By Cynthia Unninayar
The meaning of Oromalia in Italian is “enchanted by gold”, so it is
no wonder that Salvatore Barberi’s Florence-based company has
earned a reputation as an exceptional producer of fine gold jewellery.
| Teresa, Salvatore & Sandra Barberi |
The guiding principle for master goldsmith Salvatore Barberi has been to be innovative
yet never eccentric. He has always believed in creating simple yet new shapes,
shapes that are fluid and unpretentious while being elegant and refined, shapes that
combine classical style with contemporary design.
All of Oromalia’s jewellery is handcrafted in the brand’s workshops with great
attention to finishing. Large pieces, such as link bracelets and earrings, are cast and
then invisibly soldered together to make them light but strong and durable (with a
thickness of at least 0.2 cm). No detail is too small for Barberi, such as placing pins in
the earrings to hold them in place and make them comfortable to wear.
Always looking for new challenges, Barberi was the very first, a number of years
ago, to use ebony in his creations. “I use it like a highly polished gem,” explains this
design pioneer. “When combined with 18K gold and diamonds, it gives an original and
novel dimension to our jewellery.” Each piece of the dark hardwood is carefully handpolished
to a brilliant shine for an unequalled finish. The craftsmanship is so precise
that it is impossible to see where the ebony links are cut and joined together.
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Among Oromalia’s collections is the Ethnic line, inspired by Africa, which combines
ebony, gold, and diamonds in sleek elegant pieces. Ebony showcases the wood in
various shapes with gold and diamonds. As its name implies, Classic features various
colours of gold in a variety of links, ovals, and circles, some set with mother-of-pearl
and diamonds. Thread is composed of slender gold and diamond earrings and
bracelets. Parisienne includes a number of pieces in gold with diamonds, mother-ofpearl,
and gems in circles or ovals.
Last, but certainly not least, Jungle and Leather have enjoyed great success all over
the world with their combinations of leather, gold, and diamonds. The shapes are
simple yet refined, and very comfortable to wear. Barberi has also recently added
a gold spring clip to the Leather bracelet line, with or without diamond pavé. These
fashion-forward bracelets have attracted the attention of young customers and those
who are young-at-heart.
Oromalia is now truly a family affair since daughter Sandra has joined the company after
her studies. While Salvatore works at the bench and oversees the other master
goldsmiths, his wife Teresa and their daughter Sandra take care of customer
service and other administrative functions. Sandra also travels to trade fairs
around the world to showcase the brand’s products. Created with a mixture
of passion, creativity, and technical skill, the fine jewellery of Oromalia is
endowed with a definite Florentine enchantment.
www.oromalia.com
