Zanetto: Noble Metals Meet Sophisticated Designs

At Zanetto, objects are made with the finest materials having uniform shapes, well-finished edges, perfect soldering without any residues, precise hammering and chiselling, completely smooth surfaces, and uniform, thick silver plating. Founded in 1963, the company boasts more than fifty years of experience and makes use of the most talented Italian workers in the silver sector to produce innovative objects featuring a sophisticated design.

How did the company start?

Zanetto Argenti was born in 1963 thanks to Bernardo Zanetto. This man has interlaced his life with the passion for the artistic craftsmanship of metal, sharing his love to his son Enrico who runs the company to this day. Each step Zanetto Argenti makes is shaped around the heart and soul of the master artisans who work here with dedication every day.​

​What does it mean for your to work a noble metal such as silver?

Silver is a very spiritual metal. It represents light and is close to God. Crafting objects in silver or other noble materials is a responsibility toward history, in the effort of matching the magnificence of works made in the past, and toward the world, since we strive not to waste these reaches that mother earth gave us but to heighten them through human creativity.

​Could you describe in detail the hammering phase of your unique, one-of-a-kind pieces?

Hammering is a rather complex technique part of the process of working metals. It could appear easy but, in order to master it, an artisan needs ten years of experience. It is very difficult to explain it in theory. It is like playing the piano: if you want to learn it, you need to practice it.
This technique can be used in many different ways: to make an object from scratch by using only a hammer and two sheets of metal; or it can be used to complete a piece; or to strengthen the metal; to smooth it and erase some small imperfections. There are different hammers and “irons” of a variety of shapes, depending on their use. Those characteristic weaves that are unique to the texture of our pieces are created through the use of this technique.
Hammering is the activity that allows us to learn an ancestral language: it is a dialogue between man and metal and brings human creativity and mastery to the center of the conversation. Even those who don’t necessarily know about the craftsmanship behind each piece can understand this message and enjoy the unique and one-of-a-kind splendor of a handmade object.

​What is the secret of this family business?

Our business coexists with the life of our family and intersects it both in our everyday activities and in a deeper way in larger projects. Everything is one. We are all connected and this is the reason why our business is imbued in love, passion, and emotions. I can’t possibly imagine to work without giving it my heart, my everything. This is the great difference with mass production: an artisanal company and family business exists to make dreams come true, not to make a profit. It is an enormous privilege to be part of something like this.

​Could you tell us an anecdote about your direct experience in the company?

I remember that almost every evening at dinner our father put in the middle of the table a prototype of something he was working on, so that he could examine at ease its lines and volumes, trying to spot its weaknesses and improve its harmony and balance. I was young and I would stare at those objects, still in the process of being shaped, as if they were alive. I would feel their soul and hear them talk at times of pride and times of sweetness.
Since then, I have always wanted to create objects and give them a life, a soul that could be expressed through their own personal language. I have learned that, in order to have a soul and communicate with people, an object needs to be free from mass production, from the repetition that estranges and bores. It has to be a one-of-a-kind piece that cannot be reproduced in an identical way. With each creation I try to find this essence.