Roberto Coin: jeweller’s début in London

On the eve of Christmas season, renown jeweller Roberto Coin held his first ever event in London. Guests gathered in the Rubelli/Donghia showroom at the East Chelsea Harbour on the 30th November, where amongst the stylish home decor furnishings a number of jewellery collections were presented.

About a hundred guests came to the cocktail party to look at the pieces of jewellery from the latest collections by the Italian designer while having a glass of prosecco. In the homely ambience, some guests were coming, others going, and many were trying on the jewellery or lingering to talk and catch up. All pieces on displays were grouped according to collections and placed beneath glass cloches, which were periodically shifted away so that guests could take pieces in their hands. It was interesting to observe women’s eyes lighting up when the precious metals touched their skin – and that’s the magic of jewellery.

The star of the evening was the latest collection, Sauvage Privé, the most avant-garde on of all lines created by Roberto Coin since the brand was established in 1996. According to the designer, it embodies the woman of the future by combining passion and mindfulness. These two features were embodied in the geometric decorative elements on the earrings, rings and bangles of white and rose gold. They appear in the form of spikes or abstract canted cubes, placed either opposite or next to one another. The design features included elements decorated with pavé set diamonds, white or black jade, as well as malachite. I found the colour palette of the collection rather laconic, the jewellery design minimalistic and very stylish, just perfect for a modern fashionista.

In addition to Sauvage Privé, Roberto Coin also presented a selection of jewels from his well-established collections such as Animalier. Guests at the event could admire a chameleon made from sapphires, tsavorites and diamonds, a parrot with colourful wings and a piece released in honour of 2017, the Year of the Rooster. All of these animals were embodied in spectacular cocktail rings. The jewelled wildlife sanctuary was also supplemented by two bracelets in the form of a snarling tiger and a long-sighted eagle with cognac and black diamonds.

Several pret-a-porter items from the Princess Flower and New Barocco collections were displayed in two separate showcases, along with one-of-a-kind rings and earrings sporting large gemstones. With intertwining rope forming a chess pattern, the wide bracelets and rings were great examples of the complex techniques of working with gold that the craftsmen at Roberto Coin have mastered perfectly. The braid of gold was diluted with insets of delicate diamonds which, with their glimmering shine give the pieces a touch of glamour. 

All the jewellery collections were brought to London for one day only. Unfortunately, Roberto Coin was unable to attend the event in person, but I met his wife Pilar, who is responsible for the company’s marketing. She answered my question about the principal behind the location for presenting the début. “We decided to organise the evening together with Rubelli/Donghia, because both of our companies originate from Venice. In addition, we know Vivien Griffin very well, the owner of the London showroom, and her clients love our jewellery.”

Roberto Coin appeared on the jewellery market more than 20 years ago, and since then his company has been developing with a progressive geometric aesthetic. At the moment, the collections of the Italian brand are available in 60 countries around the world, and it seems that this figure is soon to change to 61.