Giampaolo Babetto

Goldsmith

Unique jewellery inspired by Italy

Giampaolo creates jewellery to suit the female form
He won a Wallpaper Design Award for his work with Studio Swine
His work is inspired by the typical architecture of his homeland

“I am delighted to feel a young old man of 71: it means I still have something to say!” Giampaolo Babetto was happy to have won the 2019 Wallpaper Design Award in the Best Stealth Health category for the table set in silver that he created with design duo Studio Swine. This is just one of the many prestigious awards he has received in the course of his long career, among them the prestigious MAM Maestro d'Arte e Mestiere prize, which he was given by the Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte in 2018. “It’s always very rewarding to receive recognition for the efforts one has made in maintaining one’s identity,” he explains.

Interview

©Laila Pozzo per Doppia Firma

What makes a Giampaolo Babetto piece recognisable?: First of all, the simple design: I hate overly ornamental objects. I am inspired by the architecture of my homeland, by Palladio’s villas, and by the geometries in which I find poetry. I also think my jewellery is innovative in concept, different from what you find in most shop windows.
Do you remember the first piece of jewellery you created?: I do, it was a gold and enamel brooch, with a pattern that resembled the sea. It was 1965, and I gave it to my mother as a token for all the small jewels she had given me for my first experiments. We didn’t have much money and had to make the most of what we had.
Why did you choose to be a jewellery maker?: I was studying at the Art Institute and realised that I liked to work with my hands. So I decided to take a course in goldsmithing. Ironically, a few years later my teacher became headmaster, and asked me to take his place. I taught for over 15 years.
What do you love most about your profession?: Everything. I identify myself with the jewellery I create. Every time it’s a new challenge, because I know that what I create must be a living object, not just something sitting in a window, and it has to appear even more beautiful when worn around a woman’s neck, her wrist or her fingers.

Giampaolo Babetto is an expert artisan: he began his career in 1966