Made in Italy: The Artistry of De’ Lazzari-Oro Addosso

Why do I get so excited about going to jewellery exhibitions? Because I get to discover jewellers from the region and better understand the culture of one place or the other through jewellery! On my recent visit to VicenzaOro, I came across De’ Lazzari-Oro Addosso, otherwise known as De’ Lazzari, which was established in the Italian town of Casale Monferrato in the early 1980s. Its founders, Lina and Vittorio De’Lazzari, proudly continue the goldsmithing traditions of their home country with each new collection. To learn more about the values at the heart of the brand, I spoke to Lina about her most iconic collections, the cultural influences that inspire her creations, and her constant search for something new.

One of the many reasons I return to Vicenzaoro annually is to meet brands that are continuing Italy’s rich tradition of goldsmithing excellence. My favourites are those that respect these ancient procedures for processing precious metals while adding their own innovations and unique ideas. One brand that achieves exactly this is De’ Lazzari-Oro Addosso, which takes the art of fine jewellery seriously but doesn’t cling too fiercely to the past.

Lina De’Lazzari creates contemporary, significantly sized pieces with a meticulous Italian approach to gold but without fussiness or pomposity. Instead, her jewellery is often adorned with coloured gemstones – morganites, amethysts and aquamarines – set in sculptural and feminine designs. The stones she uses are not just traditional pear-shaped, round brilliant or emerald cut. Most are cut in a fancy form to fit the jewel perfectly and become the focal point of a design. A good example of this is a cuff bracelet with a very unusual amethyst set in a chunky gold setting reminiscent of the designs popular in the 80s.

Wearing one of our jewels does not simply mean carrying it but experiencing it, explains Lina De’Lazzari.

When De’ Lazzari was gathering pace in the 1990s, its founder was one of only a handful of female entrepreneurs in the luxury jewellery space. I am sure the feminine energy of her designs is what helped them stand out from the crowd! Her co-founder, Vittorio De’Lazzari, completed the puzzle by choosing materials personally, including diamonds and precious and semi-precious stones. Teamwork turned out to be a strategic choice that has reaped rewards.

During our meeting, at one point, Lina described her specialism as “making the invisible wearable”, and I can’t think of a better way to describe jewellery’s emotional and personal significance. Now, let me share with you some highlights from my recent conversation with the Italian designer.

Katerina Perez: What are your most iconic collections, and is there a piece you are well-known for? 

Lina De’Lazzari: Surely the most iconic was the Letteratura collection. Its spirit of innovation and experimentation has allowed us to span decades: we’ve evolved through our jewellery and dictated fashion in the 1990s with it. I designed this in the 1990s; Vogue dedicated a cover, and [the collection was featured in] many other magazines in jewellery and fashion.

We know that jewellery with precise but soft geometries can be reshaped season after season, allowing us to renew pieces for the current times. Classic elements can be reworked according to changes dictated by new materials, colours and combinations. So, it’s a constantly evolving collection that crosses times, history and design.

KP: Can you explain more about the importance and significance of Italian tradition at the core of your brand and its identity?

LDL: It has always been the job of our jewels to transmit values and Italian culture, express family heritage, adorn the clothes of women and men and give prestige and importance to dynasties. Think about the goldsmith shops born in Ponte Vecchio in Florence, where the artisans combined history, design, creativity and preciousness. Or think about Torre del Greco, where corals were worked to adorn royal families around the world.

This is why ‘Made in Italy’ has endured: only here, despite the passing of time, has the goldsmith’s art been able to bind fashion and art in a typically Italian way… no other country has been able to do so!

What makes Italian art so special? Certainly, the hands that work it, that know how to transform that design into a precious object, the vocation of the know-how that crosses generations, the intuition for the trends of the moment, and the attention to detail that reaffirms our historical culture. This is encompassed in every single jewel.

KP: What is your approach to coloured gemstones?

LDL: As you can see from our collections, we are absolutely and inextricably linked to coloured stones. We express our creativity through their uniqueness, using only natural gems, and studying the colour combinations that can enhance their intensity and purity. My favourite colours are the shades of pink tourmaline, accentuated with lilac amethysts, and deep blue aquamarine… my favourite cuts are hearts, drops and ovals with facets designed specifically for each stone to enhance their colour, purity and brilliance.

KP: Some of your jewels are quite sculptural, whereas others are very feminine – what is the thread that ties all your collections together?

LDL: There isn’t a line dividing our creations; we are constantly looking for the ‘new’ and the ‘different’. We always keep in mind the goldsmiths’ art, so sometimes there are sharper and more decisive lines, others softer and sinuous, just like the facets of every woman.

We combine architecture, aesthetics and manufacturing skills. We always focus on research; customers all over the world want to own a unique and recognisable designer jewel that can be worn every day and can be adapted to their needs. We exalt an ideal of beauty through our creations. Our signature describes us perfectly: “Oro Addosso” or “wearing gold” dresses a woman and fulfils the female desire to express her personality.

De’ Lazzari will release its latest new collection in January 2023, also on the occasion of the Vicenza Fair. Sadly, I couldn’t tempt the team to reveal any details. Still, if you are attending Vicenza from January 20-24, 2023, I recommend you seek out this Italian brand for its exciting combination of innovation, Italian artistry, feminine design and striking gemstones. I will also be there to see what treasures are being launched to celebrate the New Year.