Famous Italian jeweller channel traditional Japanese artistry to create the most beatiful and poetic way of upcycling broken gemstones.
In William Shakespear’s famous play Romeo and Juliet, Romeo says “ …It’s easy for someone to joke about scars. If they have never been cut.” Japanese art kintsugi for centuries has brang new life to broken items with resin and gold, as if hearing reproach of Romeo. Kintsugi philosophy is to see the beauty of perfectly imperfect. Legend has it that the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa sent his favourite tea-bowl to China to be repaired. However, Yoshimasa dissappointed with metal staples which Chinnese craftsman used to mend the fractured bowl. He challenged his Japanese craftsman to find a better solution. After much thought, they restored the vessel using resin and powdered gold, bringing the world the very first example of kintsugi. Kintsugi art, which has been performed since the 15th century, combines with famous Italian jeweller and a new collection is presented: Pomellato Kintsugi Collection.
Famous Italian jeweller channel traditional Japanese artistry to create the most beatiful and poetic way of upcycling broken gemstones. Damaged jet and kogolong, which would normally be discarded, are repurposed to reveal a novel approach to creating precious jewels in this sophisticated re-interpretation of the ancient Japanese technique of kintsugi. The jewels are the fruit of the collaboration with a female master kintsugi artist in Tokyo who lovingly brings new life and preciousness to shattered pieces of jet and kogolong. In a true cross-pollination of cultures, the skilled artisans of Casa Pomellato in Milan craft the repaired stones into strikingly minimalist rings, earrings and pendants.
Pomellato Creative Director Vincenzo Castaldo was drawn to the elegance of Japanese thinking and the idea of something broken becoming more precious through this ritual of repairing during his Tokyo travel, in 2019. He says that “We were very respectful of the centuries old wisdom of the craft, and the aim is not to create perfection but a very individual and spontaneous result” , and “Each jewel is truly one of a kind and this to me is the real essence of preciousness.”
