Elegance and Joy: A Conversation with Jewellery Designer Riccardo Vitale
While visiting Precious Room in Paris, I had the opportunity to speak with Italian jewellery designer Riccardo Vitale. His work is defined by a deep respect for gemstones themselves — allowing each stone to guide the design rather than imposing a fixed style upon it.
During our conversation, Riccardo spoke about his journey from engineering to gemmology, the emotional connection between stones and the people who wear them, and how colour, light, and craftsmanship come together to create jewellery that feels both elegant and joyful.
During my visit to Precious Room in Paris, I met Italian jewellery designer Riccardo Vitale, whose work is guided by a simple but powerful philosophy: the stone comes first.
Although his jewellery brand has existed for just five years, Vitale’s fascination with gemstones began decades earlier. “The brand itself is only five years old,” he explains, “but my passion for gemmology goes back more than thirty years.” Originally trained as a mechanical engineer, Vitale developed a strong interest in both 3D modelling and gemstones. Over time, that interest evolved into a deeper pursuit of gemmology and jewellery design.
“I took a gemmology degree later,” he says, “but it was really just the end of a long path of passion. The degree was simply a way to formalise something I already loved.”
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Vitale worked in a completely different professional field. The disruption of that period became an unexpected turning point. “When COVID came, I had the opportunity to follow my passion,” he says. “I was already designing jewellery as a hobby, so I decided to pursue it seriously.”
He completed specialised training in jewellery 3D modelling in Vicenza — one of Italy’s most important centres for jewellery craftsmanship — and also studied stone setting.
From there, Vitale began to develop a distinctive creative approach in which gemstones guide the design process itself.
“When I receive a stone, it immediately tells me something,” he explains. “It might suggest a design, or the way it wants to be set. I try to follow the suggestion of the stone.” Rather than imposing a fixed visual signature on every piece, Vitale allows each gemstone to determine the direction of the work.
“You will see different styles in my collections,” he says. “That is because I do not want to put my style in front of the stone. The stone comes before my style.”
This philosophy extends to the way he collaborates with clients. When someone commissions a piece, the process begins with selecting a gemstone that resonates with them.
“I ask the client to choose the stone first,” he explains. “Often they are drawn to something — the colour, the shape, or something they cannot quite explain. But the stone speaks to them.” Once the stone has been chosen, Vitale works with the client to create a design that harmonises both the personality of the stone and the individual style of the wearer.
“The result is something unique,” he says. “It is designed for that stone and that person. That match usually works very well.”
Colour plays a particularly important role in Vitale’s work. He enjoys working with a wide spectrum of gemstones, from semi-precious stones such as tourmalines, garnets, aquamarines and peridots to more traditional gems including sapphires, diamonds and emeralds. But above all, he prefers stones with presence.
“I like working with larger stones,” he explains. “When a stone is bigger, it can express its colour better. You can see the variations inside it, the little sparks of light. Everything becomes more joyful.”
For Vitale, two words summarise the essence of his work.
“Elegance and joy,” he says. “Those two ideas are my thread.”
One of the pieces that immediately caught my attention during the interview was the Excelsior necklace, centred around a striking kunzite stone. “I wanted the centre stone to be the true beauty of the piece,” he explains. “The structure supports it, but the stone remains the focus.”
The necklace’s chain was carefully engineered to maintain presence without becoming overly heavy. “It looks big,” he says, “but the inside is hollow to reduce the weight. It’s designed to be comfortable and flexible so it fits naturally on the body.”
Another piece that stood out was the Heart Bang pendant, one of Vitale’s earliest designs. The pendant features a vivid rubellite tourmaline carved into the shape of a heart, surrounded by diamonds and rubies.
“The idea is that the heart is so full of love that it explodes — like a big bang of pure love,” he explains.
The dramatic design contrasts with some of his more minimal pieces, but the difference reflects the emotional meaning behind the work.
“That piece is more baroque in style,” he says. “The meaning required a richer design.”
By contrast, pieces such as the Cupola ring demonstrate Vitale’s preference for simpler architectural forms inspired by buildings and domes.
“The shape can resemble a mosque or a building with a cupola,” he says. “The stone becomes the central structure.”
Many of these pieces also feature unusual optical effects, such as cat’s-eye tourmalines that create shifting bands of light when viewed from different angles.
“It is beautiful because the light moves through the stone,” Vitale explains. “Sometimes it travels through the ring itself.”
When worn, the pieces are designed to interact with both light and movement, allowing the gemstone to remain the central focus.
Throughout our conversation, what struck me most was Vitale’s genuine enthusiasm for craftsmanship. Every detail — from stone selection to structure and weight — is carefully considered.
As our interview came to a close, I asked him where he hoped to be a year from now.
“I am still exploring different directions,” he said thoughtfully. “I am trying different places and opportunities.”
Ultimately, his goal is to continue building relationships with collectors and boutiques.
“Collaboration is important,” he says. “But what I hope most is to create relationships with stores and clients who appreciate the work.”
It is clear that Vitale’s jewellery is driven not only by technical skill, but by a deep emotional connection to gemstones themselves. His pieces allow colour, light and form to speak for themselves — creating jewellery that feels both timeless and alive.
Exploring colour, craftsmanship, and the emotional language of gemstones at Precious Room, Paris.
“Elegance and joy,” he says.
“Those two ideas are my thread.”
