By Cynthia Unninayar
The meaning of Oromalia in Italian is “enchanted by gold”, so it is no wonder that Salvatore Barberi’s Florence-based company has earned a reputation as an exceptional producer of fine gold jewellery. This year, the brand will showcase its creations for the first time at Couture, in Las Vegas, May 28 to June 3, 2014
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| Salvatore Barberi and daughter Sandra in their Florence atelier. |
The guiding principle for master goldsmith Salvatore Barberi has been to be innovative yet never eccentric. He has always believed in creating simple yet new shapes, shapes that are fluid and unpretentious while being elegant and refined, shapes that combine classical style with contemporary design.
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| “Classic” gold and diamond bracelet. |
All of Oromalia’s jewellery is handcrafted in the brand’s workshops with great attention to finishing. Large pieces, such as link bracelets and earrings, are cast and then invisibly soldered together to make them light but strong and durable (with a thickness of at least 0.2 cm). No detail is too small for Barberi, such as placing pins in the earrings to hold them in place and make them comfortable to wear.
Always looking for new challenges, Barberi was the very first, a number of years ago, to use ebony in his creations. “I use it like a highly polished gem,” explains this design pioneer. “When combined with 18K gold and diamonds, it gives an original and novel dimension to our jewellery.” Each piece of the dark hardwood is carefully hand-polished to a brilliant shine for an unequalled finish. The craftsmanship is so precise that it is impossible to see where the ebony links are cut and joined together.
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| “Ebony” gold and ebony wood pendants. |
Among Oromalia’s collections are “Ebony” that showcases the wood in various shapes with gold and diamonds, and “Ethnic,” inspired by Africa, that combines ebony, gold, and diamonds in sleek somewhat more edgy pieces. As its name implies, “Classic” features various colours of gold in a variety of links, ovals, and circles, some with diamonds. The “Leather” line has enjoyed great success all over the world with combinations of leather, gold, and diamonds. The shapes are simple yet refined, and comfortable to wear. These fashion-forward bracelets have attracted the attention of young customers and those who are young-at-heart.
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| “Leather” bracelet in gold, diamonds, and leather. |
Oromalia is now truly a family affair since daughter Sandra joined the company after her studies. While Salvatore works at the bench and oversees the other master goldsmiths, his wife Teresa and daughter Sandra take care of customer service and other administrative functions. Sandra also travels to trade fairs around the world to showcase the brand’s products and will be at Couture. Created with a mixture of passion, creativity, and technical skill, the fine jewellery of Oromalia is endowed with a definite Florentine enchantment.
