The Italian Maison Pomellato is showcasing its most precious high jewelry collection ever in Paris, as it marks the 20th anniversary of Creative Director Vincenzo Castaldo at Pompellato.
2023 POMELLATO HIGH JEWELRY COLLECTION, GIARDINI VERTICALI EARRINGS. All images courtesy of Pompellato.
'Ode to Milan' was designed by Castaldo and the Pomellato high jewelry workshop to salute the Maison and Milan, which has served as a constant source of inspiration since 1967 for the brand. In 33 daringly contemporary yet classic designs, presented in four chapters, "VERTICAL LANDSCAPE," "CONTEMPO-RARY HERITAGE," "CREATIVITY ON STAGE" and "TERRAZZA DUOMO," this historic high jewelry collection honors the city's diverse past and its interesting wealth of hidden gems.
Pomellato has uncharacteristically decided to introduce the jewels in Paris, the center of haute joaillerie, despite the fact that the source of inspiration for the collection is Milan, the city of design. By putting Milanese design at the center of Parisian haute joaillerie, Pomellato seeks to foster discussions on various conceptions of fine jewelry.
Vertical Landscapes (above) chapter embraces the unconventional beauty of Milan’s 21st-century architectural styles and the Rationalist skyscrapers such as the groundbreaking Torre Velasca and the colorful facades of Gio Ponti’s buildings. The linear frame of the Skyline necklace brings together an impressive selection of 128 glorious and rare spinels. Like a Milanese sunset framed by vertical high-rises, an extraordinary stream of color drapes along the neck.
2023 POMELLATO HIGH JEWELRY COLLECTION CASTELLO CHOKER.
"We are very proud to present our most precious high jewelry collection ever in Paris, the capital of high jewelry, where we will share our unique vision. Pomellato is different as all of our designs are made to be worn every day. We have always put women at the center of the creation process, offering modern pieces of great quality and beauty that are easy to wear. This collection is no exception. Even the most precious pieces are designed to be worn casually and not just for special events. We believe that jewelry should accompany women on all occasions, in line with the emancipated and contemporary character of the Pomellato woman."
- Sabina Belli, CEO of Pomellato
A conversation with Milan
The constantly evolving cityscape of Milan, where a deep respect for manufacturing excellence rubs shoulders with design innovation, has made its mark on Pomellato. Whether it is the functional designs of mid-century Modernists such as Gio Ponti and Piero Fornasetti or the splendor of its historic architectural masterpieces, Pomellato thrives on the energy of Milan’s unique style.
2023 POMELLATO HIGH JEWELRY COLLECTION TERRAZZA DUOMO CHOKER
‘Pomellato was born in Milan in 1967,’ recalls Vincenzo Castaldo, Creative Director of the house. ‘And it is here that we continue to create and manufacture our jewels. Our artisanal savoir-faire is Milanese; the emphasis we place on design and ergonomics is Milanese, as is our search for excellence in each and every technique that we employ. We grew up in this city, and Milan is an integral part of Pomellato. In 2023, it seemed quite natural for us to devote a high jewelry collection to Milan, expressed in a very Pomellato way. The result is a private conversation between Milan and Pomellato, revealing the common traits between the two. This collection has personal significance for me. On the occasion of my 20th anniversary at Pomellato, I wanted to honor both Pomellato and the city that it is inextricably connected to, both of which are home to me'.
The collection is much more than a figurative interpretation of the classic symbols of Milan, the ancient fiefdom of the powerful Visconti dynasty. ‘Ode to Milan’ is a dialogue that reflects the pulse of the city and reveals its most intimate workings. ‘We wanted to celebrate Milan, to unveil the mystery of its captivating personality. Our collection shakes up the codes of traditional high jewelry with contemporary yet elegant designs," continues Castaldo.
2023 POMELLATO HIGH JEWELRY COLLECTION TERRAZZA DUOMO BRACELETS IN WHITE GOLD OR ROSE GOLD & DIAMONDS
Creativity on Stage is born from Pomellato’s history of chain-making, with each jewel a metaphor for the fertile creativity that abounds on the stage of La Scala and via Montenapoleone. Terrazza Duomo distils the key shapes found in the façade of the gothic Duomo cathedral and turns them into thoroughly contemporary sculptural earrings, a choker, and two bracelets in white or rose gold with white diamonds.
