I made a visit to the Aaron Faber Gallery on Fifth Avenue earlier this month, having received an invitation to preview the jewelry of designers from Quebec. While many of the designs were creative, innovative and fresh, the creations of...
I made a visit to the Aaron Faber Gallery on Fifth Avenue earlier this month, having received an invitation to preview the jewelry of designers from Quebec. While many of the designs were creative, innovative and fresh, the creations of one particular designer caught my eye--Claudio Pino.
Pino’s rings are miniature works of architecture that incorporate movement into geometric shapes. Aptly named the Kinetic Rings Collection, the pieces I saw incorporate 14-karat gold, silver and gemstones.
“In this collection, I add meticulous mechanisms to give the stone set the freedom to follow the owner’s movements, reflecting the wearer in many small, intricate ways,” Pino said. “My rings come alive only when they find their owners.”
Pino’s “Infinity” ring is made in 14-karat gold and sterling silver with moonstone, diamonds and ruby.
I was skeptical when I first saw Pino’s rings--the rounded gemstones set into the bottom of the lower shank of the band and seemingly sharp edges of the design had me thinking it might be an uncomfortable piece of jewelry to wear. But I couldn’t have been more wrong; each ring was extremely comfortable and wearable, forming perfectly to the movements of my hand and fingers.
“During the creative process, I never forget that someone will be wearing the ring,” Pino said. “Therefore, rings first need to be very comfortable and belong to the hand.” Pino’s “Metamorphosis” ring is made in sterling silver and 14-karat gold with moonstone, pearls, turquoise, prehnite and amethyst.
The designer also told me he draws from a wealth of inspiration for his creations, from the aurora borealis to ancient Egypt, carefully constructing which gemstones are paired with one another in each ring.
“I juxtapose cold silver to the warm gold, calm green emeralds to vivid red rubies, to the hue of the charm and freshness of whitewater pearls,” he said. “Each design portrays a slice of life.”
Pino’s Cereus ring is made in 14-karat gold with opal, tanzanite, blue diamonds and pearls.
While speaking with Pino, his enthusiasm and belief in his designs was refreshing. He wasn’t talking about carat weight, facets, or the price of his pieces--he spoke about inspiration, symbolism, and most importantly, the wearers of his rings.
“As symbols of love, representations of victories and demonstrations of power, rings are the most personal and evocative pieces of jewelry,” he said. “Having a gem connected to one’s own body movements and
