Pomellato Ritratto Lapis Pendant - '10s

When Pino Rabolini (1936–2018) founded Pomellato in 1967, he was continuing the heritage of goldsmithing in his Milanese family but wanted to take a different approach to fine jewelry. While so many European jewelers, including Cartier, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels, were designing status pieces, Rabolini turned toward women interested in everyday style. In fact, the first few pieces he designed were an homage to the women — actresses, singers and artists — at Bar Jamaica, a popular Milanese bar frequented by the city’s creative set. He wanted to craft pieces for the women of Italy (and eventually the world) who deserved to wear fine jewelry that reflected their dynamic identities, even if they were merely headed to their unassuming local bar or cafe.

Rabolini helped revolutionize the world of fine jewelry by offering women an opportunity to wear colorful gems in their daily lives. Among the brand’s innovations were its advertising campaigns, which included work by leading black-and-white photographers like Gian Paolo Barbieri in the 1970s, Helmut Newton in the 1980s and Alistair Taylor Young, Lord Snowdon and Javier Vallhonrat in the 1990s. In the 2000s, Michel Comte led the brand's shift into color photography for its campaigns.

Pomellato released numerous collections since its inception, and in 1995 added the Dodo brand aimed at a younger audience with more playful shapes and affordable designs. But it was the 2001 Nudo collection that put the brand on the international map, giving the Nudo ring design instant cult status. Nudo, which is Italian for “nude,” seemed the most appropriate name for the ring collection given its simple, prong-free setting. The Nudo ring’s solitaire stone, which has a double-face cut, is completely exposed on all sides save for the bottom. And the band, usually rose gold, is often devoid of any stones or designs. The collection became so popular that, in 2019, Pomellato expanded upon it, adding a sautoir, which can be worn three different ways: as a classic sautoir, a lariat necklace or a double-wrap chain. It also updated the original Nudo ring to include rose-gold bands set with three rows of colored pavé diamonds.

In 2013, Pomellato was acquired by the Kering Group. The Nudo collection remains the most popular collection to date as Pomellato’s team of goldsmiths continues to produce striking jewelry from its Milan headquarters.

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