If you ask us, the Hunger Games films are as much about style as story. (Apologies to all the Suzanne Collins fans out there.) So when The Hunger Games: Catching Fire hits theaters on Nov. 22, we’ll be obsessing over Trish Summerville’s amazingly detailed costume design—including, of course, the jewelry. Those oh-so-trendy pinky rings brandished by Stanley Tucci’s slick, purple-haired TV host, Caesar Flickerman? They were created by Claudio Pino, a specialist in sculptural, dynamic ring designs. The Chilean native turned Quebec resident gave JCK the scoop on his blockbuster jewels.
Stanley Tucci as Caesar and Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss in The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (Photo: Murray Close)
JCK: Your press representative, Lilian Raji, told me she actually reached out to Trish Summerville—Lilian is based in Atlanta, where the film was shot, and she “knew” Trish would like your work!
Claudio Pino: Lilian knew very well my signature; she worked as a press [representative] for the successful exhibition “Innovation and Craftsmanship in Metal: Jewelry Artists of Quebec” at the Aaron Faber Gallery in Manhattan. For her, my sculptural rings were the perfect fit for the unique world of The Hunger Games. She saw right, as Trish Summerville did agree on this fact and selected them for the famous character Caesar Flickerman. It’s such an honor.
JCK: Tell us the stories behind the rings that were chosen.
Interactive Mirror ring in 14k gold, silver, mirror, carnelians, and pearls
CP: Inspired by the old navigational instruments, the Interactive Mirror Ring proposes a third eye with a kinetic mirror that rotates 360 degrees in four directions—south, north, west, east—thanks to a carefully designed and complex mechanism. The movement of the mirror reflects light and shines in all directions following the movement of the hand of the wearer. The ring questions not only the power of rings but also the importance of their interaction with the wearer, and comes alive only when it finds its owner.
Vena Amoris ring from Black Velvet Collection in 14k gold, silver, onyx
CP: Black Velvet is a collection that emphasizes the contrasts between darkness and light, hardness and softness, and toughness and tenderness. It juxtaposes darkness with unexpectedly bright luxury details.
JCK: Were you familiar with the Hunger Games franchise? Or with Stanley Tucci’s flamboyant character?
CP: Yes! I saw the past Hunger Games film and was really impressed by the amazing creativity involved. It is principally the unique aesthetic approach that inspires me—the fusion between yesterday and tomorrow, the combination of retro and futuristic with a science-fiction vision.
As a kid, I was fascinated by Star Wars, also by the world of Jules Verne. Also, it is the mysterious worlds created by Japanese film director Hayao Miyazaki that brought me into the steampunk movement of the early ’90s. Animated films such as Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984) and Castle in the Sky (1986) are definitely what rooted me in the movement.
JCK: What kind of feedback have you received since your ring appeared on the Tucci poster?
CP: The outcomes are amazing! Since the posters of Caesar Flickerman went out, I received more than 100 emails. A few have been asking me for custom rings in the same spirit of the one selected for this character. Hunger Games is certainly a big hit, which implies so many real fans of this spectacular story by Suzanne Collins.
JCK: Have you seen the movie yet? I’m hearing great things!
CP: I only saw many photos and a few trailers. I do have a ticket for the premiere this week, and I can’t wait to see it.
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