Stone bold

The glitter and gold of the holiday season took on a new meaning when luxe jewelry brand Vanafi, one of the country’s leading manufacturers as well as retailers of fine jewelry, presented a dazzling collection of extraordinary pieces to a few jewel connoisseurs.

Vanafi – responsible for bringing in Damiani, the jewelry house Brad Pitt commissioned to co-design the engagement ring he gave ex-wife Jennifer Aniston – gave another taste of Italian design through Picchiotti (pronounced "pik-yo-ti").

Picchiotti is a high-end jewelry line, which, describes Vanafi owner Vanessa Figueroa, is synonymous with high-quality Italian craftsmanship. Vanessa, herself a jewelry expert having completed courses on jewelry design and appreciation in Belgium, Antwerp, and New York, extols Picchiotti as a brand that is known all over the world despite minimal advertising.

The collaborative exhibition took place at the Peninsula Manila Hotel. Umberto Picchiotti, son of founder Giuseppe Picchiotti, was on hand to personally present their pieces to the Philippine market for the first time.

Just like most Italian businesses, Picchiotti is a family-run venture, with patriarch Giuseppe Picchiotti at the helm. Giuseppe was the wayward son in a family of physicians. Growing up in Valenza, a small village in Italy, which, for over a century, has been renowned for making fine diamond jewelry, kindled Giuseppe’s proclivity for precious stones. Against family wishes, at the age of 13, Giuseppe apprenticed in a small workshop as a goldsmith. Later, he enrolled at Valenza’s Istituto Professionale Orafo and obtained the knowledge and training necessary to start his own atelier.

Giuseppe Picchiotti opened shop in 1967 with his sister Annamaria, who, to this day, takes control of all administrative duties. Though he remains the foremost designer, the Picchiotti team is completed by Giuseppe’s wife Matilde, daughter Maria Carola, and his two sons, Filippo and Umberto. From day one, Giuseppe Picchiotti strived to produce unique and extraordinary pieces that made use of precious calibrated stones from all over the world: emeralds from Colombia, diamonds from New York, pearls from Japan, gems from Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.

Picchiotti’s designs reflect Giuseppe’s love for nature and fascination for architecture. The company’s signature piece is a graceful stone-studded replication of a curving rose. Set as a brooch, this was the first piece Picchiotti ever created. Since then, the design has been a staple in each collection, inter-preted in different ways. This year, the rose comes in a classic diamond-studded design; another version combines diamonds and exquisite rubies. The Picchiotti rose is complemented by a bevy of nature—inspired pieces: butterflies with ruby-studded wings, bees made of yellow diamonds, and precious golden ladybugs.

Giuseppe’s inner architect is also expertly revealed in the 2005 collection. The collection’s pièce de résistance is called "Diamond Wings," a flamboyant set of cascading leafy links that delicately "float around the fortunate woman it adorns," This dazzling creation is set entirely with round brilliant cut diamonds, and comprises a necklace, a bracelet, and a pair of earrings.

Colored gemstones also take center stage in the brand’s newest collection. The unmistakable Picchiotti color accent is given credence with a few pieces: a one-of-a-kind white gold ensemble called "Emerald Dream," where precious oval emeralds are embedded among delicate diamonds waves; a white-gold set, "Ruby Fugue," made of alternating drops and bars with round brilliantly-cut diamonds and bright red rubies; and a couple of dazzling rings composed of a huge superbly-cut sapphires surrounded by diamonds.

Picchiotti’s designs are "soft, sinuous, very feminine" and quintessentially Italian. Claims Umberto, "Italian designs are distinct. There is always a movement and a certain volume to the designs. They aren’t flat."

The company’s dedication to Italian tradition and excellence in the art of designing and manufacturing fine jewelry has earned the Picchiotti atelier several awards "including the Basel Award, Couture Design Award, and House Beautiful Award.

This dedication has also earned them a discreet following among the elite worldwide. Society mavens from Italy, the US, Japan, the Middle East, and the UK make up most of Picchiotti’s loyal following.

"When we get a customer, she stays with us forever. This is because we know what we sell," Umberto boasts. The lure of exclusivity is also a plus in the jewelry house’s favor – most of Picchiotti’s pieces are one-of-a-kind, a definite must for any jet-setting fashionista.

For more information on Picchiotti, visit Vanafi boutiques in Glorietta, Podium, and the Peninsula Manila Hotel.