Italian jeweller Alessio Boschi isn’t exactly a household name in the jewellery scene. But the Thailand-based designer has been steadily making waves in the fine jewellery world with his intricately crafted, unabashedly flamboyant creations covered in coloured gemstones the likes of black opal, orange sapphire and lavender jade. A regular at the annual Baselworld fair, he wowed at this year’s edition with a series of rings inspired by and shaped to resemble iconic Italian landmarks such as the Coliseum and Leaning Tower of Pisa.
As incredible as those designs were, the most memorable highlight of his repertoire is probably his Homage to the Renaissance collection, which bagged the Aesthetics Award at the International Jewellery Design Excellence award ceremony during last month’s 34th Hong Kong International Jewellery Show.
First unveiled at Baselworld 2015, the collection comprises a necklace and earrings inspired by the Renaissance period and its birthplace of Florence, Italy.
What’s remarkable about these jewels is their locket-styled central portions, which when opened, reveal intricate micro-mosaic paintings of famous Italian motifs such as the Il Duomo di Firenze and Michelangelo’s David sculpture. Every detail is painstakingly illustrated — from the octagonal shape and soaring arches of the cathedral, to the tendrils of David’s hair.
The magnificent necklace features 18 strands of Akoya pearls and rubellite beads, which culminate in the “locket” pendant. Its crimson doors are gilded with more rubellite, and swing open to showcase paintings of the cathedral and Maria de’ Medici, who was Queen of France in the 17th century. Large teardrop-shaped rubellites dangle from the bottom.
No less resplendent are the earrings, which are adorned with the David painting, and bedecked with lustrous pearls and rubellites. We probably wouldn’t wear the earrings and necklace all together at once, as it’d be a little over-the-top. But we can imagine how they’d make really splendid statement jewels, when worn individually.
Eschewing the minimalist jewellery trend, Boschi is clearly one to watch with his lavish creations that border on the eccentric. We can’t wait to see what else he does next.
(Main photo: Jewellery Masterpiece; Featured photo: Alessio Boschi)
Sara Yap is passionate about all things dining and jewellery, and is constantly seeking out exciting restaurants and glittering trinkets. When she’s not feasting in the name of work, chatting with talented chefs, or daydreaming about coloured diamonds, she’s probably binge-watching the latest Netflix series or indulging in her guilty pleasure — Hollywood celebrity gossip. Sara is a journalism graduate from Nanyang Technological University and her work has appeared in The Business Times Lifestyle and Prestige Singapore magazine.
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