Buying a jewel for yourself or to give it away is a gesture that has great emotional value. Especially now, after the period we have gone through, characterized by sadness, anxiety, fear and morale on the ground, we need color and that euphoria that a frivolous but refined object can bring to our lives.
A journey into the world of GrandTour Collection
These are my thoughts when I first saw the GrandTour Collection handcrafted jewels, a colorful and seductive collection inspired by the passion for art and beauty that has always been at home in the Borrazzi D’eramo family.
These contemporary jewels with an ancient soul are born in Rome from an idea of Michela and Roberto Borrazzi, Roman artisans and antique dealers, convinced that through a precious and unique object, you can transmit a message of love or friendship that is worth more than a thousand words. If it also contains a symbol like the creations of GrandTour Collection, the message is even stronger.
There is a lot of Rome in their creations and it could not be otherwise since the Borrazzi D’eramo family has had its goldsmith and watchmaker’s workshop in Via dei Coronari since 1947. Here the tradition of craftsmanship is formed, accompanied by an almost obsessive attraction for the unique and rare object, sold for years in their antique gallery after being selected around the world. This is the air that Michela and Roberto breathe from an early age who wanted to synthesize the artisan tradition of their grandparents, with the experience of their parents, Violetta D’eramo and Leonardo Borrazzi, creating the new collection of handcrafted jewelry, GrandTour Collection, which contains images and references to Italy’s immense cultural and historical heritage, presented in a modern, current and colorful guise.
It is a very special collection that in its name refers to the concept of the travel par excellence, that GrandTour that in 1700 pushed people from all over the world to undertake a long tour in Italy to admire its beauty. Goethe but also great travelers such as Madame de Stael and Virginia Woolf landed there, to underline that admiration for art certainly does not have a genre.
The protagonist carvings of rings and pendants, in fact, are aimed at both female and male customers, representing a clear tribute to their city, the eternal one, which now as then enchants the visitor, fleeing from normality and looking for an ever new beauty, offering magnetic and romantic perspectives.
Joining in this collection are the classic of the figures and the contemporary of the materials. Myth and history are told by evocative and symbolic subjects, from Medusa to Minerva, from Hercules to Caesar, to Venus, to the doves of Pliny and many others, all bewitching and made of artificial resin which is very similar in appearance to vegetable resin.
In the creations nothing is left to chance: from the proportions, to the shape, to the choice of the friezes, each with its own meaning, set in a bronze base that is performed with the ancient technique of lost wax casting and then plated in gold 18kt.
They are easy to give as gifts, but there are many customers who like me like to give themselves one or more pieces from the collection, which can also be personalized. Ideal for day and evening, to be worn alone or all together, these carved jewels derive their strength and their denomination from a historical period that refers to the idea of voyage. And where to conquer, beyond the symbols, are materials such as plexiglass, which in contrast with subjects with an ancient soul, expresses a concept of modernity. Created by Otto Röhm in 1933, it began a real revolution, an absolute witness of “a changing world”.
Still today it is considered one of the best plastics among those of the highest quality, thanks to its excellent characteristics such as weight, transparency more than glass, gloss, excellent resistance to compression, resistance to atmospheric agents and in addition it is also hypoallergenic.
Not to mention the available colors, an infinity of colors from the brightest to the least showy, enclosed and enhanced in a colored ring of only 8grams, a symbol of tradition in the contemporary world, all completely made in Italy in each component.
Which combination did I choose? Although all the creations are wonderful, I was immediately fascinated by the Cavallino Blu, characterized by the harmonious contrast between the sea-colored carving and the transparent base. Why just the Cavallino? I love horses, noble animals symbol of freedom and strength associated with the sun: Apollo the god of the sun is often represented on his horse-drawn carriage. But also linked to water. And this is also the reason why I wanted it blue: Poseidon-Neptune drives chariots pulled by seahorses.
The next? I’ve already spotted it! It will be round and will have the frog, protector of travelers, as its symbol. In Japan, the frog is said to attract happiness and also that it always returns to its starting point, even if you take it far away. In fact the Japanese word for frog (kaeru) also means to return. And in Central American traditions, the frog was believed to bring health by eliminating negative energy and keeping evil away. An ideal travel companion, don’t you think?
GrandTour Collection
Via dei Coronari,32 – Roma
www.grandtourcollection.com – info@grandtourcollection.com