English
We love to define ourselves “Jewelry Weavers” because our creations are the result of a stylistic research which has its roots in the past and we want to preserve and transmit its culture and tradition.
In our jewels Renaissance-weaving-techniques and contemporary works coexist, with the excellence of the oldest Italian goldsmith tradition, attention to detail and selection of precious and refined materials.
Textile art is that artisan process that uses weaving techniques. What makes a jewel “textile”, is its material structure, that is its being composed of flexible elements: threads of various kinds.
Each of our creations is the result of the wise weaving of gold and silver threads (Sparkle collection) or of the same ones joined to the silk (Gold, Silver and Silk collection) according to the ancient technique of the warp and weft interweaving.
Each jewel is a textile handmade with the same old wooden frames used by our ancestors. Our artisans have preserved, almost intact, the style and the modality of the Renaissance works. From the respect and valorization of the traditional culture, unique masterpieces are born, enhanced by motifs and drawings with millennial roots.
The leitmotif of the Nicotra di San Giacomo collections is the diamond micro-chain in 925 °° silver that allows to create a sparkling and precious textile characterized by extreme softness to the touch and adaptability to the wearer’s body.
But how did the idea and the artisan processing of this precious material come from?
Alessandro Nicotra di San Giacomo, founder of the company, comes from an ancient Sicilian noble family.
Fascinated since childhood by the world of medieval armor, he is interested over the years in their history and evolution.
Particularly striking is the cotta, one of the first armor of the knights, consisting of a metal mesh resulting from the interweaving of small iron rings densely connected to each other.
Deepens over the years the artisan techniques of Roman goldsmith’s art to translate into jewelery an idea that fuses respect for traditions, innovation and the search for beauty.
Think back to the image of medieval armor seen as a child he studies a technique to transpose it into a jewel. Thanks to the collaboration of expert artisans, he realizes that a similar effect can be achieved by using Renaissance frames that can create a thin, light, soft and sparkling fabric that is perfect for creating unique jewels with metropolitan and prêt-à-porter designs, but at the same time customizable and versatile.
From these first intuitions the “Gold, Silver and Silk” collections are born, which combine the vibrant colors of silk with the diamond micro-chain.
A harmonious union, in which once again echoes Renaissance and chivalric eras. Brocades and damasks, fabrics worthy of a king or palace, on which weave gold or silver threads, are some of the most precious weaving products of all time to inspire Nicotra di San Giacomo in his creations.