Born on July 25th, 1944 in the countryside outside Venice, Roberto Coin’s idyllic childhood took a tragic turn when he lost both parents at an early age. By 11, he was an orphan and sent to boarding school in Switzerland. It was there that Coin grew up learning the ins and outs of the hotel trade, eventually earning his diploma from the esteemed L’Ecole Hotelier de Lausanne.
By the age of 18, Coin had left Switzerland and moved to Guernsey, the second biggest island of the Channel Islands where he worked as assistant manager at one of their leading hotels. Having proved he was both capable and ambitious, Coin was named hotelier of the Duke of Richmond Hotel by age 24.
At 32, Roberto Coin decided it was time to go home and returned to Vicenza, the place of his birth. It was there in the City of Gold, that he founded his brand. Known for its centuries-old goldsmithing traditions, Vicenza provided a rich cultural backdrop for shaping his design vision and blending Italian artistry with architectural beauty and craftsmanship. For nearly a decade Roberto dedicated his life and passion to learning his craft, and in 1984 began producing jewelry for other Italian brands. In 1996, Roberto Coin decided he was ready for the world to view his talent as his own work and officially launched his namesake brand. Coin’s mantra from the moment he started working with local artisans to manufacture jewelry has been ”I need to be myself and for Roberto Coin, the brand, to be an extension of me.”
At the heart of Roberto Coin is a devotion to combining traditional techniques with modern innovation. Roberto Coin loves to draw inspiration from the past but believes you have to make something new of the old, otherwise it’s an antique before it’s even born. While Coin adheres to the Italian tradition of producing jewelry that is meticulous and the highest quality, he strives to create something that has never been seen before. Both artistic and still wearable, Coin’s collections often feature dimensional goldwork, sculptural elements, and mixed materials.
Every piece created by Roberto Coin comes with a signature that reflects Coin’s belief that jewelry should carry emotion and meaning, not just style. Coin explains that the ancient Egyptian believed the ruby offered protection, love, and good fortune to those that wore it. Therefore, each piece of his has a hidden ruby on the inside, where it can touch the skin of the person wearing it and, Roberto Coin hopes, bring them a little piece of life’s good luck.
A member of the RJC (Responsible Jewellery Council), Roberto Coin is committed to using ethically sourced materials and sustainable practices. At Roberto Coin, all diamonds are purchased from sources that subscribe to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), an international certification system with a zero-tolerance policy for conflict diamonds. Roberto Coin believes that your brand and behavior in life are inseparable; as the face of his business, he strives to be credible, transparent and owns all the decision his company makes.
Explore our selection of Roberto Coin pieces at Schwarzschild's Jewelers. Visit us in Charlottesville, Carytown Exchange, and Midlothian today!