Alessandra Piazza

Thomson, Stephen

Goldsmith

©Alessandro Piazza

©Jorg Steffens

A pop of colour from Venice

Alessandra uses Murano glass to create jewellery
She treats glass fragments as thought they were precious stones
Her handmade pieces are one-of-a-kind

Trained with a rigorous four-year apprenticeship at the renowned Hemmerle goldsmithing company, Alessandra Piazza is a jewellery maker based in Munich. Thanks to her solid knowledge of traditional goldsmithing techniques, Alessandra has been able to dedicate herself to the creation of unique handmade pieces characterised by a very original use of Murano glass. Her particular appeal is using leftover glass that she collects in Venice, as though they were precious stones. She combines them with gold and other metals, like silver, copper, bronze and iron. Some of these glass fragments can also be very ancient, dating back as far as the 16th or 17th century. The union of technical mastery, and her original, modern touch has led Alessandra to explore colour and materials in her creations.

Interview

©Jorg Steffens

©Jorg Steffens

What do you like the most about practising your craft?: It is the freedom to create little artworks with leftover Murano glass pieces. I am completely free with regard to shapes and colours and that is how my creativity starts. I combine the great variety of Murano glass with gold and other metals, like copper, silver, bronze or iron.
How do you express tradition and innovation in your work?: Thanks to my four-year apprenticeship at Hemmerle & Co.KG, a renowned goldsmith company in Munich, I had the chance to learn all the traditional techniques. Now I am combining them with a modern touch and unusual materials. The knowledge of traditional goldsmithing techniques gives me the chance to try out new things.
Do you master any specific techniques?: I grind and file down big leftover pieces of Murano glass as though they were gemstones. The technique itself is not new, but, as far as I know, I am the only one working Murano glass this way. Of course glass is not as hard as gemstones, so I have to be very careful. By holding a glasspiece, I can almost feel how and where it might break.
Is this the most challenging aspect of your craft?: Yes and also the fact that I do not use any kind of glue. Thanks to the traditional techniques I learned, I have developed a method to combine multiple pieces of glass together in one of a kind jewellery. I have to assemble the elements in a very consistent way, so that the jewels are permanently fixed and do not fall apart.

Alessandra Piazza is a rising star: she began her career in 2016