Jewelry beyond borders: exploring Rome's Roma Jewelry Week 2024

Roma Jewelry Week (RJW) returns for its fourth edition in the Italian capital from September 27 to October 6, 2024, with a preview event on September 25 at Villa Altieri. Founded by the architect Monica Cecchini, owner of the Incinque Open Art Monti Gallery, RJW offers a unique cultural platform within the jewelry world. Its strength lies in the synergy between different art forms—such as music, painting, sculpture, and more—creating a rich, multidisciplinary experience. This prominent event is held in collaboration with several cultural and municipal bodies, including Rome’s Department of Culture and the Department of Major Events, Sport, Tourism, and Fashion. The centerpiece of RJW will be the Incinque Open Art Monti Award, hosted at the prestigious archaeological site Mercati di Traiano – Museo dei Fori Imperiali https://www.mercatiditraiano.it from October 4 to 6.

From left: Francesco Ridolfi (winner of 2023 Incinque Award) Laura Astrologo Porché and Monica Cecchini

The event will showcase the artistry of contemporary and historical jewelry craftsmanship, highlighting jewelry as a profound art form with cultural significance. More than 170 artists and designers from across the globe will participate, with exhibitions, workshops, and conferences held in prestigious venues like Palazzo Venezia and the VIVE complex. This year’s theme, “Infinito Barocco,” explores the theatricality, creativity, and experimental spirit of the Baroque period, engaging with themes of human nature, social connections, and contemporary philosophical and scientific ideas. The jewelry pieces on display will reflect these concepts through innovative designs that celebrate beauty in imperfection and technical virtuosity. RJW 2024 continues to build on its historical connections by collaborating with notable institutions, such as the University and Noble College of Goldsmiths, Jewelers, and Silversmiths of the Alma City of Rome. Founded in the 16th century, this institution operates from the historic Church of Saint Eligio, originally designed by Raphael and later completed by Baldassarre Peruzzi and Bastiano da Sangallo. Art Historian Aldo Vitali, Chamberlain Consul of the College, plays a key role in bringing this legacy to life. The week begins with the “Infinito Barocco – Infinito” exhibition at Villa Altieri, a monumental site that houses the Metropolitan City’s Library and Historical Archive. “Aggreg-azioni,” a project presented by Claudio Franchi, goldsmith and art historian, emphasizes the power of diversity and the necessity of creative dynamism in today’s world. RJW will officially open on September 27 at 9:30 AM with the conference “The State of Art in the World of Jewelry” at Palazzo Valentini, discussing the evolving role of jewelry in contemporary expression. Later that evening, the Incinque Open Art Monti gallery will host the event’s opening ceremony, featuring the resident Incinque artists and a collaboration with the Assamblage School, represented by professor Andreia Gabriela Popescu.

Andreia Gabriela Popescu

Renata Dragusin

Renowned jewelry designer Alessio Boschi will lead a conference at Palazzo Venezia on September 28, titled “Marco Polo’s Journey in a Jewel: Alessio Boschi’s Narrative 700 Years Later.” The event will explore the historical inspiration behind his work, with the participation of Edith Gabrielli, Director of VIVE, Giulia Silvia Ghia, Culture Counselor of Municipio I Roma Centro, Pina Mengano Amarelli, Knight of Labour, Officer of the Order of Merit of the Republic, President of Amarelli. Moderator Barbara Brocchi, illustrator and IED Rome jewelry department coordinator.

Alessio Boschi’s il Milione ring

Throughout the week, RJW offers a diverse program of guided tours, workshops, and exhibitions. On September 29 from 11am to 19pm Dettaglidattimi will show its creations and make a live event with wax.

Dettaglidattimi

A highlight is the Artistic Watch Design Workshop on October 1, organized by Marco Fabio Verdastro and Monica Cecchini, where young designers from IED Rome and Accademia Italiana will create watches inspired by “Baroque Infinity.” These designs, along with entries from the Incinque Jewels contest, will be displayed at the Mercati di Traiano from October 4-6. The schedule also includes a range of other significant exhibitions, such as Anna Retico’s “Treditre – From Essence to Exuberance,” Myriam Bottazzi’s exploration of unconventional beauty with Anna Paparella. On 3^rd October Chiara Costacurta will showcasing her jewelry in dialogue with the resident artists of the Incinque Open Art Monti Gallery.

