news


Valentin Magro: Something for Everyone

June 2003




<i>Originally from the small Mediterranean island of Malta, there is definitely nothing
small about the jewelry designs of Valentin Magro. At first glance, these creative
pieces seem more like whimsical, yet wearable, sculptures.</i>



Life-size frogs crafted in wood and gold with translucent gemstone eyes, flowers that bloom with diamond pavÉ petals and precious stone centers, maple leaves filled with the autumn colors of citrine, tourmaline, hessonite and rhodolite, chalcedony sea turtles that swim with diamond pavÉ flippers, obsidian Labradors guarding a bone. The list goes on and on.
Valentin Magro makes custom and one-of-a-kind jewelry so nearly anything his customers can imagine, he can create in platinum, gold and gemstones. “We are a special-order house. No request is out of the ordinary for us, whether it is a three-stone ring, a large multicolor bird-of-paradise brooch, a fantasy piece, a diamond necklace that converts into a tiara, a custom wedding band bearing the likeness if the customer sculpted into the ring, or just about anything else,” he explains.
Valentin has made an international reputation for his larger pieces, but the versatile designer does not confine himself to these alone. He also crafts smaller and more conservative pieces. The collection contains mostly smaller pieces that are more wearable, and is the result of retailers requesting smaller jewelry with the same quality and uniqueness of the larger pieces. The jewelry is also very colorful and many of the pieces are complementary. For all Valentin™ jewelry, regardless of size, the designer places comfort and ease of wear above all. “The earrings must hang properly and the necklaces must gracefully fit the contour of the neck,” he insists. Rich textures are also a primary part of each creation and are used to add interest, movement and dimension to the piece.
While the ladies are amply cared for, Valentin Magro has not forgotten the men. Traditional pieces such as cuff links and shirt studs are customized in unusual ways, often using motifs relating to items dear to the heart of his male customers. “We recently duplicated an antique car in cuff links and shirt studs using pictures of the actual car. Another client requested a pair of cufflinks shaped in the form of a construction project that he had just finished. Yet another person wanted to embody his newly purchased plane in his jewelry,” says Valentin.
Valentin™'s New York collection currently comprises about 380 widely varied pieces, ranging from casual to very elegant, from one-of-a-kind to limited editions, from small to large, from whimsical to traditional. There is really something for everyone... or it can be made to order.

http://www.valentinmagro.com
Contact: [email protected]
(please credit europastar.com)

Source: Couture International Jeweler
June / July 03 issue