POMELLATO HIGH JEWELLERY COLLECTION SKETCH SKYLINE NECKLACE
The luminous bezel-set, cushion-cut spinels range from the classic red color to the lesser-known hues of warm scarlet, dusky pink, light mauve, sky blue, and smoky grey. The feel of the necklace is soft and sensual thanks to its perfectly articulated structure and a back section of highly mobile gate-link chains. The asymmetric necklace ends with two rose gold bars set with a pavé of diamonds, echoing two similar elements that join the double rows of gemstones to the back chain. A matching pair of earrings features 12 spinels that gently fade from glowing red to light purple. The refined color composition of Skyline is a reflection of the sophistication of Milan.
A cascade of 52 magnetic green tourmalines combined with six violet-blue tanzanites make up the dazzling Giardini Verticali earrings. Each emerald-cut stone is reverse-set in green titanium to create a spectacular mosaic of movement, color, and texture, reminiscent of Gió Ponti’s building with its façade of glazed, green tiles. Three magnificent emerald-cut indicolites also star in the Princess-style necklace composed of outsized rose gold links set with diamonds. The distinctive petrol-green shade of the indicolites echoes the velvet often seen in Milan’s most elegant interiors.
2023 POMELLATO HIGH JEWELRY COLLECTION CASTELLO EARRINGS WITH RUBELLITE
Urban Bloom evokes the lush gardens that unexpectedly flourish on the city’s high-rise balconies or secret gardens. Three mesh bracelets in yellow, white, or rose gold with diamonds are dotted with green tsavorites, blue sapphires, or pink and violet sapphires. A matching choker with pink and violet sapphires caresses the neck.
This journey through Milan’s contemporary urban landscape gives a new look to the iconic Nudo. The Nudo Triennale offers four up-to-date versions of the toi et moi ring, each featuring a precious gemstone and diamonds. The rich colors of aquamarine, rubellite, and green tourmaline on one side of the ring are lit up by a pavé of white diamonds on the other side. The queen of the quartet is a combination of a 3-carat Princess-cut diamond and a vivid purple-blue tanzanite. If the city were to be defined by one color, it would be the low-key gray tone known as ‘Milanese gray, seen in the flannel of men’s suits and the fog that descends on the plains. The Nudo Cascade is an ode to this most Milanese of tones, with a shower of monochrome smoky grey hourglass-cut moonstones suspended on gold and titanium chains from a choker composed of jumbo-sized diamond-set links. A matching pair of earrings is full of movement, featuring slender white gold and titanium chains tipped with gray moonstones. The shape of the moonstones is echoed in the diamond-paved gold squares that sit on the lobe.
Contemporary Heritage is Pomellato’s idiosyncratic interpretation of the history of Milan, in particular the medieval Castello Sforzesco. A 1972 choker from the archives provided the creative spark behind the nine jewels that are a bridge between Pomellato’s design tradition and the city's most commanding monument. The design team reinterpreted the original choker to create the Castello necklace, which has a neo-medieval look. It is made up of rose gold plaques joined together by chunky diamond-set gourmette links and adorned with more than 28 carats of baguette, princess, and brilliant-cut diamonds and five reverse-set rubellites totaling more than 29 carats. By setting the gems in this unconventional way, their sharp angles are reminiscent of the rusticated stone masonry of the façade of the Castello, creating a new type of pavé that Pomellato has.
By setting the gems in this unconventional way, their sharp angles are reminiscent of the rusticated stone masonry of the façade of the Castello, creating a new type of pavé that Pomellato has named "bossage." This architectural technique of using stones with clearly defined edges and a raised central area gives a feeling of power and invincibility. A removable rose gold and diamond-set chain adds a further historic touch. Two pairs of earrings accompany this impressive necklace, graced with either a reverse-set tanzanite or rubellite and surrounded by diamonds. The same saturated tones and imposing reverse-set shapes are carried through in the two rings. One features an oval-faceted nearly 19-carat rhodolite garnet, and the other features more than 16-carat sugarloaf diamond-cut’ tanzanite. The contoured gold bezels are dusted with an irregular white diamond pavé.
