Atelier

Fratelli Piccini Collections are often inspired by the art and culture of Florence and are an expression of the DNA of the family of goldsmiths and gemmologists, which opened its Atelier on Ponte Vecchio in 1903. Today it is the only operating laboratory on the Old Bridge, nestled under the Vasari Corridor.

Each collection of Fratelli Piccini jewelry is unique and thoughtfully designed for the wearer to bring a piece of Florentine art close to them. For us, they are very close to works of art due to the care in which they are made, the creative process until polishing the result. Like a beautiful painting, a couture gown, or a piece of sculpture, so can jewelry be an object to be admired, to be worn, to be handed down…

Elisa Tozzi Piccini is the fourth generation Piccini family, who is currently the creative director and CEO of the company. She, alongside the Master Craftsmen Carlotta, creates and develops new ideas in their tiny but mighty store. They also keep archives of past drawings for creative references. We always try to keep our tradition of ‘handmade’ consistent in almost all parts of our jewelry making process that makes it exciting for us, the makers, and the wearers. In fact, every single jewelry work is by the wise hands of the designer, the goldsmith, the engraver and the enamel-illuminator.

The creation of our jewels, especially our “ONE” fine jewelry collection, are very complex and passes from different hands of artisans. Starting from initial design sketches to the goldsmith, cashier, enameller, engraver, threader and so on. Each piece can last several weeks to months depending on the complexity of the object.

Fratelli Piccini craftsmen uses a rare technique of classic goldsmithing, in particular for the Fine Jewelry ‘Lago di Carezza’, ‘Onda’ and other jewels present in our collection. We also used aluminum, that is not very common in jewelry. Aluminum gives lightness to the object making the jewelry feels light as a feather, and confers very special iridescent colors that is a challenging but rewarding process. It involves great amount of research on the metal *green ionized aluminum) and the stone (Diamonds studded around Paraíba Opal, an exceedingly rare blue gemstone). These two complex materials formed a complex design with a magical story that is very satisfying to witness.

Rigorous quality control is often done in the middle of the design process to achieve Fratelli Piccini’s level of perfection. We always value the expert opinions of our craftsmen, so discussions and suggestions about the final process are always done as a team. We work with the customer to create a range of designs that meet their individual tastes and needs. This back-and-forth discussions and revisions creates a special bond between us and our clients, and make the end result worn with great satisfaction.

The Atelier also serves some of our most precious customers’ wildest dreams about jewelry creation. We have an Entirely Bespoke service to cater all their fine jewelry needs. Many of them brought inherited jewelry to the stores, from grandmothers, mothers… with stones that have an emotional value or an important story. Fratelli Piccini often help them to reset, re-polish or re-design the jewel around the stone and make it new again.

We love to work with hard stones, which combined with the diamond and the European gold-standard 18-carat gold, become a spectrum of precious colors in our jewelry. They are particularly present in Metropoli and Tetti di Firenze collection.

Bloom is another lovely collection that is unique from the others due to the use of handdrawn enamel, with a wonderful variety of flowers and plants from the Botticelli paintings and recreated in miniature versions as rings, bracelets, earrings, and cufflinks. The use of enamel in small-sized jewelry is rare, making it more precious for us to create.

 

“The process and creation of our jewelry involves several craftsmen who work together in perfect harmony, like an orchestra”

Dot and Tetti di Firenze collection are inspired by the magnanimity of Renaissance architecture and urban designs, reinterpreted geometrical patterns and the use of multiple gemstones. Combined with diamonds and 18-carat gold, they form irresistible jewel pieces.

The city of Florence has always been our main inspiration for all our jewelry designs, especially for the Moments collection. All the beauty Florence has to offer is recreated in burin engraving method on gold. These mini masterpieces are meant to take Florence with you always in your finger, as you celebrate milestones with your loved ones.

 

”Like a beautiful painting, a couture gown, or a piece of sculpture, so can jewelry be an object to be admired, to be worn, to be handed down.“

Our favorite place is the workshop above the Ponte Vecchio boutique. This is the place where we create ideas, designs and modelling. Parts of the production is made in workshops adjacent to Ponte Vecchio where the craftsmen, who gained apprenticeship from Armando Piccini, busily recessing, engraving, and enameling jewelry. Sometimes they also bring their children, who are now the new apprentices. Jewelry craftsmanship is a work that is handed down by generations, and every craftsman has their own unique method and secrets in creating a jewel.

The process and creation of our jewelry involves several craftsmen who work together in perfect harmony, like an orchestra. There is the designer that creates the initial designed realized in watercolor paint. The goldsmith who mends the metal. The jewelry setter and stone experts selects and sets the stones. The enameller hand-paints our floral miniatures on the Bloom Jewelry. The engraver, using the rare burin method, draws motifs on Bloom and Moments collection. And you, the customer, who will finally wear our piece of art with pride and confidence, with love from Florence.