The goldsmith architect
- Roberto sees jewellery as a gateway to our inner dimension
- He defines himself as “architect and dreamer”
- His creations are made of lava, coral and silver
Roberto Intorre’s father was a building contractor, so it was natural to him to study architecture and city planning. But, before graduating, he had a revelation. He was with some friends at a party, when he saw a girl wearing a particular jewel around her neck. The next day, he tried to reproduce the same object with iron wire and forceps. In that moment, he decided to become a goldsmith. So, in 1992, he created a small workshop in his house. After graduation, he won three scholarships in Portugal, where he stayed for five years, studying and working. It was in 2000 that he came back to Italy and opened a workshop in Palermo. Here, he creates a series of beautiful jewellery made of lava, coral and silver that tell the story and the culture of his Island, Sicily. His collection "Gocce di magma” was recently chosen by the British Museum to represent the Sicilian identity.
INTERVIEW
I graduated in 1995 with a degree in architecture, but even then, I wrote my thesis on jewellery design. My professor was a person with great sensitivity and humanity, she made me understand that matter isn’t something inert, but living.
I love all the secrets of the different metals. Everybody knows that metal is a very hard material, but you can make it softer and shape it to your liking. It’s like looking for love in a rude person.
The first jewel I made was an object inspired by a Celtic design, it represented the union between male and female. It looked good to me, but I had nothing to compare it to. A few days later, someone came into my house and asked me to sell it to him: that gave me great confidence.
I can tell you what a jewel doesn’t represent to me. A jewel isn’t a futile thing at all, but a necessity, a need. It’s a deep self-expression that we can show others, a gateway to our inner dimension.
