From the ancient "Frisa" brand to "Cotogno Gioielli" there are 183 years of history. I’ve been in the sancta sanctorum of Alberto Cotogno, sculptor and creator of jewels that are “unique in the world”.
“Yes it's true, as a kid I wanted to ski, compete and travel the world. But my father thought differently. So following the origins of my maternal grandparents, Valencians and jewelers, I did 5 years of study in Valenza, on how jewels are produced, how gold is worked, how jewelry can become a fashion accessory.
At 19 I felt ready, by then I knew everything there was to know about the world of jewelry. Even then it was my father who downsized me and asked me to choose: either work in the laboratory or study. It wasn't a difficult choice. The choice of university took much longer, until I was told about the NABA "new academy of fine arts" in Milan, where the teachers are all world-famous artists. And it was there that my world changed, that I have changed, grown, matured. Fantastic world. Where the exterior leaves room for what you have in your heart, for what you are able to externalize and bring to the world. Where they push you to "find your handwriting". So I began, like everyone else, by copying the great artists."
“My first bronze in fact is very reminiscent of Arnaldo Pomodoro, but it was the first step. Then ... I found MY handwriting. I found a way to express my thoughts, which are linked to our way of life and to fill the space that has been given to us.
My sculptures, with these omnipresent steel cables, are a representation of how each of us fills his life. With thoughts, experiences, trials, happiness or pain. Each of my sculptures tries to explain some of these experiences, these thoughts, this personal way that each of us has to "fill his own life".
Alberto is Lecturer Emeritus at NABA, where he carried out teaching activities as a lecturer in the “Jewelery design and technology” course, linked to the sculpture course. However I am curious as to how he started designing jewelry and so I ask.
"After this fantastic experience, both as a student and as a teacher at the academy, I returned home and looking at the jewels we were selling in the shop, I realized that there was nothing of what my experience had been in the last 6 years. I could not get back into the perspective of selling a commercial jewel, just to sell. Even though they were all fantastic jewels, they weren't "mine". I took some more time, went to the United States, met great people and realized that the greatest they were, the less they needed to show off.
When I returned again, with my father decided to increase our production of jewelry, with the only prayer not to have any interference in my choices. And so I started designing my own jewelry. And also to skim what we offered in the shop. So no more watches, which were then 40% of our market. It wasn't easy. We made the investment in the expansion of the production laboratory of our collections and we immediately realized that, to really make them known, we had to leave Borgomanero. So in 1999 we started taking part in sector exhibitions. First there was Basel, then came Paris, Vicenza, Tokyo, Tahiti, Las Vegas. And we understood that our jewel, which may not be sold in the Borgo, has a lots admirers in other places.
With this new awareness, I pushed to participate in competitions as well. The two most important were the Tahitian Pearl trophy, jewelry composed of gold, precious stones (diamonds) and Tahitian pearls and the Diamond International Awards, where jewelry must be made only in gold, sometimes platinum and, of course, diamonds.
To participate in this last competition, the best producers, designers, manufacturers, architects chosen by De Beers, promoter, were invited to send the design of their jewel to the London office and among the designs that arrived from all over the world, they were selected only 30. The best. These 30 selected were informed that they were finalists of the "D.I.A." and at this point the chosen ones created the jewel presented in the drawing.
We won the Diamond International Awards in 2000 and the Tahitian Pearl Trophy the following year.
It goes without saying that to create jewels whose value is recognized and appreciated in the world of jewelry, you must use only the highest quality material. We only mount class A and multicolor pearls and best cut diamonds. It is truly a great satisfaction to see that my jewels find a home in northern Europe and in the United States where they are highly appreciated, even if this last year, without exhibitions or competitions, everything has been reduced.
Designing jewelry is a great passion. I find inspiration in everything I see and experience. Everything around us is a wonderfully source of new ideas and new projects. If you start drawing without thinking about what your drawing should become, but only the fact that it should be pleasing to the eye and give something to the beholder, then you create magic. "
And I assure you that it is magic. Each Alberto’ jewel has a story behind it. I strongly advise you to visit the site, where you will find some of them told and where you can admire many of his works.
COTOGNO GIOIELLI 1838
Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi 9/1128021 Borgomanero (NO) ItaliaTel. (+39) 0322 843184Indirizzo E-mail: info@cotogno.it www.cotognogioielli.com