Life in the Facet Lane…any way you look at it.

DIANA JARRETT GG RMV

With timeless furniture design, it’s said that form follows function. But what can we say about inspired jewelry design? Perhaps it’s more like form follows fantasy. At least this could be an explanation about the creative force behind jewelry designer Claudio Pino. His creations are shown the world over, where he’s celebrated for his iconoclastic design elements that transform his jewelry into sculptural masterpieces.

A look at his Golden Chameleon Ring explains and intrigues at the same time. Pino’s hand fabricated sculptural ring executed in 14K yellow gold enlists diamonds and Alexandrite to tell the rest of the story. In this ring, a mesmerizing Alexandrite stone takes the lead but never upstages the exquisite craftsmanship of the piece itself.

A Moment of Discovery

The Golden Chameleon Ring by Claudio Pino; Alexandrite, diamonds in 14K yellow gold

For Pino, all parts must play their role to perfection. With Alexandrite, he had a ‘lightbulb’ moment in which he fell in love with the hypnotic natural color-changing gemstone. Having interned for a full year in Mineralogy, one of his stand-out moments was discovering fluorite  veins in a mine. “Entering the old mine, and opening my black light,” Pino recalls, “veins of fluorite in the rock were changing colors to vivid green, orange, purple… It was spectacular!” That heart-pounding reaction was only eclipsed a few weeks later. “I was at the Tucson Gemstone Shows, and saw the magnificent changing-color gemstone, Alexandrite. It recalled to me the mesmerizing experience I had at the mine because it does give the effect of surprise and the feeling of being alive— joy,” he recounts.

A Very Storied Stone
Alexandrite is a naturally occurring color-change gemstone that goes from wine-red to green in different lighting sources. Discovered in the 19th century in Russia’s Ural mountain range it is said—it also bears Imperial Russia’s  national colors.. The name was a nod to then Tsar Alexander III whose birthday was near the time of its discovery. There simply is not much of the material around anywhere; much less the exceptionally dazzling type shown in Pino’s original ring. Depending on how the light is directed, Pino explains, “a completely new ring is revealed to the wearer. Textures, colors, shapes, each angle offers a different universe to          be explored.”

Some jewelry is celebrated for its style—others for the gemstones it displays. Pino’s engaging jewelry also gives an insider’s viewpoint into what moved its creator to joyfulness at one of nature’s most delightful gifts—the ever-changing colorful Alexandrite.

Contact Diana Jarrett at diana@dianajarrett.com and read color-n-ice.blogspot.com      www.dianajarrett.com