Craftsmanship

Silversmithing, a technique where objects are meticulously fabricated from fine silver is a specialty of our Caruso workshop. All sorts of objects can be created by a silversmith, including ornaments and, of course, jewelry. One of our specialties is trimming exotic wood pieces with pure silver. The silver comes in tiny pods which are then flattened into sheets or wire according to the design being crafted. It’s then cut, shaped, soldered and polished into adornment for a piece of wood art or jewelry through silversmithing techniques. Our silversmiths use a special saw to cut out shapes or strips for making a piece of jewelry or an ornament. Blades need to be top quality to ensure the best results. Once the metal has been cut, the rough edges then need to be filed down using a jeweler’s file, before the piece is shaped and soldered. Silver metal is shaped while it’s cold. It can be hammered, textured and bent into shape. To attach two pieces of metal together, to add detail to a piece, a solder will need to be used. The metal must be heated with a torch to the right temperature before it can be soldered. Once the silver metal has cooled, our silversmith may reshape by hammering again if required. Then, after possible reshaping by hammering again to ensure that the metal is smooth and no joins can be seen, additional filing and sanding will take place. To finish off a piece of silver jewelry or application, our silversmith needs to polish by hand to achieve a smooth, shiny surface.

Wood Carving is one of the most ancient arts, and is a fundamental woodworking method. It is a slow and hard activity that starts by using large cutting tools and ends with small blades. It is always a dedicated and detailed process that involves a lot of passion. This ancient art is always learned from experienced master artisans that pass their precious know-how to the young generations. For our master artisans, wood is an irreplaceable material that allows them to express their thoughts and imagination like no other. Wood is also a living material which is why wooden works of art are so precious and must be taken care of gently. The artisans need to have a deep connection and knowledge about wood to be able to bring to life the best possible art and decorative pieces using it. The finest wood crafts come from the hands of these artists who have not only the talent and skill but also the extensive know-how of one of the most interesting materials ever used in art. The first step is to remove the excess of wood trying to obtain an outline of the final shape. Wood carving needs to chip according to the fibrous structure of the wood that is unique to each tree as it is affected by its growth. The next steps involve more precise and detailed work. In our workshop we carve elegant and unique decorative sculptures, tableware and living accessories.

Woodturning is the process of using tools to cut and mould shapes onto wood while it turns on an axis of rotation. Our turners use a tool called a wood lathe which performs operations such as knurling, facing, turning and drilling. Through woodturning, we create items such as bowls, vases, cups, or any rounded wooden piece. Wood turning, however skilled our turners, is a slow craft, requiring concentration of mind and body. One piece can take a lot of time to produce. We select the wood best suited for our turners to focus on the grain and character of the piece of wood as they work, while creating a beautiful, useful piece of art.

The main objective of sanding our wood products is to make it thinner and smoother. A lot of experience and know-how is required to achieve the desired result.