Inside Laura Inghirami's jewerly box
Born into a family of jewelers in Sansepolcro,Laura Inghirami is the founder of the online platform Donna Jewel — where she champions the young designers reinventing jewelry — and a firm believer that jewelry is woven into the fabric of our lives. She opens her jewelry box to reveal her grandmother’s bracelets, a medallion and a cat-shaped brooch.
Describe your jewelry box. It’s actually a chest of drawers. Each drawer contains its own little world: brooches, rings, cameos, contemporary pieces, family heirlooms, etc. I store my jewelry methodically, in much the same way a natural history museum organizes its collections, but leaving space for memories and emotions. Your earliest jewelry memory? The Mediterranean coral and pearls my grandmother wore, and the unmistakable sound of her three gold bracelets that would jingle and chime when she moved. I still have a soft spot for jewelry that makes a noise. Long before I learned to read books, I think I was deciphering my family’s history through jewelry. A piece you wear every day? A miraculous medallion from Rue du Bac in Paris. I’ve always been fascinated by protective jewelry; objects that can contain faith as much as memory and hope. A piece from the family jewelers in Sansepolcro? Among several that are special to me, a collection of antique wedding rings given to brides in the Arezzo valley, in Tuscany, all with the same design of eight stones around a center stone. Like an ancient symbol inspired by the constellation of fertility, abundance and good fortune. Each bride would wear her ring like a talisman. I like to see them as the sign that every woman deserves to feel protected but also in charge of her own destiny. /public-objects/43fc308f-204a-4d9d-9ef8-5ec6ce8a8ffd-cf54bc8d-d327-4084-805d-ecc96ebd6718-DSC_8172.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/f1830c69-52ad-429e-96da-5dc369206ea2-2aa95356-095a-41ed-8d18-2aa1053bbd39-DSC_7615.webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/09083364-15ec-476a-822d-2c0a8e44297c-9b35f047-8b03-41ed-bf5d-a4037b8cb55d-IMG_4307%20(1).webp Image sélectionnée /public-objects/47bdfb4b-befe-4168-a677-91b79804d0cb-c61f2171-1ef6-4b64-b196-c1333571ce8c-729A2074.webp Image sélectionnée A piece by one of the young designers you support? They never cease to amaze me. One that comes to mind is a contemporary version of the Renaissance pomander. The name “pomander” comes from the French for “perfumed apple”. This was a brooch, containing perfume, that changes shape depending on how it’s worn. It’s fascinating to see how a jewelry artist can give new life to a forgotten archetype. Family heirloom or contemporary creation? Both. We sink our roots in tradition while contemporary design gets us thinking. The most interesting jewelry happens at the point where these two dimensions overlap. A woman whose attitude towards jewelry has inspired you? My mother. She taught me that jewelry isn’t about adornment. It’s a way we express our identity and personality. A jewel that best represents you? I have a shoulder brooch in the shape of a cat that’s a brilliant conversation starter. The best jewelry brings people together before it sparks admiration. Your advice for someone starting a collection? Buy a jewelry box that’s bigger than you think you will need. Your collection will grow at the same time as your curiosity for beautiful, joyful objects. Which is the best thing I could wish anyone!