Antonio Pio Saracino Designs a Gallery for Glittering Gems in New York

For gem enthusiasts, the colorful stones offer more than meets the eye. From innate healing properties to deep wells of energy and striking sculptural shapes, the Wilensky Exquisite Mineral Gallery in New York enables visitors to interact with crystals up close, in their raw form. Designed by Antonio Pio Saracino, the meditative space features a moody palette of black walnut and brass that enables the minerals to shine with their vibrant hues and glistening exteriors. Using the latest lighting technologies, collectors have the ability to manipulate the lighting within the display cases for each crystal, in turn changing the perception of the mineral itself. “Some minerals are dense and conglomerate of shapes, some are translucent, some transparent, and some with internal inclusions. Light is everything to enhance the presentation of the pieces,” he shares.

“The challenge was to merge the scientific world—the museum sensibility—with the elegant decorative quality of a contemporary space,” he continues. To do this, Pio Saracino created custom furnishings, including a pyrite-shaped coffee table made from Italian marble, which hint at more to come from the studio. In early 2022, he plans to release an extensive collection of furnishings inspired by minerals at the gallery, building on their existing partnership. “The power of these mineral marvels is undeniable,” reads a gallery statement. Pio Saracino, a mineral collector himself, certainly agrees.