Damiani: A Hundred Years of Craftsmanship, Creativity, Italian Passion and Family
Miodrag Spahić - May 20, 2024
Damiani’s story is that of an Italian family that preserves a precious know-how intrinsically linked to tradition: to create unique, handcrafted jewels that are true works of art, entirely handmade by the master goldsmiths of Valenza. It is precisely here that the Maison was born a century ago in Italy’s most renowned goldsmith district. This place continues to symbolize excellence made in Italy and around the world. The helm of the Company has since passed down through three generations.
This evocative journey began with founder Enrico Damiani, whose skills as a master goldsmith soon made him a point of reference in the world of traditional jewelry and among distinguished noble families, who relied on him to create their most exclusive jewels.
Enrico was succeeded by his son Damiano, whose creative and pioneering mind sensed the need for renewal, thus paving the way for profound changes that were characterized by a strong, innovative drive. The helm was subsequently passed on to Damiano’s three children – Guido, Silvia and Giorgio – who chose to continue pursuing the Maison’s evolutionary path.
Today, Damiani stands out in the jewelry world for its unique position as the only international name that is still present in Valenza in the territory of its origin, for which it has a profound respect; a company born as a designer and producer of precious creations, that has become one of the biggest names in international luxury with its alluring designs and refined craftsmanship.
A HUNDRED CREATIONS FOR A HUNDRED YEARS
For this Centenary, the Damiani family has made a decision that is as exciting as it is significant: the Maison has chosen to exhibit a precious collection of rare stones – natural works of art with an extraordinary history that majestically come to life through a skilful act of creation by the master goldsmiths of Valenza, custodians of the goldsmith’s art since 1924. The result is a collection of one hundred authentic jewelry masterpieces encapsulating the continuity of a unique and unparalleled artisan tradition that looks to the future.
The remarkable story of these one hundred masterpieces symbolizes the heritage of the Damiani family, an invitation to delve into a dimension poised between eternal beauty and flawless craftsmanship.
MIMOSA ETERNAL BLUE
The Mimosa line is at the heart of the celebratory collection that the Maison has created for its Centenary. Encapsulated in the ‘apparent chaos’ of these refined creations, an innovative technique harmoniously combines stones of different sizes and cuts, expressing Maison’s sublime genius through a design that comes to life three-dimensionally. Highlighting the beauty of the Eternal Blue necklace is a majestic, 100-carat, cushion-cut sapphire that expresses Damiani’s craftsmanship excellence and historical tradition. A masterpiece of nature with its far-away origins draws the eye with its magnetic royal blue hue, enhanced in all its splendour by the diamonds that encircle it in an embrace of light.
MARGHERITA DESERT GARDEN
Conceived in the 1920s as a tribute to the Queen of Italy, Margherita of Savoy, by the founder Enrico Grassi Damiani, the Margherita collection is a sublime expression of Maison’s creativity. Margherita Desert is in yellow gold, sprinkled with leaves and entwined with flowers. An extraordinary drop-cut fancy diamond adorns it. This ultra-rare gem stands out for its exceptional deep brown-yellow hue and its impressive carat weight of over 20 carats. The necklace is skilfully embellished with brown diamonds and emeralds, creating a sumptuous carpet on which daisies made from white diamonds and a central fancy yellow diamond are gracefully laid.
BELLE ÉPOQUE FRAME
The Belle Époque was a golden era characterized by exceptional cultural innovation, which led to the birth of a new form of expression: the cinema. In celebration of the Maison’s Centenary, the skilled goldsmiths of Valenza have created Belle Époque Frame, a white gold bracelet whose geometric perfection entwines with its extraordinarily impeccable aesthetics. Light reigns supreme – the same light that brought cinema to life is here enhanced by a pavé of diamonds embellishing the seventeen square frames that make up the jewel. Each frame shares a baguette-cut diamond with the one adjacent to it, while at the centre of each stands a fancy diamond in various cuts – brilliant, cushion, oval and heart – and in multiple hues. The shades of varying intensity range from yellow to orange and brown and are arranged in harmonious combinations for an alluring visual effect.
FANTASY CUT THE DAMIANI GREEN TREASURE OF MUZO
The Fantasy Cut collection represents the Maison’s passion for its history, its savoir-faire and the beauty of the raw materials that the goldsmiths of Valenza forge with their extraordinary skills. Among the creations designed to celebrate Damiani’s Centenary is the striking and magnificent Fantasy Cut the Damiani Green Treasure of Muzo, an extraordinary jewelry piece that blends elegance with tradition. Enriched with emerald-cut and brilliant-cut diamonds, this luxurious white gold necklace features a pendant set which is a true wonder of nature: a majestic Muzo emerald of almost 64 carats whose intense green colour – a tribute to the lush rainforest – makes it truly extraordinary.
100 X 100 ITALIANI
The Damiani 100 X 100 Italiani celebrates Damiani’s first century, a prestigious milestone for the historic Valenza-based Company, representing Italian excellence today as much as 100 years ago. Italianness is the narrative theme of this exhibition, understood as a set of values, aesthetics, poetics, arts and crafts that has inspired the masterpieces of countless artists over the centuries. The exhibition displays 100 masterpieces for 100 years of Damiani’s history portrayed through the five values of Italianness: family, represented by the Damiani family; craftsmanship with the Mimosa collection; creativity with the Margherita collection; History with the Belle Époque collection and passion with the Fantasy Cut collection.
Explore exciting collections of Damiani diamond jewelry at the Mamić 1970 boutique at 7 Frane Petrića Street in Zagreb.
W: www.mamic.hr
A: Frane Petrića Street in Zagreb.
