Italian jeweller Verdi captures the Mediterranean dreams in coral
For almost five decades now, Italian fine jeweller Verdi has showcased the best of Italian artistry and craftsmanship, with pieces that prize the personality of the product over and above its commercial value. “We aim to give our customers their first experience in fine jewellery to be lived intensely and uniquely,” says CEO Marco Verdi, whose father Giuseppe Verdi founded the company in Valenza, Italy, in 1971.
CORAL: COLOUR OF THE YEAR
Rock ‘N’ Roll collection rose gold rings with diamonds, red coral, onyx and emeralds
Among jewellery connoisseurs, Verdi is renowned for its painterly and sensitive use of colour, often in unexpected combinations, as well as its celebration of natural themes and devotion to sustainable production.
These values intertwine in the exquisite Rock ‘N’ Roll collection, which highlights red coral as a complementary material to diamonds and gemstones. “We think that coral represents 100% ‘Made in Italy’ style. It has a Mediterranean feel and brings a summer touch to every period of the year,” says Marco. “It is a material we always love and use from time to time in our creations, no matter the trend of the moment.”
Coral is a material we always love and use from time to time in our creations, no matter the trend of the moment – Marco Verdi, CEO of Verdi
Rock ‘N’ Roll collection rose gold necklace with diamonds, red coral and onyx
The company painstakingly sources for the perfect gemstones to fit the design, then builds the piece around the jewel. In this case, the artisans have crafted red coral to play off onyx and rose gold — the preferred precious metal of Verdi — creating a soft and refined palette for the diamonds and emeralds.
Rock ‘N’ Roll collection rose gold bangles with diamonds, red coral, onyx and emeralds
This seamless coming together of organic, metallic, and gemmological elements echoes the multi-disciplinary, new-meets-old ethos of Verdi, where the latest computer techniques are used to create the first samples which are then made entirely by hand at its workshop in Valenza. The result is a collection of bangles, rings, bracelets, and necklaces that can serve as ‘easy’ yet sophisticated everyday wear, or as statement pieces for special occasions.
ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY
Rock ‘N’ Roll collection rose gold bangles with diamonds, red coral, onyx and emeralds
The type of coral used by Verdi is extremely ductile, allowing it to be worked and shaped with ease. “It’s possible to cut the raw material in bigger pieces than usual: in this way we are able to play with different shapes and dimensions — to ‘amuse ourselves,” says Marco.
In order not to destroy the precious reef, we use a special ‘eco-coral’, made by a complex synthesis project using a percentage of real coral powder, but taken from ‘dead’ branches and not live ones”
– Marco Verdi, CEO of Verdi
Also important is eco-sustainability: “In order not to destroy the precious reef, we use a special ‘eco-coral’, made by a complex synthesis project using a percentage of real coral powder, but taken from ‘dead’ branches and not live ones,” he further explains.
Rock ‘N’ Roll collection rose gold necklace with diamonds, red coral and onyx
The red eco-coral that results from this process does not have the disfiguring white stains that are common to actual coral, and has the added advantage of remaining the same over the years, without changing its colour.
“That way we can have a special material that is excellent for our purposes in making jewellery, yet we can respect the environment and maintain its natural balance. In fact, this is one of our most successful collections ever, and we don’t feel like quitting it any time soon,” says Marco.
