It all began in 1976, when Pasquale Bruni, then a littleknown Italian jeweler, presented his jewelry collection to the world. The world took note, and the collection was received with enthusiasm. Bruni’s unique gifts and strong creative temperament enabled him to rise to the top of the jewelryOlympus within a decade. For the past 30 years, his jewelry masterpieces have been acknowledged as among the most artistic in the jewelry world. Bruni can also be considered one of the founders of the fashion jewelry trend. Nine years ago, in 1997, he decided to start putting his signature on the jewelry produced by his company.

Today Bruni is the owner, CEO and art director of Pasquale Bruni spa. The eponymous brand is one of the most influential in the luxury world. Notwithstanding his status as an innovator in the jewelry business, Bruni is also a worthy successor of the traditions maintained by the jewelers of Valenza, the historical area of Italy renowned for its master goldsmiths. From here, Pasquale Bruni’s jewelry is shipped all over the world_it is carried by some 350 outlets, as well as the company’s own boutiques. Pasquale Bruni uses only natural diamonds and colored stones in his jewelry. The company buys diamonds in Antwerp and colored stones in Bangkok. Among the company’s notable clients are such celebrities as Ornella Muti and Gwyneth Paltrow. In mid July, Eugenia Bruni, Pasquale’s daughter, took part in a press conference at the Moscow Center of the Arts dedicated to the presentation of new jewelry collections. She was accompanied by Catherine Covalenko, a model embodying the image of the muse for the most poetic Italian jewelry designer of modern times. At the beginning of the talk, Eugenia Bruni said that she was very glad to be in Moscow, where her father’s work is loved and appreciated. Answering the journalists’ questions, she said that for the founder of the brand work is life, and jewelry items and the jewelry trade are a way of life. Jewelry is everywhere all the time for him. Even Pasquale’s family is like a piece of jewelry for him. When Eugenia was born, Pasquale said to her mother: “I hope she will be a creative person.” “I have mastered the craft in an absolutely natural way, being in the workshop since I was a child. Nobody taught or forced me to do it. The sense of design arose quite naturally,” said Eugenia. “Since I have been engaged in it from my childhood, the jewelry business is a form of a play, a pleasure and something humorous for me. And, of course, my attitude to it is very easy and creative. Our family’s style, like the style of Pasquale Bruni brand, is playing with beauty, easily and absolutely naturally.”

In response to a question from Diamonds and Gold of Russia, Eugenia said that her favorite stone is aquamarine. The name, of course, means “seawater,” and that is what she loves most of all about the stone. Aquamarine for her is a symbol of water. “In the jewelry I create, you can very often see colorful accents and the sparkling of diamonds. More expensive diamonds provide a background and accentuate the beauty of my favorite stone,” she said. Eugenia thinks that folk traditions are the most fruitful source of inspiration. These have a rich historic content in every culture and reflect people’s beliefs and legends. “I would say that Pasquale Bruni’s collections embrace the whole world, the world of beauty. There may be remote countries and cities. In our interpretation, all these places have a role to play.”

“What I have seen in Moscow makes me think that the Russians are drawn to the classical tradition,” she added. “This draws us together, because we also think of ourselves as classical jewelers with a modern view of life. In my opinion, Russia is only part of the way [to developing] a real modern art. It is still giving preference to the classics. Nonetheless, it seems to me that the success of our brand is conditioned by the very fact that in Russia they want a new, modern art, a new rhythm of life, etc. Pasquale Bruni is in tune with what Russian jewelers are doing and with Russian taste. The choice made by [Russian] women speaks to the Russian people’s affection for the arts. I have noticed that Russians choose special things. I must confess that not everyone in Italy is daring enough to wear such jewelry. Sometimes such items are big and attract attention. In order to wear such jewelry, one should simply have an inner sense of elegance.”