Ciao Roberto

Aged only 48, Roberto Faraone Mennella leaves a great void in the jewellery industry. Gone too soon, may he rest in peace.

The news outlets have been sharing the news, in the last couple of days: jewellery designer Roberto Faraone Mennella left us, aged only 48, after a long fight against cancer.

I will not resume, once again, who he was and he did. What I can say is that he was in love with Beauty – a beauty that imbues jewels that brought him international fame, chosen by A-list actresses and VIPs alike.

I never met him in person, unfortunately. However, in this case, social media render service and let us have a glimpse into the life of a man that looked fun to be with, sparkling with creative energy, always elegant and discreet.

With Amedeo, his partner in life and in business, Roberto formed an amazing creative duo, landed in New York in 2001 and starting the venture ‘Faraone Mennella by RFMAS’.

That marked the start of a “new chic”: the merging of classic beauty with contemporary and forward-thinking trends to offer unique, ‘couture’ pieces to their clients.

Roberto fought and won his long battle, and the most touching tribute to this gentle soul was published by Amedeo:

My best friend, my rock, my mentor, my “eyes”, my first date and endless love is now Light. Roberto Faraone Mennella won his war against cancer, this morning at 3am, hugged and embraced by me, Renato his Dad, and our angel friend @chiara_centioni : Robu is finally free, healthy, smiling, happily sketching jewels and interiors in his new home in Heaven. He wanted to go before me, so that when my time comes our house and showroom in the sky will be ready to welcome me and my mess. Following Roberto’s last wishes, there will be a very small private service in his family’s Chapel. Elegant and discreet forever. Thank you all for your messages: I will try to respond to each and everyone as soon as I find some peace of mind again. 

Ciao Roberto. Thank you for allowing us to witness your amazing creative journey.