Italian jewelry brand set to celebrate a century of excellence

To celebrate its 95th birthday, the Italian jewelry brand, Damiani, has reinterpreted one of its most iconic collections, Belle Epoque.

The iconic necklace, with its detachable cross, has sapphires set in evocative layers inspired by the colors of the rainbow, blended seamlessly with rose gold.

Damiani was founded by Enrico Damiani in 1924, in the heart of Valenza's Goldsmith district, and it has spanned three generations of the family.

Enrico's son, Damiano Damiani, was born in 1934. He launched a process of industrial and commercial expansion and promoted research in design and technical innovation, profoundly marking the company's evolution.

Damiani's jewelry first made headlines with the revolutionary idea of guaranteeing prices to customers and creating catalogs displaying all of its collections.

The early 1990s witnessed the ascension of the family's third generation to the helm: siblings Silvia, Giorgio and Guido Damiani. Silvia specializes in the purchase of pearls and deals with the company's communication, Giorgio handles exports, while Guido - who worked in Tel Aviv, Israel, with diamond graders from the world's biggest companies - assumed the role of sales manager for Italy in 1994.

Damiano passed away in 1996 after an accident, and the management of the company, which then employed 200 people, passed into the hands of his wife, Gabriella, and their three children.

Today, Gabriella is honorary president, Guido is president and Silvia and Giorgio are vice-presidents.

From its humble beginnings as a family business, the end of the 1990s saw Damiani become an increasingly international company.

On Damiani's official website, Guido writes: "From our early childhood, we watched jewelry being created and saw the crafting of diamonds and precious stones, learning to love a profession and its secrets even before we started to work in the company."

As for Silvia, she recalls coming back home from school as a child and passing by her parents' workshop every day. There, she would pick up what she called "the green horse": a brooch of gold, diamonds and emeralds. She would pin it to her dress and look at herself in the mirror with satisfaction. During her childhood, the choice of holiday destination was often dictated by where the major sellers of large gemstones were located.

Today, Damiani has broadened its range, offering a portfolio of complementary brands to suit consumers' different needs: Italian brand Salvini provides high quality jewelry at a competitive price; Venini produces handmade Murano art glass and lighting; and Bliss offers jewelry using gold, diamonds, gemstones, silver, steel and innovative materials such as ceramic.

The group has also purchased Alfier& St John, a niche concept jewelry brand; Calderoni, a Milanese high-end jewelry brand; and Rocca, a jewelry and luxury watch retailer.

There are 60 Damiani boutiques around the globe, including three in China.

Currently, Damiani's top performing market is Italy, followed by Japan, Russia and the United States. China is a new frontier waiting to be explored.

In June, Jerome Favier, the vice-president and CEO of Damiani International, visited Beijing to better understand the opportunities in China.

Speaking about his ambitions for the company, Favier, from the south of France, who joined the company last year, says: "China definitely has to become our top market within the next three years."

While he thinks that people from different countries share the same pursuit of beauty, he feels that Chinese consumers recognize the charm of Damiani and are interested in learning about the brand's history and current creations.

"Our challenge is to just create that occasion and that experience," he says.

Favier adds that the brand is moving forward and exploring new sectors. He raises his hand to show the Apple Watch on his wrist. The cover, in rose-gold and decorated with diamonds, is developed by Damiani.

"The watch cover is a fast moving item that has been created by demand, and this is clearly what our customers are looking for," he says. "What's digital can also be luxury."

Favier says that it's a tradition of the brand to keep designers and jewelry-makers working in the same building on daily basis. He believes that to shorten the distance between these two roles helps turn designs into reality.

"Our 95th anniversary is not only a celebration of the past, it's mainly a gateway to the next 95- or 100 - years," says Favier.

"The past is just helping us nurture our vision for the future."