Co-rippler:  Alessandro dari

Alessandro Dari embodies the traditions of creativity, craftsmanship and curiosity that have been melded into his family history for the past 400 years. Pharmacist, chemist, alchemist, classical guitarist, hermetical philosopher and master goldsmith, Dari combines the many layers of his talents that are the backstory of his remarkable jewellery. From his studio and museum in Florence, he creates his world of wonders. “Jewellery making is spiritual, personal and intimate for me,” Dari explains. “It is an energy, an identity. If I don’t remember who you are, I will remember the ring you are wearing – it becomes your symbol, your identity, your decoration and beauty.”

Found in the many hand wrought jewellery creations of this acclaimed master, is a parallel between form and sculpture and the jewellery itself — not dissimilar to a work of architecture.  “The parallelism is infinite and complete,“ Dari explains. “Sculpture is the life of my creations.  You cannot construct, you cannot think, you cannot draw:  it has to be inside of you already, similar to a prayer.  It is not important what you say but the sound and tone of it.  The moment when we take in all of these factors to their utmost and it becomes a harvest of extreme beauty.”

For Dari, the significance of the bee has always seemed to resonate within him. Recounting a memory of when he was seven years old and learning the Hail Mary prayer, Dari remembers that what came to his mind was the Queen Bee; he would recite “Ape Regina” (Queen Bee) instead of Salve Regina. “The bee is our teacher,” Dari reflects. Bringing out the beauty of the bee in his jewellery becomes almost spiritual for him. “Throughout history, the bee was a symbol that brought us towards God.”

With his latest exquisite Gothic creation made especially for Lady Ripple, his dedication to the subject is seen on many levels. “The desire to make this Gothic bee, is like a prayer to the Queen bee – she is like the Madonna, with her vestments that are very decadent and very rich,” Dari smiles. “The Gothic art of my latest piece is a devotion to God and is an immense spiritual revelation. The work of man, as is the work of the bee in its short life. It is extremely beautiful and it is complete, like in the construction of Gothic architecture, it is a stimulus that elevates us to heaven.”