How did you encounter Sardinian filigree?
I started making jewellery when I was 16, when I was living in Rome. I came back to Sardinia every summer and I eventually fell in love with filigree. I trained with the best filigree master in Sardinia, Vittorio Melis, and opened my workshop here in 1988.
What do you love most about your work?
Most of all I love the results: gold filigree is a very difficult craft to master and while there are different types of filigree around the world, the Sardinian one is the most clean and precise. I’m not shy about my jewels always being outstanding.
Pietro Lucerni©Michelangelo Foundation
How do you combine heritage and innovation?
Sardinian filigree is ancient, it is part of our DNA, everybody in Sardinia owns at least one filigree jewel, usually passed down from one generation to the next. But what I do is reinterpret traditional jewellery by adding a modern twist, a more contemporary design – but preserving the quality and craftsmanship.
Do you think your craft is in danger?
Absolutely. There is only a handful of filigree masters left in Sardinia. I was born in the 1960s and I’m one of the youngest. Sardinia has never invested in preserving the craft, they didn’t open schools or financed training. I’m afraid without support the craft will die.