Paola Quintana

Biography

I have always been a person very much aligned with art. I am Colombian, but I have Italian roots. My great-grandparents left Florence for Colombia to carry out various architectural and artistic projects, and my father, despite being an economist and never having taken a single class, painted like an angel. That is why art has always been a part of me. I have taken courses in painting, photography, sculpture… in many specialties. At 18, I finished high school at an arts-focused school in Bogotá. For me, it was a stroke of luck because it changed my life, and besides being able to practice other artistic endeavors, I started with jewelry. There, I could express all my artistic sensitivity. Later, I opted for a more conventional career. I studied Business Administration in Bogotá for five years, but without leaving jewelry behind. In my free time, I attended a private academy and, at the same time, continued creating jewelry on my own. Then, the commissions started coming in.

 
Upon finishing my degree, I had the opportunity to take a three-month trip to Europe. My jewelry professor had studied in Barcelona, and I decided to look for universities there. Suddenly, I realized that it was my city. I loved the university, and after three months, I returned to Colombia, presented my final degree project, and packed my bags to return to Barcelona. With two suitcases and the hope of a life ahead of me, I arrived in that city and began studying Jewelry Design and Gemology.

In addition to studying, I felt I should have a professional connection. I immediately looked for work and balanced it with university. I spent a couple of years in companies within the jewelry sector. It was very interesting because I learned how the business works from the inside. After six years in Spain, I started considering returning to Colombia. But I stayed in Barcelona for love. Then the children arrived. I have two children, and being a mom recharges your strength. At that moment, I felt I had to get out of my comfort zone and launch my brand.

What is Paola Sighinolfi?

For me, it is a tool of expression. It is my happiness. I have tried to be very true to myself, to design what I feel like. I couldn't find pieces that had a soul or with which I felt identified. Through Paola Sighinolfi, I truly design pieces that I would wear.

What is its value, and who appreciates it?

I don't design based on what is trendy or what others expect me to design. My pieces are different. They are “statement pieces,” as they are not made for everyone.

The women who wear them have great sensitivity. They know how to appreciate the art of handmade, limited-edition pieces. Not mass-produced ones. They also value exclusivity because they know that I produce locally in workshops in Barcelona.
They are women who look for things with soul, with essence, and with a different personality, with which they identify. I feel that both I and the women who wear my jewelry feel confident, empowered, and energized because they are pieces that grab attention. They are conversation starters.

How would you define the aesthetic of your jewelry?

Something that defines my jewelry very well is the beauty of imperfection. Because everything is handmade. Each piece is not perfectly geometric. The irregularity is visible, and the semiprecious stones provide that rustic, natural touch.

“For me, Paola Sighinolfi is a tool of expression. It is my happiness.”

What kind of materials do you work with?

I have two design branches. First, my collection itself: Paola Sighinolfi is 18K gold-plated metal, and I use semiprecious stones or artisan-crafted crystal. All of this coexists with my essence of non-invasive craftsmanship. And second, I have another branch: Fine Jewelry, which works on commission. It is also wonderful because I love working with noble materials: gold, diamonds, emeralds. Also, I do many transformations of antique pieces. I give them a new life while maintaining their emotional weight, but giving them a contemporary air. Because even if you have a wonderful piece, you might not find the right moment to wear it.

What is your most special piece or collection, and why?

I have many memories. There are pieces that have been gifted to me or family treasures that aren't being worn… I have been lucky enough to have clients who trust me fully. They have given me carte blanche to create whatever I want. And since I have the opportunity to engage with the person and get to know them, I know what their lifestyle is, what they are looking for, what they want… It is a very beautiful process because it is a very strong connection. At the moment I have delivered these pieces, some clients have cried with emotion. They are pieces that I obviously don't have, but I keep that memory, that satisfaction of saying: I have touched someone emotionally. I have been able to capture all this essence and have made them happy. This is indescribable.

What gives you the most satisfaction in your project?


What gives me the most satisfaction is being able to look back and see the incredible path I have traveled day by day, fighting and working. Always chasing my dreams. And, furthermore, seeing that I provide happiness, security, and that with my art and my creations, I help women feel beautiful… This gives me much happiness. It is a motor for me.

- Relationship with beauty:

What is beauty to you, and how is it reflected in each phase of the creation process of one of your pieces?

Beauty obviously inspires us and is everywhere. Simply when you open your eyes and see the light, for me, it is a reason for beauty and impressive inspiration. My children's smiles are also beauty, a hug. This fills my soul. Or seeing someone's eyes and seeing their positivity, seeing the angel they have inside. That is also beauty.
And what I was saying. Beauty is not perfect aesthetics. It is also the beauty of imperfection, of creation, how everything has its reason for being. In my creative process, I capture it in the imperfection of the handmade pieces. I seek exactly this. I don't like perfect things, since human beings are also very imperfect.

Who are your icons of beauty?

Women who grab attention and whom I admire for their style. For example, I love Lauren Santo Domingo; she seems like a family-oriented girl, with her children, who has such great style, or a classic like Audrey Hepburn, a beauty of her time. But I don't really have icons of beauty. I am inspired more by a woman who is 360º, who can have her facet as a mother, as a wife, as an entrepreneur, who has a social character, who is positive. For me, finding a person who always sees an opportunity or the bright side of the bad is super inspiring. Because in the end, everything is a matter of attitude.

Any advice?

From life experience, it really is my leitmotif: happiness is within you. In how you wake up and how you want to face life and the things that come day by day. In looking for opportunities and looking for the motor. I have always done this. It has accompanied me and helped me a lot.

Beauty Questionnaire:

What is your skincare routine?

Care in everything is very important to me. The exterior and the interior.
When I wake up, I wash my face, I apply cleanser, toner, then serum, and above all, I use sunscreen all year round. You have to have a lot of respect for the sun. Also, a good cleanse at night is essential. But, diet is also key, or exercise. I practice a lot of sports, but not only to have a good physical state but because mentally, it is vital for me.

I also believe that having spiritual peace is important. No matter how much you take care of yourself, if you don't have inner peace, you cannot reflect any beauty. I try every day to say thank you. Thank you because we are alive, because we have health. Because I look at my children and say: "thank you, what a gift." Being grateful helps you radiate a different energy. And this makes everything flow better. Also, it helps you want to take better care of yourself. It is important to start by being grateful, and then, everything else are added values.

An infallible tip or product

I really like toners. They give the skin a very fresh sensation of hydration. At the moment, I am using the Natura Bissé range, the Diamond. I like it a lot. I am very loyal when I find something that works for me, although I am always open to trying more things.

Pending task (as far as beauty is concerned)

I would love to go to a retreat, disconnect, and get some vitamins… I would absolutely love that. To do the whole journey. Stay for 4 or 5 days and come out feeling like new.