Pomellato’s Prized Gems
Stacked floor to ceiling inside the highly protected vault room of Pomellato’s expansive jewellery workshop are bins of rough stones waiting to be delivered to stonecutters. The jagged rocks—citrines, tourmalines, amethysts, and more, some as big as fists, others the size of pebbles—await transformation at the hands of artisans into voluminous rounded or faceted gems for the Milanese brand’s colorful designs. The exceptionally large stash speaks to the nearly 50-year-old company’s passion for making colourful, bold jewellery.
“Sometimes there is a scarcity of stones on the market,” says CEO Andrea Morante, “so we like to keep a large stock of the stones we love, so we are never without.”
This treasure trove enables Pomellato to create striking gemstone designs that are curvaceous and substantial, with a heaviness that underscores the quality of the 18-karat gold. Voluptuous in scale but far from flashy, the pieces are everyday elegant and playfully colourful. “We are more about style than status,” says Morante. “Our pieces are tactile and speak to a woman’s individuality.”
That spirit is best expressed in the Nudo collection of rings and earrings, all of which have been designed for women to mix and match in their own way. The company’s other signature styles range from Tango— including ample chain-link bracelets and necklaces that are handmade and paved with gems of every imaginable hue—to the exuberantly coloured Pom Pom collection of one-off pieces designed around special stones, such as large premium-quality tanzanites, spinels, and Paraíba tourmalines.
Extraordinary gems, however, are just one facet of the brand’s aesthetic, as a trip to the vault room suggests. Tucked away on a shelf in the space, not far from the precious stones, is an unexpected 2.5-foot-long mammoth-ivory tusk. The fossilised specimen from Siberia has already seen use in designs from the brand’s Victoria collection that are no less stylish for their highly collectible nature. “We don’t take jewellery too seriously,” says Morante, “even though it is serious jewellery.”
