Award-winning master jeweler, Claudio Pino, is world-renowned for his breathtaking sculptural and kinetic rings. Through an architectural approach, he transforms raw materials into dreamlike and multi-sensory artworks. Skillfully blending the past, present and future.
Photo credit: Arkan Zakharov
Award-winning, master jeweler Claudio Pino is world-renowned for his breathtaking sculptural and kinetic rings. His spectacular creations have been selected for numerous famous movies such Hunger Games : Catching Fire and The Dark Tower, as well as at international exhibitions in Europe, North and South America, and Asia, namely Cheongju International Craft Biennale in South Korea; the Hong Kong International Jewelry Show; the IV Bienal Latino Americana de Joyeria Contemporánea; JOYA OFF Barcelona; NYC Jewelry Week; SOFA Chicago; SOFA New York; Palm Beach Miami, and many SNAG events such as the Ring Show in Savannah and Innovation Show in Denver, and Putting the Band Back Together: The Ring Show in Savannah. His work has also been in museums and galleries, including the Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf et Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus Museum; musée d’art décoratif de Santiago; Tellus Science Museum; Museum of Vancouver; Carnegie Art Museum; Musée Jung à Houston ainsi qu’à Aaron Faber Gallery et Forbes Galleries, New York; Mobilia Gallery, Cambridge; Reinhold Jewelers, Puerto Rico; Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco; Galerie Noël Guyomarc’h, Montréal; Zilberschmuck, 18karat à Toronto; Influx, Calgary; Wayne Art Center à Philadelphie; Bevier Gallery, Rochester; Noel Guyomarc’h, et la Galerie de la Guilde canadienne des métiers d’art à Montréal; Für Schmuck Meister und Margarita, Frankfurt; Armelle Bertin Toublanc, Paris; et Elegance, Taipei.
Since Pino obtained a professional diploma in jewelry from the École des métiers du Sud-Ouest in Montreal in 1995, as well as a master’s degree in platinum jewelry from the Holts Academy of Jewelry in London, England, in 2011, he devotes himself exclusively to creating unique, one-of-a-kind pieces in contemporary fine jewelry. A recipient of the most prestigious prizes in fine crafts in Québec the 2019 Jean-Marie-Gauvreau Prize as well as the 2009 Steele Trophy for excellence in jewelry in Canada, Pino has earned the distinction of master of all metals. Whether platinum, palladium, gold, argentum and silver, he knows how to evoke their poetry. Sometimes, he adds tiny mechanisms so that the set stones follow the movements of the piece in multiple ways. From design to fabrication to cutting, faceting, and setting the gemstones, he executes his creative process with passion and dedication. Claudio Pino’s work is recognized by the fascinating and innovative ways in which he transforms raw materials into unique and extraordinary works of art.
His work has also been in museums and galleries, including the Aaron Faber Gallery and Forbes Galleries in New York; Tellus Science Museum; Stadtmuseum Düsseldorf and Deutsches Goldschmiedehaus; Museum of Decorative Art of Santiago; Museum of Vancouver; The Carnegie Art Museum; The Houston Jung Museum; nd in prestigious galleries, including Aaron Faber Gallery and The Forbes Galleries, both in New York; Reinhold Jewellers, Puerto Rico; Mobilia, Cambridge; Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco; 18Karat Studio+ Gallery, Toronto; Bertin Toublanc, Paris; Velvet da Vinci, San Francisco; Elegance, Taipei; Noel Guyomarc’h, and Galerie de la Guilde Canadienne des métiers d’art, Montreal; L.A. Pai, Ottawa; and Für Schmuck Meister und Margarita, Frankfurt am Main.
Since Pino obtained a professional diploma in jewelry from the École des métiers du Sud-Ouest in Montreal in 1995, as well as a master’s degree in platinum jewelry from the Holts Academy of Jewelry in London, England, in 2011, he devotes himself exclusively to creating unique, one-of-a-kind pieces in contemporary fine jewelry.
