Ugo Gambarella Designer of Artisan Astrological Jewels
I have always loved culture, art and beauty in all its expressions, and my training and professional career has developed in the wake of these passions.
After graduating in Literature with honors from the University of Urbino, and the experience of teaching History of Art in high school, I completed my studies in Gemology and Jewelry Design.
Following a trip to the United States – where one can breathe the all-American pride of having been the first and only ones to land on the Moon and the first in the world to explore and conquer space, and the reading of Lisa Morpurgo's texts – top 20th-century Italian expert on astrology – here's the idea: to create a collection of astrological jewels.
Thanks to a period of apprenticeship with an expert goldsmith, I made the techniques of handcrafted jewelry production my own. I understood that the quality of a jewel does not lie in the stones that are used in its creation, which are enhanced in their reflections, brilliance, and colors through jewelry lights, nor in their naturalness compared to those created in the laboratory: there are in fact sapphires and synthetic diamonds that cost more than their natural equivalents.
“Always remember that precious stones are tricks of magic”, I always repeated to the goldsmith who taught me. “Focus on the originality and exclusivity of the design to distinguish yourself”, he told me. And so I did: my mission is to renew the traditional astrological jewel, reproduce it with cheap materials and antiquated subjects, and restyle it with innovative creations with a minimalist design, a contemporary style, and precious materials.
Each handcrafted model presented on this site is unique: small differences in size, minimal differences in the weight of the 18 kt gold, and in the color of the stones are possible for each jewel.
This project represents the culmination of my passions: artistic-aesthetic sensibility, passion for astrology, and creativity applied to valuable artifacts. I hope to share my feat with you.
Below are some images of the craftsmanship of the Rosa di Venere pendant. From the manual drawing of the silver plate to the use of the gas torch for welding the additional components.