Shoutout LA interview

I was recently interviewed by Shoutout LA, a California-based magazine covering local artists and interesting stories. Here is their first question with my response:

Hi Maddalena, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?

One of my favorite quotes is by author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou: “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.” I believe this statement to be true. I think wildlife offers endless possibility for creativity. More nature-inspired pieces I make, more designs I came out with. At times, I find difficult to keep up with my own ideas while sitting at the jewelry bench. Just need longer days…

You can read the full Shoutout article here.

An interview about my handmade jewelry and my work as a marine biologist for Shoutout LA

Baking soda: the perfect jewelry cleaner

I care deeply about the environment, so when I started making metal jewelry I was careful to maintain ethical and environmentally-friendly practices.

Of course, using eco-friendly techniques for cleaning my pieces – and those of my friends and clients - became a natural choice and I learned different ways to polish and keep handmade jewelry beautiful and flawless without harming the environment.

For cleaning jewelry, baking soda is environmentally-friendly, low-cost and at the top of my list. One can do pretty much anything with it, including making jewelry look like new! This powder is slightly abrasive so it needs to be used with caution and only on the right jewelry. It works well with metals like silver and gold with a matte finish. Gently polish the piece rubbing it with a warm, damp cloth that has been sprinkled with baking soda; rinse well and dry the jewelry, et voila’…the tarnished piece will come back to life.

these handmade Maddalena Bearzi jewelry pieces with a matte finish can be easily cleaned with baking soda. Model and actress Frances Pearson wears ba-lena necklace in silver and gold, a pair of marea earrings in bronze and a relitto ring. The silk shirt is Lotte.99.

Spoon or nature-inspired bracelet?

I love to work with reclaimed metals to create jewelry inspired by my work as a biologist.
Silver, gold, bronze, brass or copper can be all be recycled and turned into interesting jewelry pieces. All you need is your imagination… and knowing some jewelry-making techniques! Here is a vintage silver spoon that I cut, filed, pressed, forged, and oxidized into an open bracelet. As a final touch, I added silver balls in the center. The Italian name of this bracelet is “nido di rondine” (robin’s nest).

An old silver spoon is handcrafted in an elegant and one of a kind bracelet

Be earth-friendly

Responsible fashion is in this year: Change accordingly!

Acting to protect our natural resources is key considering the environmental issues we are facing. Even fashion must be part of helping the Planet by using more sustainable & ethical materials, adding giving-back initiatives that have an impact, and upholding traditional and ethical techniques. Humble and sustainable materials can be handcrafted in unique pieces: the only thing we need is the power of our imagination!

The handcrafted and organic-looking pieces on actress and model Frances Pearson show how sustainable materials are made into one of a kind jewels in our collections

Statement ring, Purell included.

While learning how to navigate this new terrain of uncertainty from the safety of my home studio, my mind wonders far away and under the ocean surface in search of some amusement and diversion. This “pesce scatola” ring - inspired by a boxfish - is one of the weirder outcomes. 

When feeling threatened, the square-shaped boxfish emits a toxin which can be lethal to other species in the reef. This “pesce scatola” ring - instead of releasing toxins - can dispense “golden” drops of Purell in my own hands (see images). It’s the ideal accessory for the brief walks with my husband and dog when I am not barricaded inside the house.

What's a patina finish on jewelry?

I get asked this question many times, so here is my response. Patina is basically a film that develops on the surface of metal over a certain period of time. Due to exposure to open air (and the natural process of oxidation), an aged metal like copper and silver tends to develop a “patina”. A natural patina can take from days to even years to occur but a jeweler can speed up the process by making (or buying) an “artificial” patina. One of the most commonly used patinas on the market for jewelry-making is the liver of sulfur.

This one of a kind and organic-looking silver ring from the “Costellazione” limited-edition collection has been created by the designer using two different kind of hand-made patinas. The final result is totally unique!

This “double-finger”, handcrafted ring makes a statement with its unique patina finish