The jewel handcrafted, the goldsmith’s craft is a very widespread job in Italy and has deep local and regional roots, where companies are often made up of parents and sons. The goldsmith districts of Valenza, Vicenza, and Arezzo show this typically Italian creative job.

The jewel handcrafted of Valenza

Today the goldsmith district of Valenza opens its doors to Maria Laura Berlinguer to share worldwide the over two hundred and fifty-year-old tradition of this small town which in the word “gold”, involves craftsmanship, passion and design.

Let the journey in the artisan workshops of Valenza get started! The DIVALENZA Goldsmith Consortium lead us to this ecosystem of goldsmith companies.

1. What is “Made in Italy” and above all, how can it be felt in the jewel handcrafted of Valenza?

Made in Italy is an expression that suggests the idea of Italian products all over the world. The celebrity of this kind of expression – that over time has turn into a real brand – is the quality that characterizes the Italian artisan and the industrial excellence.

From footwear to pret à porter, from bicycles to cars, without forgetting the food and wine excellences; Italian products are really appreciated (and sought after) on foreign markets because of their quality, their reliability, their fancy, and authentic design, their durability and safety, their unmistakable taste and flavor./p>

2. What does “Made in Italy” mean when it comes to the jewel handcrafted?

Made in Italy related to jewels suggests the perfect blend between past and modernity that joins the love for beauty alongside the artisan knowledge and that, at the same time, has given Italy the world leadership in the production of jewellery and goldsmithery.

The goldsmith district of Valenza stands for the excellence of the Italian jewellery.

Its jewels are strictly handmade, with truly handcrafted skills; the jewel of Valenza meets the fashion needs of VIP women, it goes with the stage outfits of the women of the biz show but, at the same time, it is handy and basic to get married perfectly with a ready-to-wear clothing (also sporting one).

3. What is the oldest and most famous goldsmith’s district in Italy?

In Italy there is a successful and international renowned luxury industry represented by the gold districts. .

The oldest and most renowned in terms of turnover and number of companies/employees, is that one of Valenza (AL), which is one of the best known and most important production districts in the international jewellery sector.

The jewel handcrafted in Valenza

The small and busy town of Valenza is located a short distance from the large cities of Northern Italy such as Genoa, Turin and Milan (it is no coincidence that it is said the city is at the center of the industrial triangle of the North-West); the district from Valenza involves eight nearby municipalities (between the territories of the Regions of Piedmont and Lombardy) where high-end jewellery and goldsmith’s articles are handcrafted and sold. Actually, the small Piedmontese town of Valenza, has the highest goldsmith density in Italy, the largest number of goldsmiths and jewelers and merges the genuine tradition of high craftsmanship along with a huge expertise for technical, artistic and material innovation.

The high level of design, a dynamic production framework , highly qualified professional training centers and a tradition of goldsmith production rooted in the region, make Valenza a beloved destination for luxury buyers but also for fans and onlookers.

4. Who are Valenza’s goldsmiths?

Damiani Maison (owned by the same-named family who is from Valenza) and the Bulgari Maison (which in Valenza built its largest goldsmithery plant in Europe at “Cascina dell’Orefice” ) is set in Valenza goldsmith site.

Despite the presence of big brands that call in the international press, the true soul of the Valenza district are the local goldsmith workshops born after the World War II, between the 50s and 60s and the early 70s.

The jewel handcrafted in Valenza: from father to son

The artisan jewellery production of Valenza has been keeping unchanged over time and has been handing down from father to son without breaking.

In the productive heart of Valenza there are goldsmith workshops that are already in the fourth generation and the forecasts are for growth and implementation.

A special thanks to the goldsmiths from Valenza who made their models and their prestigious jewels available for this interview. The photographs are subject to copyright and therefore their reproduction is forbidden without the written consent of their owner. Authorization must be requested from info@divalenza.it. Further information on published jewels or to know the goldsmith district of Valenza more closely, you can contact the DIVALENZA mailto: info@divalenza.it

5. About Maria Laura Berlinguer?

Brilliant, strong-willed and with a peculiar taste for beautiful things, at the age of 50, Maria Laura decided to leave a consolidated career in communication and reinvent herself, starting from her passions. Today, with the blog that carries her name, she is considered an ambassador of the “Italian style”.

She was born in Sardinia and she keeps carrying with her the scent of helichrysum, the fragrance of the myrtle, the color of the sea of Stintino, and the starry nights. Now she lives in Rome.

Maria Laura mission

What does she do? Anglo-Saxons call it “scouting”, she prefers to call it “discovering”. Maria Laura discovers Italian stylish high-quality products, and, thanks to her portal, she shares those with everybody. The blog reflects her lifestyle and her constant desire of being surrounded by beautiful things, blending harmoniously very valuable objects with products or garments that are less popular, but equally beautiful and never banal. We are in Italy: elegance is part of our culture!

Her goal is to promote Made in Italy, the real one, and the less known. In other countries, the knowledge of Made in Italy is bounded to well-known brands. Her mission, because also of her family “institutional” background, is to make the Italian excellences emerge in the world.

Photo Credits: the photos are in alphabetical order and belong to the following companies..

FOTO 1: Valentina Callegher

FOTO 2: Carlo Barberis

FOTO 3: Recarlo

FOTO 4: Moraglione

FOTO 5: Pasquale Bruni

FOTO 6: Lunati Gioielli

FOTO 7: Verdi Gioielli

FOTO 8: Pino Manna

Maria Laura Berlinguer’s photography is by Claudia Frjijo.