The goldsmith's craft
In our shop a jewel is still born the way Florentine craftsmanship requires: first the drawing of the design, then the handwork on the materials. Giuditta Biscioni draws the jewels and has them made in the workshop, and the piece takes shape only when you are fully happy with the customization.
The drawing becomes a model, built directly in metal or carved in wax. In lost-wax casting the wax model is encased in plaster and heated in a kiln: the wax melts away and leaves the space into which the metal is poured. Then come finishing, polishing and, last of all, stone setting.
- Hand drawing
- Lost wax
- One-of-a-kind pieces
Saw and piercing, files, bending pliers, torch soldering, hammer: these are the tools that have always turned a sheet or wire of gold into a jewel, and they remain the foundation of the craft today.
- Piercing
- Soldering
- Forging
Very fine lines, sometimes crossed, are traced on the surface of the gold, softening the mirror polish into a silky finish reminiscent of the weave of linen. It is one of the traditional techniques of our shop, used for example on our 18 kt yellow gold necklace and bracelet.
- Florentine tradition
- Fabric effect
The graver is a small chisel of hardened steel: it comes in many shapes, each leaving a different mark. With the graver we create the engraved Florentine lilies of our designs and the personal engravings you ask for, from initials to an important date.
- Florentine lilies
- Engraving on request
This is when the stone is secured in the metal. We choose the technique according to the stone and how you will wear the jewel, so that the light shows it off and the jewel stays comfortable: the main ones are described on the settings page.
- Light in the stone
- Comfort
White gold is usually plated with rhodium by electroplating, for a brighter white. With wear the plating fades and lets the slightly warm tone of the gold underneath show through; water and some soaps can dull it. It is worth renewing every few years: at our shop we restore the jewel's shine this way.
- White gold
- Renew over time
Most rings can be sized up or down by one or two sizes; removing metal is easier than adding it. To make a ring smaller, a small section of the band is removed, the ends are soldered and the ring is brought back perfectly round. Rings with stones all along the band require more care.
- One or two sizes
- More care with pavé
For jewelry chosen in our shop we offer cleaning, resizing and rhodium plating, also remotely with insured shipping. For everyday care, see the tips on the dedicated page.
- After-sales service
- Insured shipping