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Now in its second edition, Design Alchemy takes shape once again as a jewellery design exhibition during the international contemporary jewellery event in Milan. Behind the project is Beatriz Biagi, a designer and curator with a cosmopolitan background, who with this format aims to explore the intersection of design, technology, and personal identity.
The alchemy evoked by the title is not just a metaphor: it is a process of transformation, where design becomes a language and jewellery its most intimate and universal code.
LIJ: The title “Design Alchemy” evokes an idea of transformation. What does this concept mean to you when applied to jewellery?
Beatriz Biagi: It’s not just about design as we commonly understand it — form, function, or technology. Here, design is a deep, project-based process, where a person expresses themselves through jewellery, putting technique, material, and meaning into dialogue. Alchemy is precisely this: transforming an idea into an object that conveys emotions and cultural messages.
LIJ: The theme of “projectuality” often emerges in your words. How does this manifest in the work of the designers involved?
Beatriz Biagi: The project is at the heart of everything. It is the moment in which the why and the how of a piece are defined. Today, someone who creates jewellery is not just a craftsman or an artist, but a designer who thinks in 3D, integrating traditional techniques and new technologies to give shape to a thought. It is there that design finds its true expression.
LIJ: The subtitle of this edition is “Shaping Originality.” What does “originality” mean to you in a context like this?
Beatriz Biagi: Originality is not about inventing something completely new, but about being able to translate oneself authentically. Each designer brings their identity, their vision. And it is precisely from this diversity that the true alchemy of the project arises: unique, unrepeatable solutions that speak a language that is both universal and personal.
The second edition of jewelry design exhibition Design Alchemy brings together five women whose work embodies the spirit of the exhibition. Each designer approaches jewellery as a medium for personal expression, blending technique, material, and imagination to create pieces that are both original and meaningful.
Their collections, showcased during Milan Jewelry Week, range from sculptural interpretations and organic forms to innovative uses of colour, natural elements, and cultural references. Together, they form a unique alchemy: independent creators united by passion, creativity, and respect for the environment.
Below, we introduce the five designers and their signature projects presented in Milan.
Lola Ramos
Sculpture becomes contemporary jewellery
The sculptural DNA of Lola Ramos is immediately apparent in her work, defined by assertive lines and generous, tactile proportions. Each piece is a distinct statement, often born from narrative or emotion, designed to imbue the wearer with an aura of glamour, individuality, and positive energy.
As both a sculptor and a jeweller, Ramos fuses traditional craftsmanship with a contemporary spirit. She juxtaposes precious metals with materials of unique beauty, creating a dialogue that emphasizes the brand’s expressive versatility. The result is a wearable art where each piece a condensed story, a personal symbol, a portable sculpture
The In Fiore collection was born as a dream, inspired by two films that have marked my imagination: Alice in Wonderland and Around the World in 80 Days. My starting point was stories of adventure and discovery, and each piece of jewellery in this silver collection is a fragment of that journey: a reminder that recognizing ourselves, dreaming, and daring can lead us to blossom. Today, as I present it in Milan, I want In Fiore to also be an invitation to wear a fragment of nature and believe in the power of your dreams.
Réveli
Color is emotion
Réveli jewellery is designed to evoke emotions, not just to be seen. Created by Italian artisans in essential shapes, each piece is finished with a brushstroke of hand-poured enamel, a secret explosion of colour to be savoured on the skin. NOVA, presented in Milan, is a collection born from the reworking of a shape that has always been part of us: the egg. A shape, first a simple line, now transformed into volume, continuing the natural evolution of Réveli. The jewellery is made of 925 sterling silver with coloured enamels in original shades, a distinctive feature of the brand. New for this season is 9-karat rose gold accompanied by lab-grown diamonds.
The collection was born from a return to its origins. It starts from an archetypal shape to transform the oval into a sculptural volume. Each piece of jewellery speaks of duality. On the outside, the precious metal reflects like a mirror; on the inside, a colour memory inspired by a chromatic heritage. An intimate detail living in contact with the skin like a closely guarded secret. It is a contemporary talisman. Réveli is the philosophy of luxury as a return to the essential: the object that adds nothing but reveals everything we already are.
Cristina Fernández
Jewellery dressing the soul
Cristina Fernández, a designer and goldsmith from Tabasco, Mexico, blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary vision. Deeply connected to her roots, she works closely with local artisans, ensuring that their expertise and cultural heritage continue to inspire every piece she creates. In her hands, gold and silver are enriched with unique details, forming a language of identity, refinement, and timeless character. This commitment extends beyond aesthetics; by championing local artisans, she helps preserve their invaluable skills, ensuring a legacy of excellence is passed down to the next generation.
Fernández understands that jewellery is a personal signature, a delicate, decisive way to express one’s identity without saying a word. She knows a woman chooses her jewels as she would a favourite flower, a glass of wine, or a defining song: it is a personal curation where a shared love for authenticity still leaves room for an individual style.
I don’t consider what I do a job, but a passion. When I manage to guess exactly the piece of jewellery a person wanted and I see a special light in their eyes…that’s my greatest reward.
Gigi Mizrahi
Passionate research in nature
Photographer, goldsmith and sculptor, she works with various materials such as metals, ceramic, resin and gems. For her “Orígen” collection, Gigi Mizrahi uses natural elements that she finds on her travels and preserves by encasing them in transparent resin. Thus, from a spine of the dangerous lionfish, collected during a dive in Indonesia, the striking Pesce Farfalla necklace was born; set in resin, it becomes a jewel supported by a chain and, wonderfully, looks like a butterfly’s wing.
The “Tres Chiles” necklace represents the strong and vibrant spirit of Mexican culture, where chili peppers are part of everyday life. It is an iconic piece, and the star shape of this necklace makes the woman shine, as if in a circle of light.
I consider myself a free and adventurous spirit, and a tireless researcher. I want to create pieces with an identity, transforming pre-Hispanic and African designs into contemporary pieces. As I walk, I find simple objects discarded by nature or man and give them new dignity, without altering them.
Alice Popescu
Organic shapes for light and fluid expressions
Alice Popescu is a goldsmith based in Milan. Trained as an architect, she studied at the Scuola Orafa Ambrosiana before starting her own production. Alice draws inspiration from organic shapes to create jewellery in precious metals, elements that become wearable sculptures, unique and symbolic objects. In recent years, she has chosen to devote herself to working with metal sheets using embossing, chiselling, and anticlastica techniques, in search of light, fluid, contemporary forms of expression.
The silver sheet bends lightly and sinuously to embrace the shapes of the body. Her gaze is turned towards the future, sometimes with a glance to Baroque splendour. But Alice’s interpretation is always essential.
I don’t know what art is. It just happens. For those who believe that the silent power of beauty can forge the world. Because my goal is to spread beauty throughout the world.
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Exhibition Information
Design Alchemy 2025 – Shaping Originality
An exhibition of independent and original jewellery conceived by Beatriz Biagi
Matria Gallery, Via Melzo 34, Milan
October 18–20, 2025
Instagram: @designalchemy_jewels
