Gaia Spallanzani
Gaia Spallanzani was born in Milan and is the fifth generation designer of the esteemed Milanese jewelry brand Spallanzani, founded in 1880. Gaia is known as a globetrotter and highly educated woman with a passion for precious gems, sophisticated materials, original design, decadent style, innovation and a refined palette for all things luxury.
Her grandparents, Guido and Rosabianca Spallanzani introduced Gaia as a child to the Spallanzani world of jewelry and brand lifestyle. Both of them were avid travelers and loved to curate trips with unusual destinations with a goal to find awe-inspiring gemstones for their coveted jewelry creations.
Upon returning back to Milan, Guido and Rosabianca always brought a unique gemstone to Gaia, which in turn, whet Gaia’s appetite for the world of gemstones and design. Her earliest memories are of many Christmas holidays where she eagerly helped in the family boutique store by wrapping gifts and spending valuable time with the Spallanzani goldsmith.
Growing up, Gaia quickly realized her vocation and decided to take the helm of Spallanzani by learning the family business and embracing all aspects of the company from—design, material sourcing, and marketing.
In the early eighties the Spallanzani brand became a popular and coveted brand to own and to wear within the Milanese society circles. Spallanzani produced iconic annual fashion shows which became a “must attend” for the most influential people of the time, the Centennial Anniversary celebration event in 1980 is still unforgettable for those who attended.
After her college studies Gaia joined the prestigious IULM University in Milano while studying Gemology on her own and achieved a master in Polished Diamond at the International Gemological Institute in Antwerp and another one at the London Sotheby’s Institute of Art in Jewel Design. Her thesis in “Parallelism between design and fashion jewels” took her path to the Sorbonne University in Paris where she studied Art. During that time in Paris she works for Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior and for the Condé Nast International Publications setting the base for a global vison of “luxury”.
Since 2014 Gaia has been overseeing the Spallanzani family business and has injected a fresh outlook and influence onto the heritage brand. The international stage has become the new goal for the brand. Gaia’s vision has created a standard of a semi-couture product—a fusion of timeless tradition and contemporary innovation.
The iconic custom-made gold bracelets, now part of the “ONLY YOU” collection are key players in the brand’s relaunch. This particular collection was created in the Seventies by Gaia’s grandfather and inspired by his personal love story; Guido made the first bracelet in yellow gold and diamonds for his wife Rosabianca and on the bracelet sparkled the letters TSTQCA, meaning “Tu sei tutto quello che amo-you are all that I love”.
The personalized bracelet concept was soon after applied to rings, earrings and necklaces. These pieces have been worn by international celebrities and social influencers, and featured in international publications.
Gaia, mother of three beautiful children resides between Milan and Paris where she manages the entire Spallanzani brand.
The Beginning
Spallanzani Jewels has been an iconic and highly admired brand in the Milanese luxury fashion world for well over one hundred years. In 1880 Carlo Spallanzani founded and opened the first store front in Milan, starting a legacy far beyond his dreams and intentions. Since the opening of that first store the company has been passed down through five generations creating a respected name in high society. It was in 1947 when the company really started to make a name for itself as Guido Spallanzani, the grandson of Carlo, took over the company. Him and his wife, Rosabianca, who stepped in as the jewelry designer, worked together introducing pieces still popular today, hosting extravagant events and shows, and really grew the name and company Spallanzani.
Much of the high-class people in Milan were in attendance and did not want to be seen missing the reputable Spallanzani shows. Gifts were given out as models not only walked down the runway but went up to tables showing off the stunning new jewelry. In 1974 Spallanzani was invited to the Diamonds-International Awards and Aurea 74, where they auctioned of a piece for a great sum of money. A big part of this growth has to do with the iconic “Only You” bracelet that still is one of Spallanzani’s best sellers. Guido decided to give his lovely wife and partner a yellow gold and white diamond bracelet that read “TSTQCA”, an acronym for “Tu sei tutto quello che amo” which translates to “You are all that I love”. Years later the couple decided to gift their daughter Marcella a similar customized bracelet with the names of her two kids, “Gaia” and “Francesco”. Fast forward to the year 1975 where the “Only You” bracelet was trademarked and quickly became popular.
A New Beginning: Gaia Spallanzani
With Gaia taking over the company, a big shift in the brand can be seen. While still honoring the past, she has managed to revamp and update the Spallanzani image, by adding a new innovative touch to old styles. Gaia changed the style of the maison because she wanted to tell more of a story with her jewelry. This is clearly seen in her newer collections and pieces, as she is extremely passionate about the story of the soul, symbolism, and astrology. Her jewels function as talisman, which are generally a portable object that has “powers” or a strong spiritual connection with the owner. They are an interpretation of the wearers deep and intimate feelings and beliefs. Her creative style has made a splash in the fine jewelry industry, getting coverage from magazines such as Vogue and L’Officiel Italia. The innovative shift, brought by Gaia, has opened Spallanzani to a much bigger target audience as it has become a more global name.