Our interview with Micol Greggio, the third generation of the Greggio Group.

How was Argenterie Greggio founded and how has it developed over the years?

Rino Greggio Argenterie was founded in 1948 thanks to the passion and love of Rino Greggio (the founder) for this moon-coloured metal, which he fell in love with in his youth at the age of 14 while helping a silversmith in Padua. After the war, with the 21 lire he earned from the sale of his bicycle, he bought the first kilo of silver with which he began to work. He had a workshop in Padua, a room measuring 4 x 4 metres, where he worked on silver with two assistants, made objects, sold them and used the proceeds to buy new silver and make new objects..... Every weekend he would go to Milan or the surrounding towns of Padua to sell the fruits of his labour.

The first phase of the company's strong growth began in the 1960s, when Greggio developed the cutlery collections and built the company's first building in Padua. During these years, the sales area, which until then had been limited to the northern part of Italy, was extended to cover the whole country. And so, in 1968, Rino Greggio, with many years of experience and expertise in the production of silverware, founded the Olri brand, which has now become Greggio Lega Argentata, a leader in the production and sale of thick silver-plated alloy objects for the home, table and other accessories. Tableware, in particular, is made to professional quality standards and is therefore highly functional and suitable for frequent use, having been treated for durability. Since then, the company has grown to become one of the largest manufacturers of silver cutlery in Europe.

The range of models created by expert designers gained such international recognition that the corporate strategy developed by Rino Greggio at that time still provides a solid basis for continued expansion of sales throughout the world. Greggio's participation in the Macef exhibition in Milan in 1974 marked its first experience in the trade fair sector. The decade of the 1990s was a period of great growth for Greggio, marked by three important events that would revolutionise the entire company. In 1990, Greggio opened its own Corner in Harrods, the famous department store recognised throughout the world as the epitome of luxury. In 1994, Rino Greggio founded the Silver Academy with the aim of preserving and developing the history, traditions and philosophy of "living silver".

In 1995, the historic brands Cesa1882 and Ricci Argentieri became part of the Greggio family, which continued their fine production and introduced a selected distribution through exclusive dealers. The Greggio family has developed a pure Made in Italy production line. Greggio owes its remarkable consolidation on the world market to its collaboration with many international designers in the early years of the 21st century and to keeping all its production facilities in Italy.  In 2004, Greggio created Dogale, having understood that it is necessary to constantly reinvent the precious metal by combining two different materials: hand-decorated glass and subsequent silver plating.

Each piece is different, unique and unrepeatable due to a production process that is absolutely handcrafted. In 2010, the well-known Florentine brand Masini Firenze joined the Greggio Group to further diversify the range. Masini offers a range of silver objects for exclusive collectors that retain a high level of craftsmanship, as well as a range of products that characterise the "Grand Gourmet" collection in porcelain and glass assembled with silver alloy. The Greggio Group continues to improve by investing in new technologies, research and development, while maintaining the craftsmanship, uniqueness and history that have always distinguished it.

How important is craftsmanship and Made in Italy in your collections?

We consider our hands to be the most precious technology we have. "Make a wish and it will take shape from our hands..." the hands of skilled silversmiths, I would say master silversmiths, who with passion love every day to create true and unique works of art. In our workshops, the silver forging processes are still carried out by hand and date back to the beginning of the third millennium BC. Coining, turning, polishing, lost-wax casting, engraving and chiselling: the skilful hands of the silversmith set to work with dexterity. Matter becomes form and the finished object is born.

The noble tradition of hand working is a value that cannot be imitated. Every single Greggio creation is made in our workshops and is the result of the highest level of craftsmanship and handicraft technique, with meticulous attention to detail to ensure that it retains its splendour even after years of use. Every single product is completely Made in Italy, from the casting of the metal to the finished product, we manufacture everything in our workshops in Padua. The Greggio Group can call itself a "Master of the Made in Italy Style"

Do you have an object that most represents you?

The Greggio Group has always been known for its cutlery, producing more than 150 models of silver cutlery. Each piece of cutlery can be customised with full and partial gilding, engravings of various kinds. Every piece of cutlery from the Greggio Group has the gift of being a contemporary witness in every age and a key piece for every occasion. In each cutlery piece, the past, present and future come together in an admirable blend. The cutlery model that distinguishes the Greggio brand is undoubtedly the "Capitol", where modernity and classicism come together to create cutlery with a unique style.

The most representative cutlery model of the Cesa 1882 brand is the "Quirinale Model", used in the past by the Royal House of Savoy and today by the Presidency of the Italian Republic. It is a tribute to the true Italian Renaissance, the exuberance and splendour, the humanistic and artistic richness reflected in these artefacts full of solemnity and culture. The virtuosity of the craftsmanship is made even more eloquent by the ornamental features, the chiaroscuro of the high reliefs and the play of proportions and thicknesses. There are 38 steps in the production of Greggio cutlery, some mechanical and some manual. The company manufactures all moulds in-house.

What makes you stand out in the luxury silverware scene?

We live in an age where customisation, tailoring and personalisation are increasingly sought after by customers who want a unique product made for them. Greggio is able to make everyone's dreams and wishes come true. Our production capacity, our know-how, the immense number of moulds available and the possibility of making moulds in-house allow us to produce any object, from the simplest to the most unique. We can customise with engravings, decorations, colours, precious materials or gemstones, modify or replace parts of existing objects.... We produce exclusive bespoke designs to create bespoke objects based on the customer's creativity and needs.

We are the only company specialising in this type of work. Within the company there is a division called Greggio Bespoke Design, which comprises a network of designers, graphic artists and craftsmen who are keen to turn people's imaginations into reality. This is what sets us apart: elegance, excellence, history, production capacity, high technology and Made in Italy, together with tradition, culture, class, design and continuity.

Which objects and collections will be exhibited at Milano Home in January 2024?

The table will be set with Ricci brand Empire-style Impero cutlery and plates. The Impero collection is a testimony to the splendour of the neoclassical period, with exquisitely crafted objects decorated with motifs reminiscent of the Greek and Roman styles. The display cubes will hold objects that are different from each other, but all have a common thread... craftsmanship, Made in Italy, history, attention to detail, handmade, beauty, uniqueness. There will be cutlery, our core business, shell-shaped centrepieces with 18-carat gold plated linings, two candelabras with 5 and 7 arms, fluted ice and champagne buckets that are a testimony to taste, high art style and quality.

There will also be a true work of art called the Lazy Susan, a revolving Empire-style tea service designed to satisfy the laziness and indulgence of an English lady. The presence of the Cellini tureen is also worth mentioning: just looking at it is enough to savour the scent of art and the taste of history. Modern water glasses, wine flutes and champagne glasses are also on show, demonstrating that the Greggio Group is also attentive to people's more modern but still refined tastes. Cesa products will also be on the tables of Royal Copenhagen with the Perlinato model and Maissen with the famous Quirinale model.