Maurizio Floravanti for Massoni, Monkey micromosaic pendant, Italy, 2010, 18k gold, 3.73ct diamond, 6cmHx4.8cmW.  Photo courtesy Massoni

The micromosaic by Maurizio Floravanti for Massoni. Octagonal, openwork in yellow gold 18K set with diamonds with total weight of 2.71 carats. A circular plaque with micromosaic decoration in pietra dura of a monkey on a green ground, set with a pear shaped diamond 1.02 carats, D color, IF. Composed of 30.000 tiny tesserae. Signed Floravanti e Massoni. Certificate GIA.

The Roman Micromosaic is an art belonging to a specific geographic area and historic age. It was limited to Rome and the surroundings from the second half of the eighteen century and lasting for about hundred years. One need a magnifying glasses to distinguish these masterpieces from miniatures. It is an art on its own. One astonish by the way the artist place and create hundred thousands of microscopic pieces, choosing colors, shapes and sizes to complete his work.

The Roman micromosaics had an important role in the European culture of the eighteen century. These micromosaics were very attractive to get at the ”Grand Tour”. They were found on desktops, jewels and fashion accessoires and in many of the world´s leading museums collections as the Ermitage Museum, the County Museum of Art in Los Angeles and in many important privately owned collections. Still today most well-off families in England for example, own a number of objects from the cultural trips. 

The first maestro of this art was Giacomo Raffaellli and produced in his workshop in Piazza di Spagna, in the heart of Rome.  

The themes of the micromosaics were often political, economical and social, but by the beginning of 1800 the iconography changes from religious representations to more laic ones. They are often decorated with animals, hunting scenes and classic views of Roman ruins. Small objects that visitors would buy to keep alive the momeories of an unforgettable journey in Italy. 

The components in a micromosaics are: support, bonding material and tesserae in pietra dura.  

Maurizio Fioravanti is a sculpture artist and micromosaicist who was born in Rome in 1970. At early age he was fascinated of old marbles seen in his hometown and he started to collect intarsio marble sculpture and in this way got to know most of old marble collectors. He has studied architecture in Rome and also chemistry and physics, to better understand the materials he was using. It all led him to learn the Micromosaic art. 

By studing and strictly following the original ancient rules and techniques of micromosaic he achieves the skills of the old artists, who were able to place 100 tesserae in one square milimeter. He uses this techniques for the production of masterpieces belonging to private collectors and Royal Families. 

The ”Reverenda Fabbrica di San Pietro” and The Gillbert Collection in London consider Maurizio Fioravanti one of the last true micromosaicists in the world.

With this pendant he tries to join art and jewelry. There is no painting involved, only fragments of stones and marbles.