The style of Cammilli jewelry

The CEO Riccardo Renai tells us about the quality, originality and style of these small sculptures to wear

It’s a story that began in Florence and is now synonymous with quality, originality and style worldwide. It stars Annamaria Cammilli and her jewellery, unique in process and form. Exquisite little wearable sculptures born of a delightful artisan creativity, which depart from Tuscany and travel the five continents. To tell us more we asked Riccardo Renai, son of the founder and CEO of the brand.

Riccardo Renai, Cammilli's CEO

Yours is first and foremost a family tradition. Tell us how it all started. 

Annamaria Cammilli is the name of my mother, who is also a painter and sculptor. She founded the brand in 1983, although our family already had a tradition in the sector dating back to 1875. In the seventies Annamaria decided to combine her artistic brilliance with precious stones. Her canvases became gold, her colours gems. She began making highly artistic jewellery for a niche market, unusual and very special creations that were noticed immediately. 

When did you take over the running of your mother’s business, and what significant changes did your arrival bring?

I joined the firm very young. Initially I worked on the sales side, on the development of certain foreign markets. In 2002 I had the opportunity to take ownership of the company, and since then I’ve been able to follow the strategy I thought best to develop the brand. I wanted to keep an original and recognisable style, but make it more suitable for an increasing number of customers. And this transformed an artisan business into an industry, without betraying the original motivation, which remains rigorously manual and creative.

Annamaria Cammilli Firenze: your brand also focuses on Florence; does that mean there’s a special bond with your city?

Living and working in Florence means every day breathing the art, beauty and harmony of the Renaissance and its forms. In Florence the extraordinary creative stimulus from great works of the past combines with an important tradition of craftsmanship and high fashion, inspiring us to create designs that are eclectic and contemporary. It’s no accident that our flagship store is right in front of Palazzo Vecchio, symbol of the city. Our links with the area are also evident in our special collection made in Volterra alabaster, which allows every customer to carry a small piece of Tuscany with them forever. 

Camillini

How is Annamaria Cammilli jewellery created, and what makes it unique?

The main things that distinguish our collections are their design, with extraordinarily three-dimensional shapes and volumes, which makes them highly sculptural; and the special finish on the gold, in exquisite colours. The lost-wax casting method means that every item is first made by hand, with a strongly artistic style and without the use of technology. Thanks to the resulting moulds, our original shapes can be reproduced in large quantities and, using microfusion, turned into 18 carat gold. Today’s customers really appreciate this; they seek out and value artisan work, but are often not willing to countenance imperfections due to the limits of hand-crafting. Our method allows us to have items in all our boutiques with the same characteristics and artisan values, but without variations or imperfections.

Tell us more about Aetherna and your famous eight shades of gold.

Aetherna is the result of almost 40 years of specialisation, and today it positions Cammilli as a leader in this type of finish, which has the great advantage of not deteriorating over time, retaining its original quality even after years of wear. The shades of gold are another important aspect; we’ve developed a total of eight colours, ranging from the most common shades of yellow to more unexpected black and beige. This means every woman can choose the shade that works best with her skin tone or simply her own style. 

Where does the inspiration come from for such unmistakable design?

The creative team, which still benefits from Annamaria Cammilli’s personal input, finds its inspiration solely in nature, in all its forms. So in Cammilli jewellery there are no straight lines. Another strand of inspiration undoubtedly comes from our city, Florence.

Your most iconic piece, and your latest collection?

Our most iconic piece is definitely our Dune 914 ring, the best-selling and best-known item from our brand. In our latest collection, Velaa Color, the minimalist design of the well-known Velaa collection meets the vivid colours of rubies, sapphires, emeralds and different-coloured diamonds, creating a sophisticated chromatic and volumetric arrangement with the distinctive velvety Aetherna finish.

Velaa collection, Camillini

The most frequently requested precious stones?

In our case, always diamonds, which in our latest collections are also available with higher carats.

How long have you been in Dubai, and what does it mean to you?

We’ve been in Dubai for a long time, and it feels like home. Dubai is the meeting point for the luxury sector, and for a jewellery brand it’s definitely an important showcase.

Tell us about a major future project for your company.

Right now I’d have to mention our new Academy. It’s an innovation in our sector; it will be happening in early 2022 and it consists of opening a new space near our offices, dedicated exclusively to training sales assistants and all sales staff, who for us are primarily customer advisors and influencers, and so we want to educate them perfectly on all our products.