First, let me tell you a story. Once, Andreoli received an order for a large necklace, and it was to be embellished with emerald beads and intricate detailing. The complex design with interwoven threads dictated looming difficulties in the production, but that did not stop the jewellers. The necklace was meticulously crafted within a few months. When the client arrived to collect the necklace, she was extremely pleased with the finished result. However, while trying it on , one of the leading threads broke and emeralds scattered all around the floor (we are talking about 500 carats of emeralds!).
That evening, Jack Hadjibay gathered his master-craftsmen together and spent hours pondering over the cause of the fault in the design and how it could be fixed. After hours of discussion, the decision was made to use metallic threads, which would be able to support the weight of the gemstones. Now that Hadjibay had found a solution, he spent the next few months putting it into practice – it wasn’t easy to implement, as the thread itself had to be almost weightless.
Finally, he managed to find the finest aluminium threads made by a German supplier. This proved to be the solution to Andreoli’s jewellery design problem. Not only the client was happy with it and bought the necklace, but also many more variations of the necklace were created in the future.
I told you this story in order to illustrate what the masters at Andreoli put to the fore. Despite the fact that all jewels are manufactured as one-off pieces, it is not their uniqueness that makes Hadjibay proud, it is the perseverance and hard work that goes into each piece. This helps the team at Andreoli come up with new and original design solutions, while improving existing ones. “Each time we achieve a goal, we are fired up to do amazing work. There is an urge to accomplish more – to go above and beyond the call of duty to make fresh designs, to use new materials and to stand out,” says Hadjibay.
Would it surprise you if I were to tell you that eight years ago, Andreoli was the first brand in Valenza to start working with titanium – a metal that is capricious and hard to melt and manipulate. “In order to create the big pins and heavy earrings we had in mind, we needed something light. It wasn’t easy to achieve the result we wanted. But because of the delicateness of the material, we succeeded in doing the extraordinary,” says Hadjibay, referring to a floral titanium bracelet. As I look at the bracelet, I notice how unique it is.
When jewels are created as one-of-a-kind pieces rather than collections, anything can become a source of inspiration for the new designs. At Andreoli, high-quality precious and semiprecious stones are the starting point of the most wonderful jewels.
“Much of our inspiration for the gems that we use depends on the colour and fashion. For example, the Oscars and other awards have an impact on the direction we take our jewellery. If red is being featured on the red carpets and if it is the Pantone colour of the year, we create jewels with red hues such as carved ruby earrings and ruby necklaces,” says Caroline Hadjibay, who has turned her attention to her father’s jewellery business.
If you have already browsed through the photographs in this article, you’d have noticed how extensively the designers use beads, briolettes and cabochons made out of precious stones in the jewellery – you will find them in a variety of necklaces, rings, bracelets and earrings. The organic and sleek forms of beads are very often favoured by clients, leading to a steady increase in demand for such jewellery year-after-year.
If you like bright, statement jewellery with precious stones and want to own a unique piece, visit Andreoli’s showroom in New York. You will plunge into the atmosphere of the bejewelled festival and like me, you too will not be able to say, “Please, don’t show me more!”
Photographer: Lordale Benosa
