Jewelry designer Alison Chemla has come up with some fantastical food-shaped jewels in the past, but her new collaboration with Barilla takes her work to a level of pasta perfection.
For Valentine’s Day, Chemla’s fine jewelry line Alison Lou has partnered with the pasta brand to debut the Barilla Ring-a-toni set of two heart-shape rings, one featuring a 3.51 ct. bezel-set lab-grown white diamond and the other with a band of pavé rubies.
Through a contest Barilla is calling the Pasta Promise Giveaway, one person who makes a commitment to never eat pasta without their loved one can win the Ring-a-toni collection, valued at $33,000. The contest, on the Barilla website, opens at 10 a.m. on Jan. 23 and goes through 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 9.
The Ring-a-toni pair, which can be stacked together in a heart shape, includes one ring handpainted in Barilla blue enamel with a band of 0.25 ct. rubies and a ring with that 3.51 ct. lab-created diamond.
“Collaborating fuels and pushes my creativity,” Chemla says. “It is so fun for me to take the core aspects of Alison Lou—whimsy, color, luxury—and apply them to working with another brand like Barilla that is so steeped in Italian heritage.”
That whimsy shows up in many Alison Lou pieces, such as Chemla’s signature emoticon-inspired earrings and pendants. She has also partnered with a caviar company, depicting that revered treat, its tin, and the spoon for eating it in gold, enamel, and black diamonds.
Barilla introduced its limited-edition Barilla Love pasta in a giveaway for Valentine’s Day 2023, with winners also entered in a contest for a dream Italian vacation for two. This year, the heart-shape pasta will be available at select Kroger and Walmart stores nationwide and will be served at Café Nordstrom restaurants starting Feb. 1.
The Barilla collab is not the first time Chemla has created jewelry related to pasta. Her Mama Mia collection came to her after a summer trip to Italy; pasta shapes such as farfalle, penne, and spaghetti helped inspire those designs.
“A lot of these styles are still best sellers today. Food really resonates with people,” Chemla says. “I have always loved pasta and now especially that I am a mom and it is on constant rotation for meals. What toddler doesn’t survive off pasta?”
Chemla says the Ring-a-toni process from start to finish was a “seamless” collaboration. “Barilla is a great partner. They really trusted me to create a piece that speaks to both brands,” she says. “We had calls and reviewed the guidelines for the design. I was able to create a few options, and then we both agreed on our favorite…. I love that there are hints to pasta without it being overbearing. The bezel setting has ridges that resemble rigatoni, but it still feels classic and a piece you would enjoy wearing daily.”
Chemla is further supporting this Barilla partnership with some new pasta shapes in her own collection. She will soon add bowtie huggies, pastina huggies, and mini bowtie bracelets and necklaces, she says.
Top: Alison Lou and Barilla have partnered on a limited-edition stacking ring set for the pasta brand’s Valentine’s Day contest. (Photos courtesy of Alison Lou)
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
