STORY C J HWU With his radiant creations reminiscent of the French Impressionist style, Italian designer Giuseppe Raia captures beauty in its true light. IT'S been said that light is Impressionism, so it comes as no surprise that Giuseppe Raia's favourite artist is Claude Monet. Raia is the principal designer for Raima, a company he co-founded with his brother and two childhood friends. Complice la Luce, Complementing the Light, is the heart and soul behind each of Raia's stunning creations.
"Luce means 'light' in Italian and it is the light that gives the final touch to Raima's jewels, making them shine and capturing the colours of the rainbow," Raia illuminates. "Complice la luce is the light that completes the beauty," says the man who describes beauty as harmony and claims any woman can be a muse.
For Raia, who's a painter by passion, art and jewellery are intricately linked, interlaced like lovers' fingers, engaged in a conversation where words are not needed. The French Impressionists and in particular, Monet, have influenced and inspired him. It was Monet's seminal 'Impression: Sunrise' that gave the movement its name. The Impressionist style is characterised by the use of colours and small brush strokes to simulate actual reflected light to create a general impression of a scene or object. "The colours and nature and the sweetness of landscapes of this style of painting have inspired me as a painter, and as a jewellery designer," says Raia.
Before the first Impressionism exhibition in 1874, the art critic Armand Silvestre said of these paintings: "A blond light pervades them, and everything is gaiety, clarity, spring festivals, golden evenings or apple trees in blossom. They are windows opening on the joyous countryside, on rivers full of pleasure boats stretching into the distance, on a sky which shines with light mists, on the outdoor life, panoramic and charming."
This is one of the main reasons for Impressionism's lasting appeal: the paintings make viewers feel as if they were on holiday enjoying a beautiful scene. "Monet never painted weekdays," another critic had noted. And so it is with Raia's creations. Dynamic whirls, intricate circles, witty twirls and simple drops of opulence, the kaleidoscopic pieces capture and reflect light, be it playful sunshine, delicate moonbeams or romantic candlelight, each luminescent design is uniquely created to make a woman feel radiant.
Raia's creativity is expressed using the most precious materials - diamonds, mother-of-pearl, aquamarine, onyx, turquoise and other stones - all help him innovate and play with colours and shapes. Numina, Orfeo, Nausicaa, Elettra, each collection is a key to a world of fantasy. Their exquisite beauty belie the arduous journey each creation takes to realisation.
"First we think about a new collection, then comes the design," explains Raia. "We cast the piece in gold and we work it by hand, putting all the different parts together. Then the diamonds are set and we come to the final polishing, which is a very delicate job. This is a procedure that takes a long time because no detail can be left out. Once the jewel is finished it has to be perfect. Each piece is designed to give body and soul to the light."
The skills of the artisans are paramount to each piece's perfection. "The knowledge of gold, the primary role of precious stones, the sense of design and modelling and the most perfect precision when hand working on jewels, are all skills to be learned while training, skills to grow up with," says Raia.
He should know. Both he and his brother, Alfonso, apprenticed in Valenza, the heart of a region where the most skilful artisans in the different crafts of jewellery making have always trained, studied and practised their art in accordance with the finest traditions. Over 70% of the precious stones imported into Italy are worked in this district to be used in jewellery created for the highest end of the market. Valenza has an illustrious history of over 150 years of experienced craftsmanship, passed down from generation to generation.
Not surprisingly, Raima is headquartered in Valenza, under the charge of Raia, Alfonso and two friends, Mario Maddaloni and Giancarlo Giambruno. The name 'Raima' comes from a marriage of Raia and Maddaloni's names. Today, Alfonso is the company's sales director, Maddaloni, its diamond buyer and Giambruno, export sales director.
"We were four friends who shared a common dream: to give body and soul to the light, to capture it in its most precious shapes, to create unique and particular jewels in order to become a discreet and yet essential part of a woman's beauty," Raia waxes. "The light plays a fundamental role, giving emotions and receiving breathless glances from women willing to shine in this enchanted fairy tale." Like the Impressionist paintings Raia so admires, his creations are notable for their appealing colours, spontaneity and freshness. Raia describes his designs as "prêt-a-porter, linear, modern and easy-to-wear".
While Raima's jewellery are mainly for women, its Clip Art collection is a line of pendants inspired by tattoos and Chinese dragons that can be worn by young men and women. "The professional capability of the people working in our atelier is our most precious asset and an open secret," confides Raia. But it is no secret that Raima has established itself as a designer of choice for discerning clientele. With its brilliant designs, Raima is set to make a lasting impression.S
