Davide Bigazzi’s handcrafted jewelry and hollowware are a blend of contemporary artistry and old world craftsmanship that echoes back to his native Florence, Italy. Capturing the intrinsic beauty and sculptural qualities of metal by employing chasing & repousse` has been his lifelong passion.
Davide is renowned for his mastery of chasing and repoussè, the ancient art of shaping and embellishing precious metal with raised bas-relief designs. From a young age, Davide apprenticed under one of the last remaining Italian masters of this highly expressive art form.
Growing up in Florence, Italy, Davide’s earliest memories include observing artisans in their “botteghe” (workshops) near the River Arno. Davide's intrigue with metal was recognized early by the renowned Florentine sculptor and jeweler, Bino Bini, and at the age of fourteen, Davide became his apprentice. For five years Davide painstakingly perfected his craftsmanship, becoming at the age of 19 an instructor at the International School of Metal Arts in Florence. Over the next six years, Davide pursued a number of careers, first as a bench jeweler and then as a designer, model maker, and production supervisor for silver hollowware manufacturers. By the mid-nineties Davide was a freelance designer, designing both hollowware collections for prestigious companies throughout Italy and commissioned jewelry prototypes for Italian fashion houses including Gucci. In 1995, Davide won the International Artisans Award competition given during the Mostra Internazionale dell’ Artigianato. The honor spurred him to quit his design career and return to handcrafting one piece at a time.
In 1997 Davide and his American wife, Elisa, joined forces to establish a studio near Florence. Elisa combined her bi-lingual capabilities, sales background, and an eye for design to promote Davide’s handcrafted jewelry collection worldwide. In 2002, with an ever-increasing number of patrons in the U.S., they moved their business to California, where they originally met. Today Davide exhibits in numerous art shows and galleries throughout the country, and teaches workshops in the U.S. and Italy. In 2006 he opened Davide Bigazzi Studio & Gallery in Menlo Park, California.
