Art & Jewelry: A retrospective to spotlight Pomellato’s legacy
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June 30, 2025
Art & Jewelry: A retrospective to spotlight Pomellato’s legacy
Exhibited last November at Shanghai’s Fosun Art Foundation, Pomellato’s first ever exhibition, a retrospective named “Art & Jewelry”, explored half a century of creativity, as reflected through the House’s iconic advertising and flagship designs.
Curated by Alba Cappellieri, Politecnico di Milano’s Head of Jewelry and Accessory Design, the exhibition shone a light on Pomellato’s contemporary vision through an extensive collection of ground-breaking advertising campaigns, the most significant archive of photographic advertising images in the jewelry world. It features some of the most revered photographers of all times, including Gian Paolo Barbieri, Albert Watson, Horst P. Horst, Lord Snowdon, Peter Lindbergh, Javier Vallhonrat and Michel Comte. “Art & Jewelry” offered a deep dive through three distinct decades, spanning advertising campaigns that left an indelible mark on the jeweler’s creative universe. Chains capture the vibrant scene of the 1970s, striking gemstones pay tribute to the boldness of the 1980, and lavish volumes coincide with the empowerment of women underway during the 1990s, reflecting the visual culture of the time. With works sourced from the House’s archives and shown to the public for the very first time, the exhibition displayed some of fashion’s most decorated photographers. To mark the occasion, over 100 jewels were presented from past and present collections. As they uncover the art of photography and jewelry, visitors’ discovery of Pomellato’s visual heritage is made all the more enthralling.
Captured by Gian Paolo Barbieri, the groundbreaking portrait “Le Gemelle” (The Twins) welcomes beholders to the exhibit. The model’s lips wear a cryptic smile as the 675 moving copper tubes drape like a stage curtain over the 4,000-square-meter facade of the Fosun Art Foundation. This revolutionary double portrait from 1971 is Pomellato’s first advertising campaign. In this image poised between dream and reality, Italian actress Lilly Bistrattin appears as her own twin, wearing the Gemelle chokers and bracelets in yellow and white gold, breaking traditional jewelry advertising codes with artistic vision and denoting the then fledgling Milan brand’s newly established identity. From the onset, Pomellato’s advertising embraced an avant-garde way that remains its guiding compass to this day.
Stepping into the exhibition space, visitors are plunged into another dimension. The walls of an extended corridor are adorned with pictures of jewelry and architectural plans from Milan, Pomellato’s birthplace in 1967 with its founding by Pino Rabolini. Blending styles with scales, these photographs are a nod to the imaginative energy and maverick ethos observed in Italy’s design capital. As fashion welcomed ready-to-wear, Pino Rabolini drew inspiration, becoming the first to transform jewelry from an exclusive to everyday concept, resonating with the wearer’s desires. Blurring the boundaries between art, fashion and jewelry, Rabolini’s designs would stand out for their constantly creative, contemporary and joyful style.
Chains, a timeless signature
Chains precisely portray the idea behind precious easy-to-wear jewelry. After navigating a corridor covered in gold links, visitors discover them in more detail throughout the exhibition. Initially crafted in 1967, Pomellato’s gourmette sets the stage for a stylish symphony of voluptuous designs. Notable collections include Spiga, Ancora, Rondelle, Rollò and Barbazzale, not forgetting the more recent Catene line which is studded with white diamonds. Each Catene piece requires the know-how of six to ten artisans as well as 170 hours of labor to handcraft. Other pieces pair their links with diamonds and rubies or emeralds and sapphires – a testament to Pomellato’s specialist setting techniques.
Original gouaches place emphasis on the art of sculpting soft volumes and an ideal fusion of yellow and white gold. Goldsmith genius is given pride of place, revealing ever more intricate chains set with astonishing mastery. As such, delicate diamond-embellished links are interwoven to recreate the smoothness of a fabric suffused with light. Though exquisite, chains also connote power, as alluded to in another portrait from the period which shows a young woman resolutely clenching her fists in an act of defiance, with her neck shrouded in chains. Yet again, Pomellato’s visionary approach is seen through its playful irreverence.
Decoding the flamboyant 1980s
Just as the 80s decade was defined by an audaciously exuberant spirit, Pomellato calls on fashion photography’s brightest talent to direct its campaigns. Widely regarded as works of art, they represent a meeting of the minds between creativity, fashion and ‘auteur’ photography. A case in point is Albert Watson’s shots which create stark contrasts, as illustrated by his 1985 portrait of a man’s face subversively bound in chains. The image is resoundingly modern – since jewelry advertising of that time did not picture male models – and intense, as though endowed with texture, unveiling the finer details of the pieces. Further on is the majestic portrait of a female silhouette, bathed in a balance of light and shadow. Taken in 1987 by Horst P. Horst, this photo amplifies the elegant playfulness of jewels cascading down a model’s back. Through the lens of these photographers, Pomellato never ceases to inspire power, charisma and beauty in the women beautified by its designs.
