The Jeweler

Award-winning expert jeweler and goldsmith Donna Distefano creates opulent treasures using fair trade gems and sustainable precious metals.  Selected as “Best of New York 2010” by New York Magazine for her jewelry restoration services, Donna Distefano has recently been selected by the non-profit Jewelers that Care for an award honoring her commitment to fair trade principles, sustainable sourcing, and multiple giving back programs. 

Donna Distefano jewelry is hand-crafted in her New York atelier using goldsmithing techniques that have endured for centuries.  Her commitment to socially and environmentally responsible sourcing and manufacturing practices are an extension of her desire to change the way America buys jewelry. She keeps her focus on custom alloys and hand-made pieces.  In an age where the emphasis is on mass production, where designers are often preoccupied with making things faster rather than making them more beautiful, Distefano is dedicated to jewelry history and sees herself as part of the evolution of her craft from antiquity to the present day.

Before establishing her private atelier,  Distefano was the senior goldsmith for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, responsible for creating the museum’s jewelry reproductions.  After a year of studying art history and culture in Rome, Distefano returned to her native New York to launch her namesake company where she is the sole designer and president.  With ancestral roots in Italy and citizenship in both Italy and the United States, Distefano brings the rich tradition of the court jeweler to the modern luxury marketplace while respecting the earth and its population. 

Her signature, hand-crafted collections feature diamond and colored gemstone engagement rings, wedding bands, extraordinary cocktail rings, chandelier earrings, jeweled necklaces and pendants, and are collected by a select list of premier international clients.  Her work has been featured in InStyle, Gotham, Town & Country and Brides magazines among others, and is favored by top fashion editors, as well as stylists from NBC, CBS, Fox Network, and FX among others. 

A recognized expert in the jewelry industry, Distefano has also been featured in trade publications such as National Jeweler, Modern Jeweler, Lustre, Jeweler’s Quorum, and Jeweler’s Circular Keystone.  Internationally, she has appeared in Italian trades and newspapers such as L’orafo Italiano, Image, and Il Globo. 

Offering authentic luxury, Donna Distefano crafts one-of-a-kind statement heirlooms handmade in New York City using sustainable gold and precious gems.

“My collections are the result of combining Old World art and luxury with a New York edge.  It gives me great satisfaction to use the techniques of yesterday to create the heirlooms of tomorrow.”
—Donna Distefano

Inspiration

Creative expression for me began at age 10 when I opened my first “studio” in my mom's garage. This space became my escape into a world of imagination and creativity. Influenced & encouraged by both parents, I was exposed to books on the Vatican treasures, art history, the music of the Beatles, Enrico Caruso and Frank Sinatra. I spent hours drawing, playing the flute, and making puppets and other handicrafts. My studio was also a theater, and with music provided by Spike Jones whose 78's I found in my grandfather's wine cellar, I was a hit.

When I was sixteen and still in high school, I jumped at an opportunity to take a few art classes at the University of Bridgeport. One of those classes was jewelry making. As soon as I finished my first project, I knew I would be a jeweler. I studied jewelry making and design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. The stimulation of living in New York City in the 80's continued to spark my imagination as I poured myself into new discoveries-punk rock, theater, fashion, and decorative arts of antiquity.

In 1989, I traveled to Italy to study. Inspired by my European heritage along with my passion for art and fine craft, I studied at the University of Urbino and later with Italian designers. After a year in Italy, I returned to focus on classical goldsmithing and landed a job as senior craftsman for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Here I created reproductions of the jewelry pieces of the ancient Greeks, Egyptians, and Italians.

At the Met, I loved working in this rich, aesthetic environment, surrounded by many treasures and favorite works of art. And then, in this place that I loved, I also met the love of my life, Sean Thomas. Sean shares my love of the arts and continues to encourage me to grow in my craft. After five years at the Met, I opened a metal studio in SoHo. We relocated to Chelsea in 1997.

Today I am immersed in making jewelry that is colorful, precious and exciting. I am inspired by glass objects (the other liquid solid), carved wood, wrought iron, good music and nature. I am also honored to be able to teach others the techniques of goldsmithing.

I have spent most of my life in New York City where I was born. The city, its diverse cultures, and the arts that give it breath continue to fuel my imagination. I have traveled many creative roads since the days in my mom's garage as I continue to fulfill my artistic self. I have many more to go.

-Donna Distefano Thomas