MASTER HAND ENGRAVER AT CIAVARELLA DESIGNS LLC
ABOUT PETER CIAVARELLA
THE EARLY YEARS
To attain such a highpoint in his career, Peter had to begin the journey early. As a young and enthusiastic student, he set out to explore what has become a lifelong passion in the art of jewelry engraving. In the early 1970’s, Peter was extremely fortunate to have apprenticed with Mr. Richard Naimoli, a close family friend and prominent retail engraver, who had worked at Tiffany & Company in the 1950’s.
Peter was taught the highly regarded techniques and styles of “old world” fine detailed engraving by hand on precious metals, gold, silver and platinum. Under Mr. Naimoli’s tutelage, Peter studied the craft privately in a small shop on Fifth Avenue and 45th Street, New York City. Customers included major auction houses, antique shops and fine jewelry stores in Manhattan, among many Fortune 500 companies. Peter was trained in the highest standards of styles and techniques of engraving precious metals.
In the 1970's engraving by hand had begun to become a dying art. The few remaining engravers in New York were a "tightly knit" group. Mr. Ciavarella was fortunate to be introduced to and worked with those few remaining elite engravers of that time such as Jack Staloff, Frank Bleumlein, Norman DiSalvo and Carlos Colonna, with whom he referred and worked with on Heraldic Engraving.
OVERVIEW
Peter Ciavarella’s professional career spans nearly a half a century. He has worked on all aspects of engraving precious metals “totally” by hand, creating detailed works of art on every type of jewelry and silverware imaginable. Because all engraving is done by hand, each piece is unique, and no two are alike.
Over the course of his career, Mr. Ciavarella has engraved more than one million characters on over one quarter of a million pieces. Many of his high profile pieces have been for Presidents, Popes and countless celebrities, although the majority of his work is for the average client ordering a set of initials or a small inscription on a treasured piece of jewelry.
One of Mr. Ciavarella’s honored masterworks was the engraved bowl dedicated to honor one of the most significant political events of the 20th century, which paid tribute to the advancement of freedom and peace within Eastern Europe. Peter received a personalized memento from President Ronald Regan in appreciation of his contribution of engraving that bowl.
TIFFANY & CO.
Peter honed his skills at Richard Naimoli’s for several years until he was offered a position at Tiffany & Co., where he was immediately appointed to a pieceworker position, in acknowledgment of his proficiency and talent. After completing 20 years of work on the bench, Mr. Ciavarella became the first engraver at Tiffany & Co. to earn the title of
Master Engraver.
Subsequently, Peter’s responsibilities expanded. He started and supervised an “in house" apprenticeship program planned to bring much needed engravers into the company.
He also demonstrated The Art of Engraving throughout the country, which he did with great pride until 2015.
December 13, 1990
Craftsmanship in Silver As Only Tiffany Did It
“A piece with more recent political significance is a replica of the Philadelphia Bowl, which President Ronald Reagan presented to Mikhail S. Gorbachev of the Soviet Union in 1987. Inscribed in English and Russian, the bowl commemorates the leaders' first meeting in the United States. The bowl got its name because it is characteristic of silver produced in Philadelphia 200 years ago.”
TODAY
After 35 years at Tiffany & Co., Peter is semi-retired, but decided to open a small shop for select customers on the North Shore of Long Island where he resides.
Ciavarella Designs LLC continues the fine craftsmanship Mr. Ciavarella provides in jewelry engraving by hand. All pieces are engraved using traditional tools, and follow the time-honored techniques that have remained unchanged for generations. Peter does not use the assistance of computers, lasers, air compressors or pneumatic hand pieces to create, as they have a tendency to produce a mechanized impression.
One of Mr. Ciavarella’s key areas of business focus at Ciavarella Designs is Heraldic seal ring engraving, which has recently seen resurgence, especially in signet rings worn by celebrities, models and professionals. Historically, the customer base for signet rings was predominantly gentlemen, however today, a greater number of women request these rings. Ciavarella Designs can also supply die struck signet rings, and engrave signets in the traditional way for sealing or the more common way today for ornament.
To find a qualified jewelry engraver is not easy, but to find one who is also a seal ring engraver, expert at engraving a family crest into precious metal with precision, the old fashioned way, is far rarer. Peter Ciavarella is a Master Engraver who is qualified to do the job, and he will guide the untrained through legitimate steps to find proper resources and the rules and regulations of heraldic engraving.
Peter attributes his success to many things, but mostly to his early training, where he personally worked with one of the best known engravers in the business (Mr. Naimoli). “At the time, and maybe true to today, there was no other place to properly learn and practice these specialized skills, said Peter.” In gratitude, Mr. Ciavarella is planning to continue a mentorship program to share his expertise and train a future generation of old-world jewelry engravers. He lives and works on Long Island.