Adam's FINE JEWELLERY & WATCHES 16 May 2023

T uesday 16 th M ay 2023 . S tarting at 4 pm 90 Michele della Valle was born in Rome and began design- ing costume jewellery at the age of 16. During a trip to Burma in 1976, della Valle bought his first stone, which he showed to revered stone dealer Roger Varenne, who suggested he take it to Hans Nadelhoffer, jewellery expert at Christie's. This proved to be a life-changing moment as it marks the beginning of della Valle’s career as a precious stone dealer and jewellery designer. In 1976 he worked for a year at Fürst Jewellers (a represen- tative of Harry Winston) in Via Veneto, Rome and in 1978 opened his own workshop at Rome’s Piazza di Spagna. At this point, he began frequently travelling to Asia in search of pre- cious stones and started collaborating with Bulgari on special orders, leading to his recognition as an important designer by famous Italian clientele of film stars and opera singers. Still a rarefied name in the world of jewellery, della Valle pres- ents ideas and designs to clients by appointment only. The fin- ished jewellery piece is then commissioned and meticulously handmade by sixteen highly skilled craftsmen in his atelier in Rome. Della Valle has become one of the most sought-after contem- porary jewellers in the world. He developed a distinctive style, conjuring up lyrical compositions from a treasure trove of en- vious gemstones. This approach stems from his personal pas- sion for opera and his own early training as a dramatic tenor. Nature remains his greatest inspiration, as he reinterprets clas- sic jewellery iconography - soft, silky, light feathers and ethe- real f lowers. He dreams in colour, the vibrant grass greens, f laming orange and lilting blues of sea and sky are the colours of jewels for which he has become celebrated. Della Valle’s travels have an enormous inf luence on his cre- ativity, stating: “I don’t understand how a jewel can be created without the magic of a trip to India or to the Far East in search of stones. The stones give birth to the design, and not the other way around.”