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© Francesco Paolo Catalano
© Fabio Florio
© Fabio Florio
© Francesco Paolo Catalano
© Fabio Florio

Alessia Bruno

Alessia Bruno Jewellery maker
Contact
Italian, English
Hours:
By appointment only
Phone:
+39 3498462646
© Francesco Paolo Catalano

The nature of jewellery making

  • • Alessia studied architecture before becoming a jewellery maker
  • • She feels a deep connection with nature, which inspires her
  • • She uses traditional techniques in her work

Alessia Bruno studied architecture at university, but she never really loved it. During her university years, she used to make little pieces of jewellery using metal wire. Without any technical expertise, she created simple rings that she sold to shops in her home town. Shortly after graduating, Alessia decided to take a class in the basic techniques of goldsmithing and fell in love with the craft, realising that she wanted to be a jewellery maker. After many years of study and apprenticeships, today she runs her own workshop in Palermo, where she produces simple yet beautiful jewellery inspired by natural elements such as insects, flowers, plants, leaves and marine flora.

Read the full interview

Works

  • © Fabio Florio
  • © Fabio Florio
  • © Fabio Florio
  • © Fabio Florio
  • © Fabio Florio
Photo: © Fabio Florio
Maidenhair

This handcrafted brass brooch faithfully reproduces the natural design of the maidenhair fern, one of the oldest plants on Earth. While it belongs to the family of ferns, it is distinguished by its shape: triangular with a jagged edge and radial ribs. The brass brooch was hand shaped, engraved and perforated to create the final surface texture.

Length 10 cm
Width 4.5 cm

Photo: © Fabio Florio
Caper

This handcrafted brass necklace features a branch with engraved and embossed leaves from a caper plant, a symbolic plant of Alessia Bruno’s region. This plant, which grows in the Mediterranean region, produces beautiful flowers and tasty fruit. The necklace's beautiful heart shaped leaves and bright brass branch hang from a gilt silver chain.

Length 72 cm
Width 4 cm

Photo: © Fabio Florio
Japan

This silver and enamel ring, part of a larger series of rings, is handcrafted using techniques of fretwork and enamelling. The ring recreates recurring themes in Japanese decorative art, such as cherries, plums and bamboo. The ring aims to convey the prevalence of emptiness over fullness, while the two-dimensional image and evocation of nature are typical of the Japanese style.

Width 1.8 cm
Diameter 2.2 cm

Photo: © Fabio Florio
Water Lilies

Using techniques of engraving and embossing, the Water Lilies necklace recreates the beautiful, light, rounded leaves found on this floating water plant. Through this innovative design, Alessia Bruno has created a delicate and highly decorative piece of jewellery.

Length 37 cm
Width 11 cm

Photo: © Fabio Florio
Dandelion

Alessia Bruno drew her inspiration for these thread-like earrings from the lightness of the dandelion flower, which children enjoy blowing, scattering the thick white peduncles, or seeds, into the wind.

Length 6 cm
Width 2 cm

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