Awarded with the most prestigious prizes in fine crafts in Québec the 2019 Jean-Marie-Gauvreau Prize as well as The Steele Trophy for Best Jewelry Design in Canada in 2009, Pino has earned the distinction of master of all metals. Whether platinum, palladium, gold, argentum and silver, he knows how to evoke their poetry. Sometimes, he adds tiny mechanisms so that the set stones follow the movements of the piece in multiple ways. Whether exploring systems in motion, the metamorphosis, or the pace of urban life, his passion awakens first in the transformation of the raw material.
From concept to design to piece-by-piece fabrication, along with cutting, faceting, and setting the gemstones, he executes his creative process with passion and dedication.
Pino has studied the origin of jewelry with the First Nations of North America, deepening his artistic talent as he melds his own modern aesthetic with ancestral techniques he learned from artists of different First Nation communities. Furthermore, to gain a better understanding of the significance of engagement rings, Pino ventured to Egypt to examine the largest collection of ancient Egyptian jewelry in the world at the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities and at The Great Library of Alexandria. This collection includes one of the earliest engagement rings in history, owned by Queen Aah-Hotep, the mother of Ahmose I. The experience of personally viewing the jewelry of the Pharaohs, combined with illuminative meetings with well-known antiquities specialists, has inspired Pino’s worldview on ancestral customs and symbolism in relation to love, all of which he incorporates into his work. These studies were made possible thanks to The Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Moreover, in 2011, Pino received a long-term grant from the Canada Council for the Arts to attend Holt Academy Jewelry in London England, where he pursued a master’s degree in the study of platinum under the guidance of Master Jurgen J. Maerz, former director of Technical Education for Platinum Guild International, USA. Later, in 2013, he completed professional training on stone faceting at the Ashton Gemstones Studio in California.
His rings are featured in numerous publications, including the books Lark Jewellery Books: 1000 Rings: Inspiring Adornments for the Hand, 500 Wedding Rings: Celebrating a Classic Symbol of Commitment, 500 Gemstone Jewels; as well as in the book New Rings: 500+ Designs from Around the World by Nicolas Estrada; Steampunk Jewelry By Spurgeon Vaughn Ratcliffe; Such Capable Hands by Pat Robinson Schmidt; Masters of Jewellery Design in Canada by Cora Golden; The Art of Soldering for Jewellery Makers: Techniques and Projects by Wing Mun Devenney.
In 2013, he unveiled his first book, “The Power of the Rings”. This hardcover includes an introduction by Maegen Black, Administrative Director of the Canadian Crafts Federation.
Also in 2013, Pino’s rings were chosen to be worn by characters played by Stanley Tucci and Lenny Kravitz in the blockbuster Hunger Games: Catching Fire. He worked with the Lilian Raji Agency and collaborate with the world stylist Trish Summerville. And in 2017, his rings again were chosen to appear on the big screen with the movie, The Dark Tower. Claudio Pino’s work is recognized by the fascinating and innovative ways in which he transforms raw materials into unique and extraordinary works of art.
Claudio Pino’s work is always recognized for the Pino-esque way of transforming raw materials into kaleidoscopic works of fluid art.
— Lilian Raji
2023, Professional Gemstone Faceting Training, Fantasy cut, Montreal, Canada. Professor: Claude Marc-Aurele
2016, Professional Palladium Bench Diploma Montreal, Canada. Professor: Chris Ploof
2013, Gemstone Faceting Training Certificate, Ashton Gemstones Studio, Petaluma, California, USA. Professor: Larry Mattos
2011, Platinum Jewellery Master Certificate, Holt Academy of Jewellery, London, UK
2011, Professional Platinum Bench Technician Diploma, Platinum Expert Consulting and Educational Service. Professor: Jurgen J. Maerz, USA
2003, Advanced course lapidary faceting, CMAQ, Conseil des métiers d’arts du Québec, Montreal, Canada.
