by Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi

Countess Isabella del Bono is the true aristocrat, fully engaged in the world of the arts, who belongs to a lineage that boasts a thousand years, one of Italy’s oldest. As a former photographer and journalist, who grew up surrounded by beauty, ever since 2005 she started the creation of a Coat of Arms line of Iron Jewels.

Her pieces are all handmade and each piece is one of a kind, with innovative shapes and charismatic designs. An IdB bijoux is a precious trinket that represents an alternative to traditional gold jewels, that will become your emblem for a lifetime.

In this Exclusive Interview Isabella del Bono reveals what inspired her Heraldic Jewellery:

What is the story behind your heraldic jewels?

It had happened by chance, twenty years ago, when I was in Panarea with some friends. I was wearing a chevalier ring which my grandmother bequeathed to me, which was made of gold. I dived into the sea and lost it. At that point of my life I didn’t want to spend too much to make a new one, so I went to my mother’s jeweller and asked if she could remake it with my coat-of-arms but not in gold. The lady of the shop suggested iron and I liked the idea. I was told that no one was working with iron from a long time, because it’s a tough material to order and shape. As a result the ring was stunning and everyone was asking me where I had it made and wanted to have one custom-made too. When I moved to New York and Miami I didn’t think about that episode for a while. Until ten years ago, when I met by chance a Florentine artisan and asked him if he could make something similar to my ring. What he made was gorgeous, much better than mine, the engraving was beautiful and he’s the one who today makes my jewels that are tiny sculptures.

Were you charmed by iron also for its esoteric trait?

Iron is inside our body, it’s inside the earth, it’s a piece of us. It surrounds us. It’s a basic element that we touch all day long even if we are completely unaware. It was used very much in the Middle Ages by knights, wearing an armour. Whereas they used the chevalier ring to introduce themselves so they didn’t need to remove their helmet to show their face…

It was their business card at the time?

Yes! [Laughs] It showed what family you belonged to. Eventually it was used again in World War II for the “Oro alla Patria” – the so called “Gold For The Country” – when the aristocracy would donate gold to make weapons. Chevalier rings were consequently made out of iron.

Besides the rings you have also very particular bracelets and necklaces, that have the recurring theme of the lemniscate….

This is the number 8 that if you tilt becomes the infinity symbol. I’m very fond of esoteric topics, I’m always eager to find out more about what lies behind creation and the universe, and the lemniscate epitomises all of this for me.

You use only upcycled materials…

I’m very concerned about the environment and I support W.W.F., Greenpeace and I recycle on a daily basis. Hence my jewels are sustainable. For the rings I use bolts, my chains are moulded out of iron, with fire, hammer, chisel and file, hence there are no leftovers. The chevalier rings are entirely custom-made by Italian artisans and you may engrave your coat of arms or your initials. Sometimes to give it a contemporary twist a small layer of gold is melted on top or a colourful enamel, so that the item is brighter.

What are you working on now?

I come up with new designs all the time. The next show will be in Cortina d’Ampezzo, every year during February – for the Italian Carnival – or during the Easter holidays I sell in a beautiful shop in the centre of Cortina. This shop and Mariana’s in New York are the only shops I give my jewels to, I usually prefer to deal with clients directly, I have an exclusive clientele that comes to me by word of mouth.

You may currently see Isabella del Bono’s jewels at Mariana Antinori’s Shop – located on 1242 Madison Avenue, New York – which are a big hit as the owner and retailer expressed with satisfaction: “The shop is a platform for Italian high quality designers that I personally select and represent. Amongst these is Isabella and her Trunk Show – that ran from December 1st to December 7th – has been a success. Her jewels are very wearable: the traditional aristocratic charm is enriched by an imaginative and contemporary flair.”