Mara Bragaglia, founder of Maraismara (2012)

In 2016 Maraismara manages to introduce Fairtrade Gold in Italy. Since then, it is still the only certified goldsmith workshop in the country and the traditional work at the banquet is accompanied by the study and research in the field, in order to support and use only responsible precious materials. Mara lives in Frosinone. Between one reading and another, she immerses herself in the creation of her poetic jewels. Each jewel is rich in that philosophy which is also the starting point of Mara's journey: "The search for hidden meaning is the soul of what I create".

How was your passion for jewelry born?

I have always listened to and followed what I am most passionate about, which is to say that I have done nothing but try to get to know myself better. I believe that the passion for this world was born by chance or, depending on what you prefer to mean by this word, by necessity. As a child I used to play with beads to create small objects to wear, but it was only one among many attempts at expression. Only at the beginning of 2012 did I begin to deepen this interest with awareness and, encouraged by the potential of social media, I began to involve others by telling and showing.

What was your training path?

I have studied and continue to study philosophy.
For me, questioning the world through books is natural, so also in the case of goldsmithing I started - and I continue to start - right there. The first course I followed, some time ago, was that of fire enamelling at the Ambrosiana Goldsmith School in Milan. Later I studied engraving and setting both in London and in Antwerp, but there is much more to discover, understand and deepen. Basically I am self-taught.

Speaking of trips, would you like to tell us about your last one to the Philippines?

It has been an incredible journey. I accompanied my pearl supplier on one of her regular visits to the farms. We were in a remote area and I was able to see with my own eyes both the impact of global warming and the positive effects of a specific way of farming pearls. In precious materials there is a value that goes beyond the traditional one: responsibility. This, for me, is a fundamental aspect.

In fact you introduced Fairtrade Gold in Italy. How was this decision born?

It was a choice that came naturally. Beautiful and good overlap and reveal each other, so I couldn't think of creating something valuable by ignoring the history of the materials used.

Bizantino Ring

What do you wish to convey through your art?

Perhaps the awareness that there is always a meaning, even if it is hidden. I like to say that I "collect the invisible".

What are your jewelry’s distinctive features?

I handcraft all the jewels I create using only Fairtrade Gold and precious materials with the same ethical value. I let myself be inspired by these, by my studies and by the exhibits in museums. I want every object created to exhibit some originality, but nevertheless have something complete and shareable, because only in this way will it be able to aspire to act as a talisman, a keeper of meaning and a bearer of emotions.

Teodolinda Earrings

Is there a jewel you are particularly fond of?

The Goethe ring. For me it represents the Randomness that puts everything together. One of the first times I met Kira Kampmann in person, who is my pearl digger and the founder of one of the few companies involved in sustainable farming, I came home with a large and decidedly exuberant South Sea pearl. At that time I wouldn't have chosen it, but Kira told me to do it and I listened to her. I have kept it as a sacred and mysterious object for almost a year, continually asking myself what to do with it. Finally, just the evening before the trip to the Philippines, reading Goethe's verse which says “love, love let me go”, I found the meaning. Obviously that night I couldn’t sleep, but the Goethe ring was born. Kept in a bag, I always carried it with me during the trip, like a talisman.

Goethe Ring

How do you imagine Maraismara in the future?

For the near future, I imagine the new laboratory, which will be made up of alchemist's rooms and will overlook a hidden square where poetry is read in the summer. Further on, however, I imagine I cannot imagine. In other words, for the distant future I would like to be able to deepen even more, bringing to light what I cannot imagine now. In short, Beckett's “best failure”.

Pomogranato Pendant