Myriam Bottazzi

Chiara Costacurta

On October 2nd, the association Officine di Talenti Preziosi will take center stage, presenting the event “Sensualem,” marking the conclusion of the creative workshop work in project 2024. OTP has interpreted the theme “Infinite Baroque,” emphasizing aspects of movement and the seduction of forms and volumes, with interplays of solids and voids, material contaminations and unprecedented attires. OTP will lead a workshop dedicated to jewelry design, inviting participants to reinterpret the main stylistic lines of Giovanni Valli, a historic designer for Bulgari. On October 4 a musical performance titled “Wolf 1069” by Christian Lavernier and Jacopo Baboni Schilingi and inspired by exoplanet Wolf 1069b will premiere at Mercati di Traiano. Workshops led by Roman Goldsmith Masters and contemporary jeweler such as Myriam Bottazzi, Le Sibille and Percossi Papi will provide insights into goldsmithing techniques. At Mercati di Traiano site, notable exhibitions include presentations by renowned designers like Alessio Boschi, Alessia Crivelli, Mike Joseph, Francois Santo, and Elena Donati.

Mike Joseph

Atelier Percossi Papi and Emiliano Alfonsi will present “The Precious Arcana: The Renaissance Roots of Baroque,” a unique collaboration between jewelry and painting that explores creativity and tradition.

Percossi Papi and Emiliano Alfonsi

Percossi Papi the coffer

The week concludes with a series of conferences on October 5 at Palazzo Valentini and October 6 at Palazzo Braschi. Speakers will include Alessio Boschi, Alessia Crivelli representing the Mani Intelligenti foundation, a speech about pearls held by Loredana Prosperi and Raimondo Cozzolino, moderated by Laura Astrologo Porché, Elena Donati, a presentation of the famous jewelry designer Stella Flame (moderated by Laura Astrologo Porché), Mike Joseph, Mohammad Younis Alawadhi, Bryna Pomp, and Francois Santo.

Stella Flame

Francesco Ridolfi winner of 2023 Incinque Award

Ivan Barbato winner of 2022 Incinque Award

Anna Pinzari

Chiara Fenicia

Maria Elena Abbate

Elena Donati

Mariana Gorga

Paula Guzman

RJW continues its commitment to supporting emerging talent through initiatives like the Incinque Jewels Award and partnerships with international schools. Blending tradition with modernity, RJW 2024 celebrates the evolution of jewelry as an art form, reinforcing Rome’s position as a global hub for contemporary jewelry excellence.

VILLA ALTIERI: Alteravanguardia: Franchi Argentieri, Ivan Barbato, Glauco Cambi, Remigio Maria Caserta, Andrea De Luca, Michele Forlenza, Marco Fulli, Negri Gioielli, Paolo Mangano, Raimondo Oliviero; KOK- Kollettivo Orafo Kollettivo. Maria Elena Abbate, Marco Aschi, Enza de Pinto, Stefano De Robert, Simona della Bella, Paolo Mangano, Raimondo Oliviero, Maddalena Rocco, Federico Vianello.

Incinque Jewels: Simone Vera Bath, Myriam Bottazzi, Simona Della Bella, Dettaglidattimi di Pinella Distefano, Elena Donati, Chiara Fenicia, Matuta Gioielli di Cristina Serafini Sauli, Emanuele Leonardi, Paolo Mangano, Anna Pinzari, Francesco Ridolfi, Lorella Verrillo.

Incinque Open Art Monti Gallery: Simone Vera Bath, Myriam Bottazzi, Simona Della Bella, Dettaglidattimi di Pinella Distefano, Elena Donati, Chiara Fenicia, Angela Gentile, Matuta Gioielli di Cristina Serafini Sauli, Emanuele Leonardi, Maria Patrizia Marra, Paolo Mangano, Maria Gaia Piccini, Anna Pinzari, Francesco Ridolfi, Lorella Verrillo.

Assamblage School: Andreea Carastoian, Valentina Cziko, Marie Jianu, Romana Mateias, Irina Elena, Nicolescu, Ionut Panaite Jitianu, Celine Poudroux, Madalina Tudor Radulea, Alexandrina Remescu-Simo, Madalina Spiridon and Andreia Gabriela Popescu.

PARTECIPANTS INCINQUE JEWELS AWARD – Mercati di Traiano: Neil Adcock, Abrar Alebrahim, Allegra Collection di Laura Moisa, Laura Agnello Modica, Cesar Eugenio Alvarez Lopez, Tobias Andersson, Asimi di Anna Butcher, Atelier Jen di Jen Neame Collins, Hani Baayoun, Ivan Barbato, Simone Vera Bath, Shirley Blanch, Bosoni Gioielli di Mariangela Fuso, Gabriella Campanella, Carola Caputo, Simone Cipolla, Thais Costa, Livia D’Agostino, Dettaglidattimi di Pinella Distefano, Elena Donati, Renata Dragusin, Tony Drawbridge, Dun Design di Elena Bocharova e Oleg Dun, Elledì Gioielli Di Laura Maria Augusta Di Leo, Ellence di Elle Di Mauro, Chiara Fenicia, Arata Fuchi, Dario Gargiulo, Angela Gentile, Patrizia Giachero, Mariana Von Atzingen Gorga, Guzema Jewelery di Valeriya Guzema, Loredana Daniela Ichim, Melania La Via, Francesca Luciani, Amélia Marta, Gina Melosi, Gianni Misto, Isabella Muccini, Anastasia Mukhortova, Narratrame di Silvia Pichi & Ferdinando Masone, Riccardo Palliola, Ornella Pandolfi, Anna Paparella, Patricio Parada, Ana Petrova, Maria Gaia Piccini, Anna Pinzari, Andreia Gabriela Popescu, Macarena Ravioly, Luigina Rech, Ines Reynoso, Francesco Ridolfi, Francois Santo, Serena Sciarrini, Gabriela Sierra Torres, Tania D’ Gioielli di Tania D’ Gaetania Maria D’emma,Taylor Chyn Jewelry di Taylor Chyn, Tribal Beat Jewellery by Silvia Ghidoni, Lorella Verrillo, Matteo Vitali, Heyi Wang, WEME by Chiara Fenicia & Anna Pinzari, Marie Therese Wolf.

