Zancan’s Dream
Robertino Zancan tells his story. From artisan to founder of an international brand, now supported by his son and an Academy of skillful master goldsmiths
Born and bred in Vicenza in the flourishing 1960s in the heart of one of Italy's most productive gold districts, Robertino Zancan’s destiny was, one might say, already mapped out. Thanks to a considerable vocation for creativity and for finding new technological solutions, at just 20 years old he began working at the desk of a local company specializing in watch straps. Hence his immediate focus on the male world and an accessory that became the protagonist of a never conventional look. Already as an employee, even in those times he was creating innovative straps and he realized that the path he should follow was to put his manual dexterity and aptitude for design to good use by exploring a field that, up until then, had been left on the fringes of the jewelry world. In 1989 he founded a jewelry workshop where he began experimenting with the first “men-oriented” pieces. A sector that, although seen as secondary at the time, was a market waiting to be built, which was exactly what attracted Zancan. Step by step, his workshop became a structured company which, in 2001, took its futuristic headquarters to Ponte di Nanto, built around a large olive tree. Robertino's dream branched out more and more every day and, collection after collection, he asserted himself in the world both as a jeweler and physicist, broadening his horizons beyond the borders...
«My philosophy has always been clear and decisive: to create unique jewelry that stands out and is able to express the personality of the wearer. Goals that I have strenuously pursued with enormous commitment and dedication and by surrounding myself with highly specialized people. In fact, our brand is recognized not only for the originality of its design, but also for the refined detail obtained through the use of specific technologies, sometimes devised in-house. Take our setting type for example, in which the diamonds appear to be “sewn” to one another in order to enhance their natural light. An example of this is Black Magic, one of our evergreen collections as well as the brand's longest-lasting and most sought-after line, which has allowed us to make a name for ourselves all over the world. A must-have for men who like to stand out for their elegance and decisive character or, as I often say, who don’t need to speak to explain who they are. Black Magic flaunts black diamonds, enhanced to the utmost by our craftsmanship, an aspect on which I have focused greatly. As a man who grew up at the workbench, I have personally taught each of my current 41 collaborators techniques and attention to detail, factors that are now our hallmark. I realized a good many years ago that workmanship would be one of the brand’s added values, so I started thinking about how to solve the increasingly pressing problem of finding new manpower. Basically, we now raise our workers in our in-house Academy. And that really makes a difference. For example, a necklace from Ceramic Gold, another very attractive and successful line featuring black ceramic and 18 carat gold, can take up to 24 hours to assemble. A “luxury” that we can afford precisely because of our all-round autonomy, which allows us to carry out every single step here in our premises, from the design to the final finishing touches. So, while I take care of what happens here, my son, who has been focusing on developing marketing strategies on an international scale for a few years now, takes care of expanding our horizons. We are already present in the USA, Europe and the Middle East, but now, due to him, the company is aware of having broader perspectives and that we can achieve even more satisfying results.»
«My philosophy has always been clear and decisive: to create unique jewelry that stands out and is able to express the personality of the wearer. Goals that I have strenuously pursued with enormous commitment and dedication and by surrounding myself with highly specialized people. In fact, our brand is recognized not only for the originality of its design, but also for the refined detail obtained through the use of specific technologies, sometimes devised in-house. Take our setting type for example, in which the diamonds appear to be “sewn” to one another in order to enhance their natural light. An example of this is Black Magic, one of our evergreen collections as well as the brand's longest-lasting and most sought-after line, which has allowed us to make a name for ourselves all over the world. A must-have for men who like to stand out for their elegance and decisive character or, as I often say, who don’t need to speak to explain who they are. Black Magic flaunts black diamonds, enhanced to the utmost by our craftsmanship, an aspect on which I have focused greatly. As a man who grew up at the workbench, I have personally taught each of my current 41 collaborators techniques and attention to detail, factors that are now our hallmark. I realized a good many years ago that workmanship would be one of the brand’s added values, so I started thinking about how to solve the increasingly pressing problem of finding new manpower. Basically, we now raise our workers in our in-house Academy. And that really makes a difference. For example, a necklace from Ceramic Gold, another very attractive and successful line featuring black ceramic and 18 carat gold, can take up to 24 hours to assemble. A “luxury” that we can afford precisely because of our all-round autonomy, which allows us to carry out every single step here in our premises, from the design to the final finishing touches. So, while I take care of what happens here, my son, who has been focusing on developing marketing strategies on an international scale for a few years now, takes care of expanding our horizons. We are already present in the USA, Europe and the Middle East, but now, due to him, the company is aware of having broader perspectives and that we can achieve even more satisfying results.»
