RAPAPORT... Handcrafting, attention to detail and a blend of historical and modern elements are the signature of designer Ricardo Basta.
Dreams really do come true, and having his jewelry on display in two museums is a dream come true for Ricardo Basta. “My ambition is to get more museums to exhibit my pieces. That is my measure of success.”
Success has certainly found Basta. His creations are currently in the exhibit “Luxe Life: Masterpieces of American Jewelry,” at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) Museum in Carlsbad, California, is showcasing a collection of Basta’s one-of-a-kind brooches. In addition, he won two 2008 Spectrum Awards.
Basta’s story is one of hard work, talent and a dream that fueled his ambition. He moved to Los Angeles 30 years ago, at which time his jeweler uncle asked if he wanted to start in the business from the bottom up. When Basta, the third generation in a family of jewelers, answered in the affirmative, his uncle replied: “Grab a broom.” It was that humble moment that launched a career of innovation and creative vision that has defined Basta’s work and earned him an A-list reputation.
“That’s how we learned then,” recalls Basta, who apprenticed with European-trained jewelers and eventually bought the business from his uncle. “At that time, you had to find someone who would teach you. There were people who were very passionate and you had to apprentice for no pay. I’m still learning and the day I stop learning is the day I retire.”
Early in his career, Basta did restoration work for the renowned antique and estate jewelry collector and retailer Frances Klein, whose Beverly Hills store was a destination for jewelry connoisseurs. His work is heavily influenced by the time he spent there, working with Klein to restore and design pieces from the Victorian, Edwardian and Art Deco periods. He developed an appreciation for the fine crafting that went into those pieces, as well as the stylized designs. The experience inspired Basta’s desire to create jewels of the quality and styling of these bygone eras using modern technology. This desire has led him to create one-of-a-kind pieces with intricate detail and romantic styling that are showcased in his Beverly Hills store, Jewels by Bernier.
TECHNICAL EXPERTISE
After he became a skilled bench jeweler, Basta began experimenting with other aspects of jewelry making and was one of the first to cast platinum. “When I started casting platinum in the 1980s, it was a secret. There was only one guy in L.A. who cast platinum and he moved to San Fracisco,”explains Basta, who notes that without training and the proper equipment, casting platinum is dangerous. Against the wishes of his uncle, who was concerned about safety, Basta wrapped his arms and face in wet rags to avoid being burned and began teaching himself how to cast platinum.
It turned out to be a good move. In the early 1990s, when platinum became more popular and others needed advice on how to work with this king of metals, it was Basta who was the expert and was able to give advice to others through the Platinum Guild.
DESIGNINGWhen Basta creates one of his designs, he thinks of the stones as more of a palette of paints. “I love rubellite and colored diamonds. I like intense color and I like to combine colors.”
Diamonds are a major design element for Basta and he uses them in almost all of his pieces. “White diamonds can neutralize colors. They are like wine — you taste the wine, then you clear the palate with water and then taste another wine. It is the same with diamonds. With colored diamonds, you can go really wild. I love colored diamonds and I use them in 99 percent of my pieces.
There is so much that you can do with diamonds. You can create texture with various shapes; you can use different shapes and sizes to create a big impact.”
To Basta, the most important element of a design is balance. His philosophy is that to carry a design and make it flow, there must be a balance in color, size and gauge of metal. Basta believes that his strongest point as a designer is that he can achieve balance. Attention to detail is also key, and it is not only the front of Basta’s pieces that are stunning. The backs and sides of the jewelry are also beautifully finished, sometimes highlighted with gems.
Always searching for new ways to stretch himself, Basta cooks up his own gold alloys, producing green and red golds. He likes to develop his own alloys as a way of creating special patinas and finishes for his pieces. “I do new pieces tochallenge myself. I learned to cut stones and I learned new ways to create sets. I get inspired to design when I see a shape or a car go by. I’m very mechanical and I think of the mechanism first.”
Being based in Los Angeles puts Basta right in the heart of the television and film industry, and show business has provided some of the impetus for his creations. “What I like to design has been very Edwardian, but people would come in from the film and television industry and they would want bigger and bolder. So I created those pieces.”
Most of Basta’s hobnobbing with the celebrity crowd has come, in recent years, after an article appeared in Los Angeles magazine. The writer was doing her research and Basta’s name kept coming up because he was doing work for a lot of big-name jewelers. In the story, Basta was dubbed “The Jewelers’ Jeweler” and from that time on, stylists and celebrities began calling him to borrow his pieces. Basta’s jewels have been seen on the contestants of “America’s Next Top Model,” actors Stockard Channing, Debra Messing, Leonardo DiCaprio, Nia Long and numerous others.
Each piece that Basta creates is precious to him and he saysthat designing jewelry is not about the money. “I get my recognition from people seeing my work,” concludes Basta. “My award-winning pieces are like my babies.”
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - March 2008. To subscribe click here.