Giovanni Raspini tells his story

Last Friday, at the Hotel Principe di Savoia in Milan, we attended a first-person account at the presentation of the new book “On Jewels”, commissioned by Giovanni Raspini and published by Giunti Editore. On Jewels not only describes the Tuscan stylist's opinion of the jewelry world, it represents the result of a life dedicated to this ancient art.  «I studied to be an architect but then I met silver and a great and enduring love blossomed. In the book I talk about the history of jewelry, about technique, design and marketing, the jewelers I love and my professional life experiences. Above all, I talk about contemporary beauty and eternal, timeless beauty. A project that came about precisely because nothing similar existed, a bit like the concept of jewelry that originated from the need to adorn the body. Jewelry is not synonymous with precious, in my opinion. Primitive people first thought of adorning the body and then of sheltering themselves from the cold. In Africa, jewelry is also linked to all forms of nomadism because it is even made in precarious conditions where there is no water,» says Giovanni Raspini. The book is intended as a reference for everyone: from those who nurture a deep passion for this world to those who are simply intrigued by so much beauty. Written in collaboration with Francesco Maria Rossi, it gives a captivating yet extremely accurate account of what a piece of jewelry is, between creation, craftsmanship, marketing, sales and - of course - the desire for elegance.  The work deals with lost-wax casting, precious metals, stones and carats, inspiration and technique; it talks about boutiques and famous companies, about business and the market. It cites Giovanni Raspini's “precious” anecdotes and reveals who his favorite jewelers are. It features his most beautiful creations without ever neglecting the most precious value of this sparkling world: style. The result is an elegant book of over 200 pages, carefully edited down to the smallest detail. A jewel of publishing, worthy of the subject matter. «There is joy and color in the book,» continues Raspini. «Let me also highlight an important concept, which I often repeat to myself and that I would like you to make your own: in contemporary jewelry, precious and non-precious are now categories of the past. In fact, as I point out in the book, what really counts is brand identity, the concept and the designer’s creative project. Hence, compared to the past, “fashion jewelry” now lives on new but equally important values, both from an aesthetic and commercial point of view. I especially like inventing, designing and constructing jewelry. I like treating the material, creating items that sparkle in shop windows and seeing them worn,» Raspini continues. «Making jewelry also involved accepting a process of feminization that I found hard to understand at first. The first time I made an earring it weighed 30 grams!»