Carrera y Carrera 130th anniversary [+Mandarin Translation]

(Malaysia Store : Starhill Gallery)

In 2015, Carrera y Carrera celebrates its 130th anniversary.  130 years during which the firm has remained true to its signature style with a timeless feeling of exquisite beauty.Carrera y Carrera was founded in 1885 by Saturio Esteban Carrera. The incessant creativity apparent in his designs, his extraordinary history of innovation, and his artistic, daring spirit have made the brand a legend.Carrera y Carrera is to be part of a passionate creative process.  To participate in an artistic experience where each piece is the reflection of thorough, careful gold craftsmanship.  To share the expertise and sensibility of one of the best artisan workshops in the world through jewels with authentic essence.The firm currently has more than 300 points of sale in over 40 countries.  Carrera y Carrera is recognized as one of the 30 most prestigious jewelry brands in the world.  The brand headquarters are located in Madrid, as well as the workshop – considered one of the best in the world – where more than 35 jewelers work.

1885: The origins of Carrera y Carrera

Saturio Esteban Carrera

Sitting in a state of concentration, 5 people waited expectantly.  It was the first delivery to the palace and everything had to be perfect.Four years ago he had arrived in Madrid from his native Guadalajara.  His parents had sold almost all their lands so Saturio could fulfill his dream.  It was 1885, and the 20-year-old knew with certainty that he wanted to be a jeweler.His small workshop in the famous Barrio de las Letras (Literary Quarter) in Madrid was a meeting place for all the artists of the time.  Following a period of cultural splendor, Madrid now was experiencing a decadent and chaotic scene.  Saturio’s main objective was to show beauty through his creations.Thus was born a new way of understanding and making jewelry art, using new techniques in the treatment of gold.  Elaborate and painstaking work in miniature and sculpture can be appreciated in his works.The name Saturio was heard more and more among the nobility and the rapidly-proliferating bourgeoisie.  Owning a jewel from Carrera became a symbol of social status.The creation of a jewel was not only a source of inspiration, but also contained an entire history and know-how, his technological, gemological, and above all, artistic knowledge.  Turning his creations into small works of art.

1905: Perfecting the technique

Pedro Iglesias

A month before the due date for his order, the metal was melting while Pedro thought about how proud his father would be if he could see the final result.A blacksmith by trade, Pedro had acquired all of his experience and know-how from his predecessor.  A family legacy of which he was very proud.  Madrid infrastructure was growing and Pedro’s skill was required for every new project.  “The finishes are of utmost importance,” he always said.It was around 1905 when he received an unexpected visit in his Lavapiés workshop.  Saturio Esteban, the best-known jeweler in all Madrid, had heard of his work, and would not leave until Pedro agreed to work with him in his jewelry workshop. For 26-year-old Pedro, Saturio’s proposal presented a great challenge.  Never before had he worked with jewelry and it seemed an exciting prospect.Thus he began working in Saturio’s workshop as a jeweler.  Artisanal work where he manipulated the raw material in a laborious process that required special dedication and skill.Pedro bestowed upon each jewel all his experience, combining talent, originality, and passion.  He transformed each jewel into a unique piece endowed with its own spirit and soul.The master goldsmith from Saturio’s small business told stories and created new concepts through his innovative creations for the time.

1930: The feminine touch

Rebecca de Vega

Rebecca had always dreamed of attending the National School of Fine Arts in Paris.  Following the end of World War I, her parents sent her to Italy with a relative who could support her.  She soon became an apprentice in the workshop of Libero Andreotti.  She had always been a passionate girl capable of fulfilling any dream and nothing would prevent her from becoming a sculptor.It was the Roaring Twenties when she returned to her native Paris.  A bohemian Paris, full of art and beauty, that was unfamiliar to her.  A magical time of cultural splendor, when going to the Moulin Rouge and dancing the Charleston was part of any artist’s life.The Montparnasse area, home to the great intellectuals of the period, was the enclave where the “crème de la crème” of French artists known as the “School of Paris” would meet. José Esteban Carrera, Saturio’s son, had moved to the French capital to perfect his goldsmith techniques.  The strength and creativity of Rebecca’s work immediately captured his attention, and he did not hesitate to offer her a job in his Madrid workshop.Hurt by her recent breakup with a close friend of Hemingway she had met at Café de Flore, Rebecca saw José’s offer as a way to escape and alleviate her pain.  In 1930, at almost 30 years old, she made a decision that would change the course of her life.That whole explosion of feelings was reflected in each one of the jewels crafted in the small and simple workshop that José Esteban had opened on Santa Isabel Street in Madrid.  A workshop that each day was acquiring more fame thanks to Rebecca’s feminine and revolutionary style evident in each and every one of her designs.

1957: The first major Royal Commission

Santiago Sainz

His mother had gone to look for him, and he felt very embarrassed.  He had been told not to gamble, but Santiago – better known as “Santi” – knew it was the only way to get extra money badly needed at home.His parents had migrated from the country to the capital just as the war started, and they settled in the Tetuán district.  He spent hours on Bravo Murillo Street playing chess.  It required great skill, concentration, and thoroughness – qualities that characterized Santi to perfection.Santi spent hours in front of the Carrera workshop admiring how the master goldsmiths worked, until one day he dared to go in and ask for work as an apprentice.  It was around 1957, and at his 22 years of age it was a dream to begin working in the most prestigious workshop in Spain.Thanks to the great effort of the Carrera family, in 1960 the workshop received one of its most important commissions:  to create the bridal tiara that would be worn by the Spanish aristocrat Fabiola de Mora y Aragón at her wedding to King Baudouin I of Belgium.  This commission was a challenge for Santi, who felt proud of being part of the creation of this work of art.  Each stone in the tiara was set with great care and astonishing meticulousness.Nobody could have imagined that Saturio Esteban’s small jewelry business would become one of the world’s leading fine jewelry companies.

