Roberto Coin rolls out 3 new collections in Basel

Basel--If one saw Roberto Coin in January at Vicenza, they might think the brand won’t have that much new to offer just a few short months later in Baselworld.

One definitely would be wrong.

The prolific Italian designer, who has been in the jewelry business since 1977, rolled out Tanaquilla, Golden Gate and Princess--all new collections--in Basel while also debuting a reinterpretation of Barocco, a Baroque period-inspired line launched a few years ago. He also introduced black-and-white Poi Moi pieces set with black sapphires amid white diamonds.

In an interview at the show, Coin said he and his company create a “tremendous amount” of new product every year, regardless of the economy, which he acknowledges as “tough” right now.

He sees it as a way of giving back to the industry, both in terms of providing jobs and in terms of his creativity, while also catering to the mindset of today’s woman, who is always looking for the next trend.

And Coin’s collections always are decidedly on-trend.

Two of the most striking pieces in Tanaquilla, a collection inspired by the Etruscan queen Tanaquil who was said to be the first to wear jewelry strictly for fashion’s sake, are a choker and a bib necklace, both of which are on-trend, in 18-karat yellow gold with brown diamonds. Danburite, a yellow-hued gemstone mined in Danbury, Conn., is interspersed with the brown diamonds in the bib. 

Available to retailers in summer/fall, the pieces in Tanaquilla collection will not be limited edition but will be produced in smaller quantities due to the amount of time it takes to craft each piece.

The Golden Gate collection, a line of yellow gold jewelry which also is on-trend, was inspired by the famous bridge in San Francisco and will be available in time for Mother’s Day.

The pieces feature a new clasp that closes by itself, a design patented by the brand. Price points range from $2,500 to $10,000 retail.

Roberto Coin has hundreds of points of sale worldwide, including department stores, independent jewelers and standalone stores.

When asked if he plans to open more standalone stores in the U.S. market, Coin said yes, he will open a few more important points of sale but only in conjunction with retailers. “We can’t just open next door to our own clients,” he said.