We live in an age where the word modern is often associated with what is new, shiny, industrial, mass-produced.
But what happens when an object is created in the present, yet made entirely of memory, of time, of techniques that have barely changed in thousands of years?
That’s the question we find ourselves asking whenever we encounter a piece by Gaetano Chiavetta.
His jewellery, though crafted today — one by one, in his studio — carries within it a deep sense of history. Quite literally.
Each ring, brooch or necklace is made from recycled materials: gold and silver that have already lived other lives, sometimes hundreds of years ago. The gemstones he sets with surgical precision are not freshly mined or sourced from global markets, but rather rescued fragments — ancient, broken, discarded pieces given a second chance.
And then, there’s the hand. The hand that works like the ancient goldsmiths once did.
Yes, Gaetano uses tools and techniques that are almost identical to those used thousands of years ago. Fire, file, hammer, casting — everything unfolds with patience and purpose, in a slowed-down rhythm where machines don’t replace the gesture, but support it.
So, what does modern really mean?
Is modernity defined by superficial newness, or by a deep awareness of time?
A piece by Gaetano Chiavetta is modern precisely because it doesn’t need to look modern. It is rooted, sustainable, intimate. It doesn’t follow fashion — it creates connection: between past and present, material and maker, the object and the one who wears it.
Perhaps true modernity today lies in this:
giving value to what already exists, choosing slowness, working with respect.
And in this sense, yes — Gaetano Chiavetta’s jewellery is undoubtedly modern.
And also timeless.
✨ Discover the collection and experience a different kind of modernity — one that lasts.