Roberto Coin: For Filipinos, it's earrings first
From the moment he walks into the room, one can easily tell that Roberto Coin is a man who lives passionately. With a lighthearted step and a twinkle in his eye, his aura shines almost as brilliantly as the beautiful jewelry that carries his name. Indeed, for Roberto Coin, life is about passion and it is a zest and love for creativity, beauty, and fashion that make every moment special and unique. As such, he believes that everyone should spend their time doing what they love.
Having already established himself as a ubiquitous name in luxury jewelry the world over, Roberto Coin is relatively young as far as jewelry makers go. “To really establish a brand takes a lifetime,” he explains, “and I feel very lucky to have our brand recognized and loved in such a short amount of time. We are known as the surprise of the jewelry business.” To be sure, Roberto Coin jewelry has graced the loveliest of celebrities all over the world and was even ranked as the number one Italian jewelry brand, most especially in the United States, among many other accolades and awards. Surprisingly though this jewelry designer did not start out as such. “I was a hotelier first,” he explains with a smile. “I had a restaurant by the time I was 22, bought a luxury hotel with a colleague and friend when I was 24, and sold everything when I was 33.”
Deciding that he wanted to pursue other avenues, Roberto bravely began anew at 33 and indulged in, what was then, his hobby of jewelry design. “It started out as a hobby I really loved,” he shared. “Born out of a love of fashion. I was very fortunate that my hobby turned out to be such a success.” With an early love of fashion and beauty Roberto knew he wanted to be a part of the fashion world. He found himself fascinated with a clothing boutique that was located next door; he was drawn to how the beautiful women chose clothes and accessories. As he pursued this interest further, he realized that he found jewelry even more interesting than clothes.
In 1977 Roberto Coin founded Vicenza, also known as the city of gold, the company that would bear his name. They began by producing high-quality jewelry for big name brands in the international jewelry industry such as Tiffany and Cartier New York (back when Cartier existed in separate entities). In 1996 the brand Roberto Coin was launched and quickly gained extraordinary success. Since then, Roberto Coin has received numerous awards all over the world including a Lifetime Achievement Award received in Dubai in November 2008 during the Middle East China Diamond and Jewelry Summit.
The strength of the Roberto Coin brand, Roberto explains, is that through all the years in the industry, they have remained focused on producing the best, most unique yet classic jewelry. “We always strive to make new and unexpected pieces,” Roberto shares. “We are not known for just one thing. That is why our clients keep coming back. They are curious to see our latest creations.” This curiosity makes the brand recognizable, and not just by one signature piece. Roberto Coin produces 400 to 600 models a year and follows fashion trends more than jewelry trends. The passionate designer likes to mix it up and produce unique and even whimsical pieces (such as the beautiful Nemo collection and its adorable peach gold devil pendant with rubies and black colorless diamonds). “We believe it is always important to have variety,” Roberto explains. “Women are all different and especially these days they want to show their individuality. This comes out in their choice of clothes, shoes and, ultimately, jewelry.”
If there is one unifying or identifying mark in all of Roberto Coin’s pieces it is the inclusion of a small ruby somewhere on the piece in an area that receives direct contact with the skin. In 1996, Roberto began signing the jewels of the “Appassionata” collection by setting a small ruby on the inside, in a hidden position, allowing direct skin contact with the gem. Since then, this tradition has been perpetuated in all collections and has been the exclusive signature of every Roberto Coin jewel, dedicated as a secret gift of good wishes. “In Ancient Times, Egyptians believed the ruby to be the only positive stone,” Roberto shares. “They always tried to wear rubies, directly touching their skin, to promote good will, luck and happiness. Now, we do the same.”
Truly, Roberto has enjoyed a highly successful and illustrious career with his jewels easily seen on celebrities such as Elizabeth Hurley, Claudia Schiffer, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Kim Cattrall, to name a few. And this generous jewelry designer believes that to whom much is given, much is expected. As such, he also makes sure to spearhead charitable programs with beneficiaries such as CARE — a humanitarian organization that operates in more than 70 countries — and YouthAIDS. His 2009 ad campaign with supermodel Christy Turlington donated a portion of the sales of sold items from the campaign to their charity organizations. “Giving back has always been important to me,” he says. “Perhaps it is because I lost my parents at a very young age and always felt that a part of me was missing. I think charity and being able to give to those less fortunate are such an important aspect of who I am and what our brand stands for.”
Launched here for the first time in 2005 at the home of Ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco, after being discovered at the Basel Show in Germany, Roberto Coin has grown a fine appreciation for the Philippines and its people. “I believe that the Filipino people are more Mediterranean and Spanish at heart than they are Asian,” he says. “It may be the influence left over from the Spanish, but Filipinos have a distinct European flavor to them in that they truly appreciate fine jewelry, fashion and art.” He adds, “The Tantoco family in particular truly appreciate the Italian culture and beauty. More than a lot of other people I have met.”
The new Roberto Coin collection was launched at Rustan’s in collaboration with their Bella Italia: A Tour of Italy celebration last June 15-17. For this collection Roberto has chosen pieces he feels are suited to Filipino tastes and fashion inclinations as well as to the country’s environment. “It is a hot tropical environment here, so I noticed Filipinos tend to gravitate towards earrings first more than any other piece of jewelry so we brought in a lot of beautiful earrings,” he shares, “although there are also a lot of rings, necklaces and bracelets as well.”
Other beautiful pieces jewelry aficionados can look forward to are the fashionable rings in the new Cocktail Collection. “Women usually have a classic diamond ring or even a timeless engagement band. What I believe is missing is a striking and powerful cocktail ring,” Roberto says. “We’ve created such interesting cocktail rings in bright and delightful colors of amethyst and lemon. They are such strong and powerful pieces that when a woman wears these she is sure to feel strong and powerful as well.”
If, however, diamonds are what clientele desire, Roberto Coin also has the magnificent Cento Diamond Collection. In this collection, Roberto creates and launches the one hundred facets diamond cut. This is far greater than the traditional 57/58 facets of the classic brilliant cut. “These diamonds are painstakingly crafted for over 15 hours versus the usual brilliant cut that normally takes about five to six hours,” Roberto shares. “Only five percent of master cutters in the world can achieve this cut; it is that special.” The result is a breathtakingly beautiful diamond that can capture and return light in any environment.
It’s indeed easy to see that as jewelry designers go, Roberto Coin is as multi-faceted as his famous diamonds, and gem aficionados can only expect continued excellence and brilliance from the Roberto Coin brand. He feels that these days, consumers are more selective and want to know they are getting something precious and unique while at the same time knowing that they are being protected. The Roberto Coin brand combined with the service of Rustan’s ensures jewelry lovers that they are receiving excellent quality jewelry pieces that will truly last the test of time.
