reinterpretation of the classic model at the upcoming edition of Basel’s jewelry fair; it evolves into a more elliptical form, and in some special pieces, it also features diamonds that flow into an everlasting creation, like the passing of life on a filament”.
This event is preceded by a presentation of the capsule collection on March 21 at “Candy”, a boutique in Rome; the collection is inspired by the world of candy with use of cabochon stones and sweet nuances. Art, nature, and travel define and adorn a Mattioli woman, dynamic yet feminine, sophisticated yet flexible, an interpreter of the contemporary spirit: from bracelets to the renowned chains, for a unique and indescribable touch. “My favorite stone is the fire opal, a beautiful orange stone, but very fragile”, like the soul of every woman – ductile, precious, and multifaceted – and Mattioli’s creations decorate their every moment.
Web: mattioligioielli.it
