Ode All’Italia is the ambitious, almost solemn title chosen by Damiani for its new high jewellery collection, the most spectacular in its 101-year history. The family-owned and proudly independent manufacturer, founded in Valenza in 1924, is today as capable of supplying its unique pieces to magnates, Arab sheikhs and Korean celebrities as it is of engaging in the most eccentric artistic collaborations (it all began with a 13-kilo bust of Albert of Monaco in solid gold signed by Californian sculptor Barry X Ballcon.
Now, it is also making a declaration of love for its origins. In an aesthetic trilogy translated into precious stones and the sophisticated design that is the hallmark of the house, Damiani’s new collection captures the very essence of Italy through three visions: the sea, the hills and the culturally and historically rich urban environments. From the soft green of its mountainous landscapes to the splendour of its architecture and cities of art, passing through the deep blue of the Mediterranean Sea.
Damiani captures the very essence of Italy through three visions: the sea, the hills and the urban environment
Silvia, Guido and Giorgio Damiani, the triumvirate that embodies the third generation of this powerful history of success and leadership, presented this new series, ‘the most special of all those created to date’, they say in unison, in style at a gala dinner held at the Palazzo Ripetta. The Marea Rosa necklace was on display, a masterpiece from the Luci del mare (light of the sea) collection, culminating in an extraordinary 46-carat Paraiba tourmaline that evokes the crystal-clear waters surrounding Sardinia and which, on the back, holds a secret rooted in the art of goldsmithing: an elegant box clasp embellished with diamonds and morganites.
The Dolce Stil Novo necklace, part of the Paesaggi dell’Anima (landscapes of the soul) collection, also sparkled. It is built around an extraordinary 31.46-carat bright green “muzo” emerald, in a nod to the Alpine peaks, majestic volcanoes and lakes of inland Italy.
But as Ode All’Italia is also a grand tour of Italy’s most famous cities of art, the jewel celebrating the unique beauty of Rome was also on display. The Aethernitas necklace seeks to evoke the perfection of the Eternal City, from the majesty of the dome of the Pantheon to the splendour of St. Peter’s Basilica and its square.
The beating heart of this white gold necklace is a five-carat green-yellow diamond at the centre of a round pendant that can be detached from the chain to be worn as a brooch. A beautiful rectangular gem with cut corners that captures the light through a unique play of reflections.
There, in the bowels of those ancient corridors of the Roman Palazzo Ripetta, in an atmosphere suspended in time and framed by Renaissance frescoes where the best scenes of the film Conclave were shot, it was probably the most celebrated piece in the new collection that the Italian house showed to its most exceptional guests (its best customers from around the world and friends of the brand, such as the super-media-savvy Achille Lauro, who surprised everyone with a performance of his most famous songs, moving actresses Cristiana Capotondi and Paola Minaccioni to tears) in an invitation to immerse themselves in a luminous story. A full-fledged tribute to the richness of the Bel Paese.
Damiani was born in Valenza, the cradle of European high jewellery, exactly 101 years ago
With the highest concentration of goldsmiths per square metre and only an hour and a half from Milan by road, Valenza has established itself as the cradle of European high jewellery. With a tradition dating back to 1917 (when 43 workshops had already set up here following in the footsteps of the Cascina dell’Orefice founded by Francesco Caramora), this small town of less than 20,000 inhabitants has become a place of pilgrimage for all the most important names in this ever-growing sector, which is worth almost three billion euros a year. It is now home to many companies, 1,300 in total, but only one, Damiani, was founded here exactly 101 years ago and is now celebrating with this powerful launch that consolidates its position as leader in the sector.
Under the leadership of the third generation, the Damiani Group opened its first stores, creating a network of more than 60 boutiques located in the world’s leading luxury shopping streets and expanding internationally with branches in China, Korea, the United Arab Emirates, France, Japan, Hong Kong, Macao, Mexico, Russia, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom.
In this way, Damiani has evolved from a high-end jewellery brand into a thriving Group that promotes Italian excellence through the synergistic combination of complementary brands and companies, established or acquired throughout its history. In particular, the group has strengthened its own Salvini brand, a leader in contemporary jewellery, and launched the Bliss brand, aimed at a younger audience. In addition, under the third generation, Damiani has acquired several companies, such as Rocca, the only Italian chain of high-end jewellery and watch shops and official distributor of world-renowned watch brands (such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin); Calderoni, a high-end jewellery brand founded in 1840 and now mainly dedicated to the sale of loose natural diamonds; and finally Venini, a glass manufacturer based in Murano since 1921, whose artistic glassware is exhibited in the world’s leading museums.