2001-2002, Research internship in Mineralogy & Gemology, Museum of Natural History, Albuquerque, USA
2000-2001, Certificat, Lapidary, École de Joaillerie de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
1993-1995, DEP, Professional diploma in jewelry, École des métiers du Sud-Ouest de Montréal, Montreal, Canada
Evaluation committee – Salon des Métiers d’art de Montréal, December, 2024
Guest speaker – La Grande Rencontre des Artisan-es, Quartier des artisans, Lac-Mégantic, October 16, 2024
Evaluation committee – Ville-Marie district, October 17, 2024
Guest speaker – Quebec Jewelry School https://www.ecoledejoaillerie.com/?page_id=1576 February 13, 2024 Day at La Guilde, visit of American collectors organized by the Montreal jewelry school, June 13, 2024
Member of the jury, CMAQ – SMAQ 2022 awards jury Member of the jury, Prix Fabrique 1840 La Maison Simons, 2022 Member of the jury for the Saul Bell Prize, Rio Grande, United States. 2019 Member of the jury for the François-Houdé prize, CMAQ 2018
Member of the jury, Métiers d’art, CALQ 2018 Jury member – the Steele Prize, 70th anniversary of The Metal Arts Guild of Canada 2016 Honorary President, Museum of Masters and Artisans of Quebec 2015 Member of the Board of Directors, Quebec Crafts Council, Montreal 2014 to present Member of the Cultural Diversity Commission Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec June 2014 to present
Member of the Commission for the digital shift Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec
2014
Member of the Validation Committee for the product verification report Conseil des métiers d’art du Québec, Montreal, August 2014
Member of the jury, research and creation project, artistic crafts Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, 2014
Member of the jury, jewelry competition at the Olissima Gallery Wytwórnia Antidotum, Poland, June 2014
Consultant for the macro-sectoral study for the arts and crafts community, Conseil des métiers d’art du Québec, 2014 Member of the Committee on Norms and Standards for Crafts Production, Quebec Crafts Council, Montreal November 2013 Member of the Production Verification Committee at SMAQ 2013, Quebec Crafts Council Quebec Crafts Fair in Montreal December 2013 Member of the production evaluation jury, Quebec Crafts Council, June 2013
Member of the Plein Art Production Verification Committee Quebec Crafts Fair, Quebec Crafts Council, July 2013 Member of the production November 2012, Member of the production evaluation jury Member of the MAGC Platinum Jury Metal Arts Guild of Canada, September 2012 Member of the Board of Directors Collective 14 joailliers, Montreal, 2012 to present Member of the Board of Directors Galerie Créa, Montreal, 2012 to 2016
Member of the jury, research and creation project, artistic crafts Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, 2012 Member of the file evaluation jury, Society for the Development of Cultural Enterprises of Quebec, Montreal 2010 to 2011 Evaluation jury, Quebec Crafts Council, September 2012 Member of the production evaluation jury Quebec Crafts Fair in Montreal Quebec Crafts Council, 2010 – 2011 Member of the evaluation jury for the Plein Art production, Quebec Crafts Fair Quebec Crafts Council, 2010 – 2011
Member of the jury for the Jean-Marie-Gauvreau Prize Quebec Crafts Fair in Montreal Quebec Crafts Council, 2011
Member of the Board of Directors, Conseil des métiers d’arts du Québec, CMAQ, Montreal, 2014 -2020
Member of the Commission for Cultural Diversity, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, 2014 -2018
Professional Member, Klimt, Klimt – Barcelone, Spain, 2013 -2023
Member of the Board of Directors, Collectif 14 Joailliers, Montreal, 2012 -2020
Member of the Board of Directors, Galerie CRÉA, Montreal, 2012 -2018
Platinum Member – Metal Art Guild of Canada, 2010 – Today
Professional Member, Crafthaus, USA, 2009 – Today
Professional Member, Metal Art Guild of Canada, 2005 – 2010
Professional Member, SNAG, Society of Northern American Goldsmiths. 2001-Today http://www.snagmetalsmith.org/
Professional Member, CMAQ, Conseil des Métiers d’art du Québec, 2000 -Today
Director, Claudio Pino Design, Montreal, Canada, 1999 -Today
Research and creation, Conseil des arts du Québec, Theme: fossil. 2024-2025
