The alchemy of Arlène Bonnant and her Caspita, a jewelery house that has the name of an exclamation in Italian. But a refined formula ♦ ︎
First premise for non-Italian readers. The word “caspita” in Dante’s language is an exclamation. Those who pronounce it usually add an exclamation mark: wow! It means more or less: “I’m really impressed with this …”. Arlène Bonnant’s grandfather seems to have often pronounced the word caspita and that is why the designer named Caspita her small jewelery house based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Second premise. The story of Arlène Bonnant starts from contemporary art. She is an expert in 20th and 21st century art. She worked for eight years together with Simon de Pury and Daniella Luxembourg, and acquired a deep knowledge of the art market. When Phillips de Pury & Company was acquired by the Lvmh group (which then resold it) Arlène Bonnant worked in the Contemporary Art department. In 2005 he created AB Concepts and Dreams (ABCD), a company that cataloged and ensured the conservation of a collection of 300 art objects.
Among the designer’s first initiatives was the collaboration with Zaha Hadid Architects on a collection that combines innovative design technologies and the highest level of craftsmanship. The result was faceted reticular jewels reminiscent of cellular structures. Each piece has been further shaped by ergonomic considerations. The Skein collection includes rings worked in 18-karat gold, some inlaid with precious stones inside the delicate lattice structure, and launched at the Zaha Hadid Design Gallery in London during the Caspita pop-up store.
These premises serve to understand why when Arlène decided to devote herself to jewels she considered them in all respects as works of art. And the sources of inspiration were travels to Greece, Italy, India (above all), Israel and Egypt, painters such as Goya, Mantegna, Bosh, Blake and Caravaggio, as well as a particular sensitivity for the world of spirituality. It is no coincidence that his collections are called Chakras and Ourobouros or Alchemy. Perhaps considering the matter divided into sulfur, mercury and salt is a bit simple. But the designer considers alchemy is a spiritual path, like any other path towards self-improvement. Wow, then it’s a bit like jewelry. Lavinia Andorno