ACCADEMIA ITALIANA – Sofia Bressanin, Fabiola Fasoli, Federica Marchitelli, Negar Sanai, Alberto Spallaccia, Lin Wang

IED-ROMA – LAL Dal Monte, Raul Di Tomo, Giulia Dissabo, Lee Heykuyng

MINOSS JEWELRY ACADEMY – Boseong KIM, Ikchan Lee, Ha Seo Yeon, Zhan Xinyu, Ashley Youngsun Nam

HTF HARD TO FIND – Victor Arriaga, Natalia Castellanos, Elizabeth Gonzàales Diaz De León, Paula Guzmán, Marco Antonio Madriz, Emilio Marmolejo, Angel Ochoa, Patricia Quiroga, Balamquitze Ramirez, Ana Cristina Salazar, Camila Tovar.

Other artists: Alteravanguardia: Franchi Argentieri, Ivan Barbato, Glauco Cambi, Remigio Maria Caserta, Andrea De Luca, Michele Forlenza, Marco Fulli, Negri Gioielli, Paolo Mangano, Raimondo Oliviero, Serena Bonifazi and Brigita Huemer

Personal exhibitions: Percossi Papi and Emiliano Alfonsi, Alessio Boschi, Alessia Crivelli, Mike Joseph, Elena Donati, Francois Santo

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS

Nobil Collegio degli Orefici – Gioielloinarte: Glauco Cambi, Nicola Vitali and Greta Morley Fletcher.

Esperienza romana – Riccardo Alfonsi and Elena Lo Presti, Antonio Fontana, Cristiana Perali and Rossella Ugolini

Preziosa Young Florence Jewellery Week – Hasan Kurd, Xinyi Chen e Maria Camera-Smith

LABORATORIO VERDASTRO – Roya Ammari, Lavinia Dibilio, Leonardo Funaro, Federica Marchitelli, Dennis Yaulema, Francesca Pallaoro and Iris Tufo.

ATELIER & LOCATION RJW: Atelier Anna Retico, with Clara Del Papa and Letizia Maggio “Treditre – Dall’essenza All’esuberanza”, Rione Trastevere- Myriam Bottazzi and Anna Paparella “Heliocentriche”, San Lorenzo District – Pastificio Cerere.

RESIDENT INCINQUE OPEN ART MONTI: Simone Vera Bath, Myriam Bottazzi, Elena Donati, Chiara Fenicia, Dettaglidattimi, Francesco Ridolfi, Emanuele Leonardi, Paolo Mangano, Maria Patrizia Marra, Maria Gaia Piccini, Matuta, Anna Pinzari and Lorella Verrillo with Chiara Costacurta.

OTP: Alef gioielli, Allotti Valentina, Aschi Marco – AschiCollezioni, Bernardini Papalia Rossella, Crim Creazioni Materiche, Deliège Christel, Elli Atelier Gioielleria Contemporanea, Evangeline piccolegioie, Ferrero Daniela, Gioia Capolei designer, Imperfectio Stefania Rainone, Marco Serra designer, Marina Valli designer, Mingiardi Chiara, Montanari Orietta, Navona di Calvanese, Perleonardi Letizia, Pisanu Roberta, Wunderkammer jewels.

SPONSORS: Milano Fashion&Jewels, Mani Intelligenti, Mike Joseph, Bedetti, Elena Donati, Dettaglidattimi di Pinella Distefano, Fonderia Lefevre, Chiara Costacurta, Montanelli Restauri S.r.l., M.O.S.T. CND S.R.L. monitoring & structural testings, Winsor & Newton, Residenza Maritti, Q’S Rummeria, Casale del Giglio, Ass.Cult Arti e Mestieri Rioni de Roma e Homero Studio. Si ringrazia Amarelli.

– Main Media Partners –