Research and creation, CAC, Canada Council for the Arts, Theme: Watermark and bark. 2022-2023
Research and creation grant (1 year), arts and crafts Council of Arts and Letters of Quebec. Theme: email on metals, 2021-2022
Jean-Marie-Gauvreau Excellence Award Quebec Crafts Council. 2019
Research and creation grant, Canada Council for the Arts, Theme: St. Lawrence River and granulations. 2019
Research and creation grant (1 year), arts and crafts Claudio Pino. Council of Arts and Letters of Quebec. Theme: Metamorphoses of butterflies and studies of palladium, 2016-2017
NICHE Awards Finalist. International award for best jewelry design: The Floraison Mystique ring Jury: NICHE, Rosen Group, United States, 2015
Conceal/Reveal Contest – 3rd place National Prize for best jewelry design: The Caméléon ring, 2014
Research and creation grant (1 year), arts and crafts Council of Arts and Letters of Quebec. Theme: Winter in Quebec, a garden of ice crystals 2014-2015
Travel grant in Germany, arts and crafts Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec Participation in the solo exhibition “Power of Rings” Galerie Für Schmuck Meister und Margarita Frankfurt, Germany, 2014
EIP Best Design. Jewelry: Chameleon Ring. Metal Arts Guild of Canada. National Contest, Canada, 2014
NICHE Awards Finalist. Jewelry: Ring Mystical Flowering, NICHE, Rosen Group. International Contest, USA, 2014 – 2015
Grant Research and creation (1 year). Crafts. Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. A research project on the contemporary lapidary and the creation of an exclusive collection of rings with gems that I cut sculpturally exploring the theme: Winter in Quebec – an ice crystal garden. 2014-2015
Israel Pearl Design Contest, Océanne Ring. Best design, Unity Group. International Contest, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2013
Travel Grant in Chile. Craft. Conseil des arts du Canada. Participation in the international exhibition at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Santiago, 2013
Travel Grant in Chile. Craft. Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Participation in the international exhibition at the Centro Cultural Scuola Italiana, 2013
Travel Award in the United States. Crafts. Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec.
Participation in the Québec exhibition at Galerie Aaron Faber Gallery, New York, United States, 2012
Fellowship, Research, and creation – long-term development (2 years) Contemporary Crafts. Canada Council for the Arts. Through this fellowship, I obtained a Master’s in Platinum Jewellery from the Holt Academy in London, England, and received intensive training from expert master M.Jurgen J. Maerz, director of education techniques of international Guild platinum and Jewelry Industry Consulting LLC in the United States. Also, I realized my first exclusive collection of sculptural rings in platinum, 2011-2013
EIP Best design, Bague Tactus, National Contest. Larger than Life: Metal Arts Guild of Canada Exhibition in Print 2011
Special Prize “Jewelry Design Special Award”, Golden, Shadow Ring. International Contest. Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Korea, 2011
The Steele Trophy Award. 1st place – Best jewelry design., Infinité Ring. The Metal Arts Guild of Canad, 2009
Fellowship, research, and creation (1 year). Crafts, Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. A research project to deepen my knowledge of the history of engagement rings in the Cairo, Egyptian Museum and the creation of a collection of contemporary engagement rings, 2009-2010
Honorable Mention. Metamorphosis Ring. Zilberschmuck, Toronto, Canada, 2008
Prize of Excellence. Ocean Bloom Ring, Metal Arts Guild Exhibition. Canada, 2007
Best Design. Special Award. Cheongju International Craft Biennale, Korea, 2007
Fellowship and creation (1 year). Crafts. Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec. A project whose main objective was to study the origin of Men jewelry among First Nations of North America and create a collection combining traditional craftsmanship with contemporary techniques, 2007-2008
Honorable Mention in Jewellery Design. Extravagenza 4 fingers Ring. International Award, Cheongju International Craft Biennale, South Korea, 2005