The latter phenomenon becomes more apparent for pieces bedecked with bold hues. The 1980s was decidedly the decade of color, which the House has mastered since its inception. By way of example, the Heritage Boccole and Griffe collections present diamonds with bright-shaded gems. The near-invisible setting of the Mora and Rugiada rings indicate the jeweler’s excellence in craftsmanship, unlocking the full charm of the citrine quartz, garnets and labradorites. What’s more, Bahia and Capri embody colorful combinations, recalling the Brazilian and Italian destinations, while the Ritratto collection is underpinned by the raw beauty of malachite, tiger’s eye, lapis lazuli and jasper. The Nudo collection also sparkles as a veritable ode to color, with its 57 asymmetrically-designed facets – a Pomellato-patented innovation. Last but certainly not least, high jewelry creations such as the Catene necklace and La Gioia bracelet represent the pinnacle of chromatic sensitivity.
Pinpointing the empowered era
Contrary to the prior decade, the 1990s paved the way for pure, minimalist designs. Such is the quest for purity, which is echoed by Lord Snowdon’s 1992 portrait where the curves of the Boccole earring – a distinctly large cabochon cut – mirror the wavy hair worn by the model. In an era increasingly obsessed with image, other adverts are distinguished for their highly subversive content. Substantial chains are the protagonists of the stills snapped by the Spaniard Javier Vallhonrat where they adorn a number of women in a transgressive interpretation that challenges the esthetic stereotypes of the decade. A different purpose is communicated through Michel Comte’s close-ups of Patty Pravo, Marisa Berenson and Rossy de Palma. His portraits signify female freedom, as exemplified by powerful women. The pieces’ ample volumes not only accentuate all three women’s beauty, but also their independence and individuality.
At the center of this vast exhibition is an extravagant tribute to the volume leitmotif, with an XXL sculpture of Gemelle choker necklace appearing to levitate a few meters from the floor. That same space houses the Iconica collection, honoring Milan’s goldsmithing heritage during the Renaissance with its refined volumes and rounded forms, as well as Arabesque rings with their Moorish-inspired style. Also featured are the Iconica bracelets, known for their abstract diamond cuts, and the Terrazza Duomo choker which makes for an exquisite showcase of High Jewelry. Armonie Minerali is another significant collection on show, encompassing unusually shaped mineral gems with edgy hues. The latter include none other than the hand-carved Scarabeo cocktail rings, with their bold textures serving to symbolize the House’s design prowess.
Pomellato’s most recent artistry is then identified in The Dualism of Milan – the House’s latest high jewelry collection that marries chains with colors and full sculptural lines. Much like the Spinelli di Fuoco necklace and its fiery embrace of unusually tinted gemstones, the Barocco chain captivates the beholder in a daring display of rose gold interlaced with diamond-studded links and a kaleidoscope spotlighting the House’s baroque cut and a 34-carat Paraiba tourmaline. As for the Gemme Superlative, it distinctly delivers a composition of oval tanzanites, orange garnets and aquamarines, finished with a myriad of other gems. Lastly, elaborate bracelets including a large rose gold cuff embellished with 460 brown and 1,145 white diamonds in Pomellato’s signature pavé offer a compelling contrast with the clean and undulating lines of the Asimmetrico choker.
“ Since 1967, Pomellato has been at the forefront of Italian jewelry, championing bold creative vision and celebrating women's individuality through every design.”
Depicting the many facets of the Pomellato woman
Forging a link to the future, two installations were specially designed for the event as visitors conclude their immersive experience of the jeweler’s history. The first showcases two works by Chen Man. The Chinese photographer transforms her present-day vision of the empowered Pomellato woman into a captivating shot, zooming on the protruding muscles of a dancer’s back. The second creation was envisioned by Milan-based artists Alberto Maria Colombo and Anna Paladini. Beholders marvel at a series of disparate images, albeit conveying a universal sense of self-confidence: AI-generated portraits, each embodying a new facet of the Pomellato woman. Echoing campaigns of the past, this artistic endeavor testifies to inventive experimentation that knows no bounds. The perfect ending to this journey into a legacy of creativity, artisanal know-how and bold innovation – the three cornerstones of Pomellato’s style.