1977: Fourth generation of jewelers

Manuel Carrera

The tradition continues in the Seventies with the fourth generation of Carreras: Manuel and his cousin, Juan José.Manuel Carrera has been the primary proponent of Spanish jewelry of the latter half of the 20th century, emerging as the most valued designer and entrepreneur of the sector.He revolutionized Spanish jewelry creating a new, ground-breaking style, a completely innovative approach to the creation of jewels that has triumphed the world over.The jewelry created by Manuel Carrera has always been linked to the concept of art.  Today, at over 70 years old, Manuel continues working with the firm.In the early Eighties, Carrera y Carrera focused on international expansion.  During this period, the firm’s pieces began to be recognized internationally as authentic works of art, and the top museums in the world recognized the high artistic value of the company’s sculptures, exhibiting them in their main rooms.  Company pieces have been exhibited at museums such as the Yamanashi Museum in Japan, the White House Museum in Washington, D.C., and the Hadley Museum in Kentucky.It is worth noting that the Icarus sculpture belonging to the firm’s Private Collection was exhibited in the most important jewelry museum in the world: the Kremlin Armory Museum.

Carrera y Carrera designs and creates its collection remaining true to its signature style thanks to an internal team of six designers.  Their primary source of inspiration resides in nature and is present in each one of the pieces created by the firm.

The main characteristics of the creative style Carrera y Carrera has maintained over the years:

.- A passion for detail through mini sculpture.

.- The excellent matte-gloss finish visible on many of the firm’s jewels through which the pieces are given extraordinary volume.

.- A Spanish link as source of inspiration for many of its collections.

Today, Carrera y Carrera is considered one of the 30 most prestigious jewelry brands in the world.  Present in over 40 countries, it exports 80% of its production.

Since 2010, the company has had subsidiaries in the United States, Japan, Russia, and China to ensure complete control over the distribution and points of sale in cities such as Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, London, Munich, Moscow, New York, Kiev, Saint Petersburg, Dubai, Macau, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo.

THE KNOW-HOW

Carrera y Carrera is based on expertise of incalculable value: the know-how of the more than 35 jewelers that work in its Madrid workshop, one of the most prestigious in the world.  It is in this place that each piece of jewelry is crafted entirely by hand, the method other brands reserve just for Fine Jewelry.

In an international landscape of great French, American, and Italian jewelers, the Spanish fine jewelry firm differentiates itself through its expertise in gold.  While other jewelers focus their work on the stones, at Carrera y Carrera gold is the absolute star.  The brand’s goldsmiths demonstrate their expertise in each one of the jewels that is crafted in the company’s workshop.  Meticulous work in mini-sculpture accompanied by the characteristic Carrera y Carrera matte-gloss finish transform each piece into a small work of art.

ICONS

The seductive creations from Carrera y Carrera are aimed at a woman with character, passion, strength.  A modern woman who appreciates the versatility and creativity of jewels that exude personality and luxury.  Each year the firm presents a new collection in line with current trends, always adapting them to its distinctive and recognizable style.

Various creations from Carrera y Carrera have become genuine icons recognizable internationally:

Shanghai Pendant, Círculos de Fuego Collection
Unique works of art represented by the dragon, symbol of power and strength.  The details of this animal full of character are reflected in each one of the pieces thanks to the firm’s gold craftsmanship.

Tiger ring, Bestiario Collection

The animal kingdom emerges with all its strength and is reinterpreted, giving life to jewels that exude character and boundless creativity.

Río Necklace, Peacock Collection

Jewels full of color and sophistication that suggest the peculiar movement of peacock feathers.

Aqua Ring, Aqua Collection

Synonymous with life, a tribute to the rivers and springs that run through every corner of Spain.  The meticulous work in mini-sculpture, the asymmetry, and the sinuous shapes have made this collection a company icon.

Orquídeas Necklace, colección Seda Imperial Collection

The Manila shawl, originally from China, is a completely handmade, hand-embroidered garment in natural silk, crafted with skill and dexterity.  Just like the Carrera y Carrera jewelry, which takes the most distinctive features of this garment to transform into jewels.

Zen Ring, Bambú Collection

Movement and interesting textures in each piece, drawing inspiration from bamboo which is considered to bring good luck in the Far East.  The collection has become a modern icon for the firm.

Gardenias Ring, Gardenias Collection

Words that contain music, sensuality, and memory.  Images of a Cuba of dreams that brought the myth of the island to Spain.  One of the iconic collections from Carrera y Carrera thanks to its sophisticated look brimming with glamour.

CELEBRITIES

Carrera y Carrera enjoys the support of internationally-renowned stars on the most important red carpets in the world.  The firm’s jewels have been visible at the Oscars, the Grammys, and the MET Gala throughout the years.  Madonna, Taylor Swift, Jennifer López, Jessica Lange, Katy Perry, Scarlett Johansson, Lady GaGa, Renata Litvinova, Kate Beckinsale, Demi Moore, Olivia Palermo, Paris Hilton, and Sofía Vergara are a few of the celebrities that have fallen in love with the Spanish jewelry brand’s designs and have elected to wear these jewels on numerous occasions.

Article by Neo and Yus, source by Carrera y Carrera

____Mandarin Translation____