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Heritage The Orsini Collection The Italian language bestows so much meaning to a word. 'Orsini' is not only an Italian name, it is a word that implies: family, quality, style and lasting beauty. Steeped in such meaning and tradition, to Sarah Hutchings, Orsini Director, the word was also an appropriate designation for a fine jewellery collection she lovingly hand sources from Italy.
'Fine jewellery is not merely about accessorising. It’s about quality pieces that reflect your unique sense of style and will be cherished from generation to generation.’
~ Sarah Hutchings  Orsini style – the woman behind the collection Sarah Hutchings, Director - Orsini Jewellers Ltd.“I have long held a passion for fine jewellery. It should be worn and enjoyed – the European way – as part of everyday life. Europeans present themselves with such style and I hope to inspire my New Zealand customers with the Italian flair for design.” Sarah’s background is in healthcare. She spent many years working as a nurse and midwife, then as National Sales Manager for international pharmaceutical companies. From 2009 to 2011 she worked part time as the General Manager of the New Zealand Gynaecological Cancer Foundation, a foundation dedicated to the education and support of women with gynaecological cancers. Sarah has now joined as a trustee on the foundations board. However, a trip to Europe in 2001 renewed a long-held passion for fine jewellery and ultimately led to a career change. An Italian love affair begins 'My yearly trips to Europe have culminated in my Orsini selection of the most exquisite and exciting hand-crafted jewellery collections.’ Sarah’s love for Italian fine jewellery came about after a trip to Europe, where her father-in-law, Peter Hutchings – a former jeweller – introduced Sarah to the Vicenza Jewellery Fair in Northern Italy. Sarah knew that she wanted to share her passion for quality, hand-crafted designer jewellery with New Zealand women. Inspired by the European flair for fine, hand-crafted jewellery, Sarah opened the doors to her Orsini Fine Jewellery store in 2008, after receiving the honour of becoming the exclusive New Zealand stockist of the playful solid silver and 18k gold Italian jewellery brand Pianegonda. The second range introduced to the Orsini collection was the über-glamorous Damiani, which features intricate and multiple diamond work. The Damiani brand history dates all the way back to 1924, when master goldsmith Enrico Grassi Damiani started his company. Damiani remains a family business today and a visit to the palatial Milan headquarters of this heritage brand cemented Sarah’s respect for artisan traditions and elegant design. Sarah is also proud to represent Marco Bicego as part of the Orsini collection. Utilising 18k gold, white and pink gold and a trademark hand-woven coil design, designer Marco is inspired by exotic destinations and the ‘perfection of imperfection’; each piece is highly prized for its unique features. The addition of the Pomellato brand fulfils Sarah’s vision for the store. Founded in 1967, Pomellato specialises in ‘prêt-à-porter jewellery, offering eye catching, yet wearable designs featuring precious and semi-precious stones. Sarah also stocks the fun and playful DoDo Gold collection of solid gold animal pendants, each representing a different message from the giver to the receiver. Hand-crafted quality ~ unique elegance Sarah believes that to have true value, jewellery must be underpinned by quality. She can assure her clientele that all jewellery sold through Orsini Fine Jewellery has been carefully selected by Sarah. Sarah is lucky to also have the advice of her father-in-law Peter Hutchings, who has been designing and making jewellery for the last 40 years. Each year Sarah visits Europe to keep up to date with the industry trends and select more pieces for her collection. Expertise you can Trust Sarah has had ‘one on one’ diamond & jewellery training with one of the best experts in the industry. Sarah has also been incredibly fortunate enough to have had jewellery training with some of the world’s experts, Damiani, Marco Bicego, Pomellato whilst she was in Europe. Sarah also has had 'one on one' comprehensive training with a diamond expert and has now developed her own bridal range of engagement rings and wedding bands. A perfect proposal Sarah also creates custom made engagement rings inspired by international trends. Sarah is able to source diamonds of just about any shape and size. She follows a careful consultation process to decipher the customer’s budget and preferred design and ensures that the customer is absolutely satisfied before going ahead with the finished product. Sarah will draft sketches or produce a cast prior to going ahead with the final ring, so that any tweaks and changes can be made without too much difficulty. 'I love knowing that a customer is truly happy with their engagement ring; after all, an engagement ring is a symbol of love and designed to last a lifetime.’ ~ Sarah Hutchings Read more about Sarah in the following feature articles Next magazine.  (click here to view Next Magazine article page 2)Viva magazine (www.nzherald.co.nz/viva-magazine/news/article.cfm) Sarah is a member of the Auckland Executive Club |