Coral Coral by Andrea Ragazzo is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award in Àpẹẹrẹ Ohun Ọ̀ṣọ́ Ara Competition Category.

FàdákàOhun Ọ̀ṣọ́ Ara· 2020

Coral Coral

by Andrea Ragazzo

Client: Ragazzo Design Studio

Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award Winner in Ohun Ọ̀ṣọ́ Ara Category

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Colors

The Design

About Coral Coral

Coral jẹ́ àwọn ọ̀já ọwọ́ aṣọ (cufflinks) méjì tí a ṣe láti dì àwọn ọ̀já ọwọ́ ẹ̀wù pọ̀. Ọ̀pọ̀ àwọn cufflinks máa ń tóbi tí wọ́n sì máa ń wúwo. Ṣùgbọ́n Coral tẹ̀lé àṣà Ítálì ti ìrọ̀rùn àti ọ̀wọ̀ fún àwọn àwòrán àdánidá. Ìrísí tí ó ṣí sílẹ̀, tí ó sì hàn kọjá ń fún un ní àpèjúwe fúyẹ́, nígbà tí ìsojú inú tí ó ní kánrin fi ìyàtọ̀ kún un. A ṣe cufflink kọ̀ọ̀kan pẹ̀lú ọwọ́ láti inú fàdákà sterling nípasẹ̀ ọ̀nà dídà mọ́lẹ̀ epo-oyin tí ó sọnù (lost wax casting). A pọ́lù ẹ̀ka kọ̀ọ̀kan a sì fi platinum tàbí wúrà pupa (rose gold) bò ó láti mú kí ó máa dán. Igi ọ̀já náà tí ó fẹ̀ẹ́, tí ó dàbí lẹ́bẹ́ ẹja ń dènà yíyí ó sì mú kí ó rọrùn láti wọ àwọn cufflinks àti láti bọ́ wọn.

The Recognition

About the Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award

Coral Coral jẹ́ olùborí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award, ìdánimọ̀ onípọ̀nlé lọ́nà àrà ọ̀tọ̀ tí a fún àwọn àwòṣe ìpele gíga jùlọ tó dára tó sì ń kan ọkàn. Àwọn olùborí Fàdákà jẹ́ àwọn iṣẹ́ tó ń tàn yòò gidigidi tó sì ní ìṣẹ̀dá púpọ̀ tí wọ́n ń ṣàfihàn ìmọ̀ ìjìnlẹ̀, ẹ̀bùn àti ìmọ̀ràn àwọn olùṣàwòṣe wọn. A retí pé Coral Coral yóò jẹ́ iṣẹ́ àgbàyanu, àpẹẹrẹ rere, ti ọ̀jáfáfá lọ́nà tó ṣe pàtàkì tó sì ní ìmúṣẹ̀dá tuntun jinlẹ̀. Àwòṣe tó borí Àmì-ẹ̀yẹ Fàdákà A' Design Award yìí jẹ́ ohun ìmúṣẹ̀dá tó hàn gbangba gidigidi tí a mọrírì tó ń ṣe anfàní tó sì ń tì ààlà iṣẹ́ ọnà, sáyẹ́ǹsì, àwòṣe àti ìmọ̀-ẹ̀rọ síwájú. Coral Coral jẹ́ ẹ̀dá tí ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ń ṣe ìlara, tó ń jí ìfẹ́ inú, tó ń mú ìmọ̀lára rere wá tó sì ń jí ìyàlẹ́nu àti ìyanu.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: These cufflinks are designed in the best tradition of Italian love for simplicity and respect for organic shapes. They are featuring a unique see-through look, which creates lightness, while the rough inner texture creates added contrast.

Each cufflink is hand made from Sterling Silver. To keep its shine, they are individually polished and either Platinum or Rose Gold plated. The flat, fin-like stem prevents them from rotating while making it easy to put on and take off.
Dimensions & Packaging: Sterling Silver with Rhodium plating and Rose Gold plating, ∅20 x 22mm
Tags: Cufflinks, Men's Accessories, Sterling Silver, Gold Plated, Italian Design, Luxury Accessories, Men's Fashion, Modern Design
Production Technology: The cufflinks are made by lost wax casting, which is commonplace in jewelry making. All files were created in Creo 4.0 and rendered in Keyshot to get an accurate representation of the final design before production. A Makerbot 3D-printer was also used, to get preliminary parts made in PLA. These were used to fine-tune the look and size.
Design Challenge: There was not much of a research challenge for this project since cufflinks have been around for a very long time. Also in terms of manufacturing and materials, the choice to use Sterling Silver and Lost Casting were straight forward. A high-quality material was necessary, and therefore, only silver or gold would have been appropriate. Using pure gold would set a too high selling price. Therefore the choice to use Sterling Silver and gold plate them.
Research: During the initial phase of the design, several directions were taken, including designs featuring enamel. The enamel was placed in the inner part of the cufflinks, creating contrast and making the design feel alive. The idea came from the underside of a starfish, which reveals an inner color, different from the outer skin. It makes it more vulnerable and fragile, enhancing its lightness even more. Unfortunately, it was not possible from a technical point of view, since reaching the inner surface was very difficult and time-consuming.
Inspiration: Cufflinks in itself are meant to hold the cuffs of a shirt together. The tighter, the better. They can be bulky and overloaded, usually made of expensive materials to show the status of its wearer. The inspiration was to create something opposite to that. Something that still made of a single, pure material and which replicated lightness. Something that even when holding the cuffs, would so not by weight, but by its structural integrity.
Project Duration: The project started in September 2018 and the first production of three SKU's (Rose Gold, Silver, Gun Metal) arrived in Hong Kong around March 2019.
Operation Flow: There are several types of cufflinks - Whale Back, Bullet Back, Chain Link, Ball Return, ... The Coral Cufflinks come as Fixed Backing design, which usually is a little harder to put on. Due to the slim design and functional shape; however, this is not the case. These cufflinks slide easily into the cuffs cuts, keeping them tightly together.
Patents: Copyrights belong to Ragazzo Ltd., Hong Kong, 2019
Image Credits: #1: Maxime Chambigneulle, 2019
#2: Andrea Ragazzo, 2019
#3: Andrea Ragazzo, 2019
#4: Andrea Ragazzo, 2019
#5: Maxime Chambigneulle, 2019