Saying 'yes' to creativity

Ilaria Furlotti's jewellery is born of sheer genius and fine production values

Most women love jewellery, but Ilaria Furlotti has a passion for it. With three decades spent in the jewellery business, Ilaria has developed an eye for the unusual and the extraordinary.

A few years ago Ilaria sold Alfieri & St. John, a well-known Valencia-based jewellery company that she ran for 25 years. "I had planned to lead a relaxed retired life, but I found myself missing my work very much," she confides.

She decided to start again, but rather than beginning from scratch, she wanted to start from the top. "In all my years in this business, the one designer I had admired most was Fulvo Scavia. So I made up my mind to approach him for a collaboration," she says.

Ilaria did her homework, put on her best jacket and travelled to Milan to meet Scavia, a designer whose exclusive creations are much sought after by the rich and famous. Ilaria's idea was to do a line of jewellery that had the creative genius of Scavia, but was priced to be accessible to more women. Fortunately Scavia liked the proposal and agreed to become her partner in the venture.