Fabio Salini's Muses

It is no secret that wedding receptionsIt is no secret that wedding receptions are often an occasion for chance encounters.Perhaps even for new loves, as wasthe case with Queen Rania of Jordan andFabio Salini. Or rather, between the Queen and the creations of the Roman jewellery designer. The meeting took place a few years ago when, at a wedding reception, Fabio’s sister-in-law was approached by Her Highness, attracted by the jewels shewore. “They are by Fabio Salini.” Then came a telephone call, a meeting at the showroom in Via di Monserrato, 18 in Rome, and the purchase of an entire setin rock crystal, coloured sapphires anddiamonds. Thus, the legend of the Salinidesigner for crowned heads and VIPs wasborn. This also marked the beginning ofa long collaborative relationship, which saw his signature on extraordinary pieces made for the Queen of Jordan, including numerous representation pieces for official state visits. Created for the President ofthe Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano,and his wife, Clio Bittoni, was a silver box embellished with rubies for him and a pairof diamond and ruby earrings for her, witha blend of Middle Eastern motifs and technique spaired with purely Italian style andtradition. The modus operandi consists in the exclusive production of unique pieceson demand, which has evolved into a quited istinctive style for Fabio Salini, resulting from a life choice, both professional and otherwise. After coming of age in the laboratories of maisons such as Cartier and Bulgari, in 1999 Salini decided to headoff on his own journey, deviating from the ‘easiest’ and safest path along Via Condotti. This was in the interest of satisfying a deepdesire to dedicate himself to the continuous search for originality, design and the use of stones and metals, no longer followingof stones and metals, no longer following fashion, styles and trends dictated by the market.

Stimulating his creative process,sometimes requiring months to concludea single piece, is that which every single stone evokes within him, the shapes and the colours that then determine the choice of the accompanying metal. The metals andraw materials are not always prestigious,often being alternative and foreign to thehigh-end world, such as titanium and carbonfibre. Salini has dedicated the last threeyears of research to this latter ‘throw of thedice’, now embodied in pieces that wouldbe equally worthy of a place in a contemporary art museum - another environment in which Salini finds much inspiration - suchas the bracelet where white gold often at lessthan 2 millimetres supports over 10 caratsof diamonds, seamlessly set one after theother, in a sinusoidal luminous wave that wraps precisely around the structure ofthe bracelet, all in black. It is an evolutionin terms of form, technique, and even of the most traditional aspects of stone setting,as well as in the utilisation of gold, which here is purely decorative and no longer a supporting element. With a rock soul, which emerges is in sharp contrast to themost romantic and ‘flirtatious’ of pendants that sees the base in white gold and precious stones with long hand-sewn silk tassels,stones with long hand-sewn silk tassels, waterfalls of colours that caress a woman’sneck in an ultra - seductive manner. Yet those which seem to be antitheses in formand content are actually expressions of anartist who knows how to grasp the desires and spirit of those who seek to wear a piece of jewellery that often does not yet exist.Salini has many ‘muses’ that inflame the mind and hands: Soledad Twombly, MirellaRetteni Haggiag, Micaela Calabresi Marconi,female figures that embody different styles and moods, perfect for giving life to the eclectic and perennial movement ofthe Roman artist, as multifaceted as his beloved stones. On his ongoing exploratory journey throughout the goldsmith cultures and traditions, there is also a significant chapter that is still being written, linked to India. A great project was born from an encounter with businessman Rajiv Kothari, being a challenge for those who have never conceived the very idea of a collection. This is also a unique opera in its own way, but composed of around fifty creations each more precious than the next, a pure exaltation of rare gems, whilst preserving the Indian matrix in its DNA, yet revisited interms of aesthetic, with more contemporary and European codes, personalised in Fabio Salini’s own way.