The Fortezza choker and matching earrings are a variant of the Castello set. In this version, the gold plaques are lined with glossy black ceramic. Seven luminous green reverse-set malachites resemble the studs on the doors of the ancient fort. The vibrant swirling green of the malachite, along with the emeralds set into the links, create a striking contrast to the dark ceramic. A line of irregular brown diamond pavé embellishes the edge of each plaque. The same brown diamond pavé surrounds the malachites contained in a matching pair of earrings.
The chapter is completed with the stunning Dama rose gold bracelets, one for each wrist. The geometric form of the solid curve of rounded gold is based on a super-sized version of the Gourmette link. A double line of white diamonds runs along the edge of the seamless sweep of gold on these sumptuous bracelets.
Creativity on Stage Chains have been at the heart of Pomellato’s history and are intrinsically linked to the house’s tradition of goldsmithing. As past masters of this genre skill, Pomellato dares to push the boundaries with three luxurious necklaces that pay homage to the creativity of La Scala theater. Each one is composed of chains in reimagined proportions and shimmering with diamonds that are assembled using new variations of setting techniques. The result is an irreverent and ironic take on this jewelry staple. The show-stopping Lirica necklace is composed of swathes of links of varying sizes that fall like the swags of the curtains at La Scala. The larger link is set with diamonds in different cuts and arranged in a seemingly haphazard pattern in this large asymmetrical necklace.
Even more theatrical is the Sipario body chain necklace, which captures the magic and awe of the theater. Various styles of chains and diamond-set links drape down and around the torso, dressing the body in a mesmerizing web. The large central link is set with a random pattern of sizeable brilliant- and fancy-cut diamonds.
Utterly chic in its minimalism, the Catena Milano rose-gold rope mesh chain marries the simplicity of Milan’s industrial design heritage with the glamour of Pomellato. The spacers on the lariat-style necklace allow the clasp to move up or down its length for multi-wear options and feature different types of diamond-setting technique, showcasing Pomellato’s virtuosity in both chain making and gem-setting. The diamond-set elements at the end of the chain capture the functionality of hardware as the parts swivel with pleasing ease. The contrast of the feminine, soft, and sinuous gold rope with the masculine strength of the clasp gives this necklace an arresting and modern air.
Terrazza Duomo is a testament to Milan’s design prowess. The ornate white marble façade of the Duomo is deconstructed to offer key geometrical shapes that form the basis for four elegantly simple earrings and two bracelets. The extrapolation of this masterpiece of 14th-century Gothic architecture to essential forms highlights the intellectual rigor at the heart of Pomellato’s design ethos, born of a deep appreciation of the timeless nature of design.
Contemporary Heritage brings to necklaces, rings, and earrings the strength of the imposing carved stone façade of Milan’s Castello Sforzesco. The history of Milan and its ancient fortifications is interpreted in the gold work of these memorable jewels.
The Losange, Marquise, Drop, and Trilliant earrings are light, airy, mobile sculptures in white or rose gold swathed in white diamonds that gently sway with each move of the body and can be worn solo or as a pair. The symmetry of the geometrical composition contrasts with the clusters of diamonds that sit on the lobe.
The Terrazza Duomo bracelets continue the theme of abstraction, and the same geometrical shapes are repeated in a plain gold frame from which rises a second tier of white diamond pavé elements. The final piece in this exquisite collection is a rose gold choker, stark in its simplicity. Carefully engineered to lie perfectly flush on the skin, its only adornment is an irregularly placed arrangement of fancy diamonds in a ‘charivari’ pattern pavé.
‘Ode to Milan’ unites Pomellato’s unique approach to high jewelry with the highest standards of craftsmanship. Like this remarkable city, Pomellato respects the past but keeps a keen eye on the future, an attitude that sets this audacious collection apart.
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