Nymphè, the first brand of jewellery inspired by archaeology, is an idea of Nunzia Laura Saldalamacchia, young Neapolitan archaeologist in Prehistory.
Since she was a child, she has shown a natural talent for artistic drawing and a vocation for History. While watching her grandfather, an experienced watchmaker, working on his work bench, she dreamed of learning this craft and merging all her passions together.
At the Classical High School thanks to the guide of her biology teacher Luisa De Martini she had the opportunity to take part actively in the development of the Museum of Natural Science “G. Mercalli”
The experience in an exciting setting oozed with nature and history, encouraged her to study archaeology at the University.
Her master thesis, focused on the amber fibulae, offered her the unique opportunity to meet the goldsmith Paolo Costabile, with whom she had a long apprenticeship.
With this wonderment, the dignity of these ornaments emerged more and more, as authentic and valuable works of art originated from the blend of both oriental and local traditions – Etruscan and Greek!
these ornaments emerged more and more, as authentic and valuable works of art originated from the blend of both oriental and local traditions – Etruscan and Greek! Every ancient ornament, even in its limited reproducibility, had its own uniqueness that defined itself in the context of the living tradition. Such uniqueness underwent a transformation with its ideal extraction from life and its deposition, for example, amongst the grave goods and centuries later, with its physical extraction from the ground. The recovery of its original meanings made by the archaeologists makes that an amplifier of human history – the only witness to the past.
The Nymphè jewellery brand represents a further step forward in bringing the collaboration of archaeological data to a different level than that of an article, a book or a documentary:
archaeology is worn and history is revived. It is reminiscent of the greatness of the artisans of our rich past!
CRAFTSMANSHIP
Fasi del processo di lavorazione dei gioielli Nymphè basata sulle tecnica della fusione a cera persa:
- It all starts with the creation of an original model of design in wax, then the prototypes are mounted on a tree structure of wax, placed in a metallic cylinder filled with molten chalk and the whole is placed in an oven. During heating, the chalk dries and the wax runs out through the ducts created by the tubes namely the branches of the tree and the molten metal goes inside.
2. The cylinder is cooled and opened in order to extract the metal tree. After washing for removing the chalk, the metal models are cut out from the branches with a hacksaw.
3. During this handmade phase, the castings residuals are removed by using files and abrasives. Filing, grinding and polishing are needed to perfect the prototypes.
4. By assembling the jewel, several parts are soldered with lead-free silver tin.
5. With machining, grinding, and handmade polishing carried out with jewellery files and abrasives, the jewel is refined in every detail.
6. The manufacturing process ends with rhodium-plating and gold-plating through galvanizing baths.
