Our process of design

I think it is very interesting to know how a process of design starts....and how it ends. I´m going to take as sample one style from our collection Sensuale by Rosario Fandiño, Eterna. Eterna means "Eternal", and when we started to think about this collection, we thought about meaningful symbols. Eterna, the Cross, doesn´t have a religious meaning, at least for us. No matter if you are a religious person, in what you believe or not; the cross has an ancient meaning before the christianity has taken it as its symbol. "The cross itself is the symbol of cosmic reality and must be therefore widely understood. The vertical line represents the male principle, and the horizontal represents the female principle, and these two lines are not separated from each other; intersected with precision, and crossing, join. The cross symbolizes the work that both, male and female principles, run together in the Universe" Omraam Mikhaël Aïvanhov. I love this definition!

Graphics and images 3-D of the main piece

ONA´s models emerge from a long process that starts with  lots of scribbles drawn by hand on a piece of paper. Those first drawings are the consecuence of a “brain storm” between Rosario and me, of: ideas, meanings, thoughts and the fashion trends for the season we are working on. Those scribbles start to get clearer, until they become into drafts with more precise details of dimensions, constituents, materials and colors.

When we are satisfied with these first drafts, Rosario continues the process in the computer to get the final drawings made by Autocad and Coreldra programs. These drawings are produced in 1:1 scale, to get a real idea about how it will "look" the prototype of the model.

When these graphics are finished, and we are sure that the final designs are matching our “dreams”,  they are sent to the factory to start working in the protomodel. Most of  the parts of  our styles are original and unique, and for that reason the first step in the production of the protomodel, is to develope the molds of each part. The mold is handycrafted, like a sculpture, and it´s made by a qualified artissan. It must be perfect, because the quality of the mold is the first step to get an excellent piece of jewelry.

Final graphic and first Protomodel

The next steps are quite technic, and they are: filling the mold with different kinds of Alloy, depending in the model, then pressing it, letting it get solid, taking out of the mold, making a first polishing of the “raw” piece to take away imperfections, plating it with silver or rhodium, making a  deep polishing to give the finishing to the plated surface, then decorating it with polished Check glass, and then,  the final quality control of that piece.  

Bracelet graphic

This protomodel will be analyzed, corrected if necessary, and then approved by us, Rosario and me. The jewelry, no matter which materials are involved in making it, is always a handicraf. It´s the result of the professional work of many persons, and for each step of the development of one piece of jewelry, many hands are putting their skills and wisdom to achieve that first style.

We "really" design our products; it´s such  a magic process developed from an empty paper to an object, a real piece of jewelry. Imagine our emotion when we are able to touch it after months of work, corrections, tests. Amazing! 

Finally we have our new style!! This is the result of the stunning process of the design: you imagine something, you project it, you make it real.  

And I tell you something more, this process applies to life. You can make real anything you can imagine...isn´t it wonderful? Yes, it is, indeed. You only need to want deeply to make your dreams come true!!!

Alejandra & Rosario