The genius of Verdura between Chanel and Dalì

Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, Duke of Verdura, was born in Palermo in 1899 and since childhood loved dressing in elaborate costumes and painting fantastic creatures that would later emerge during his career as an extraordinary designer of jewels for the aristocracy of the post-war period.
Drawing on his rich visual heritage and his unique vision, he soon became one of the most influential jewelers of the time, reinvigorating the world of jewelry which would never again be the same.

Indeed, he managed to get to Paris where he worked and realized the iconic cuff links for Coco Chanel to then sail on for the United States in the 30s and collaborate with the surrealist Salvador Dali for a collection of jewels imbued with the mythology and iconography of the Italian Renaissance.
His vivid imagination and his knowledge of art, history, music, theater and all the facets of culture gave Verdura's work an extravagant yet design-conscious appearance. Verdura drew from art for his inspiration, from shells, arrows and hearts surrounded by fluttering ribbons of fabric that gave his pieces a particular baroque charm.

Thanks to Verdura’s sensitivity, the past has been reinvented and made into a new and daring interpretation of elegance. The art of his Italy was a particularly present source in his most innovative pieces, from the Byzantine mosaics to the baroque moldings of the palaces of Palermo, transformed within his sketches into sparkling three-dimensional works in Art Deco platinum and diamonds, to dominate the world of jewelry design in the 1930s.
Furthermore, after a trip with Chanel to the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna, Verdura was so entranced by the mosaics that he adapted the Maltese cross (Amalfi) to decorate large enameled cuffs and brooches. Within the golden outline of the cross, Verdura placed a series of cabochon stones to remind the opulence of the Byzantine Empire.

He designed bold jewels for actresses such as Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford and, thanks to a series of shell pins inspired by those he collected in walks along the beach of Fire Island, he succeeded in making fairy tales and ancient worlds emerge from the collective imagination. on necks, wrists and fingers that with his creations became truly unique.
Verdura jewels still stand the test of time, with unparalleled design and creative flair.