Pomellato: Since 1967

This is not your usual or expected coffee table book focusing on a fine jewelry brand. First you must take into account that Pomellato is not about haute joallerie such as tiaras, parures, and over the top precious gems but rather about jewelry that has meaning and purpose.

“Pomellato is ultimately a woman’s affair. Its jewels are something women buy for themselves, in an act of self-gratification that is empowering, self-affirming and joyous.”

With that said the exquisite jewelry that you see within this book is the jewelry that women would wear on an almost everyday basis. These are the not the jewels that hide in a vault and are rarely seen other than at grand events, let alone in the light of day. Their collections focus primarily on rings which are of a more colorful orientation rather than the traditional diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. Pomellato has an almost playful quality to it that is rarely seen in fine jewelry. It is jewelry that is highly recognizable and quite evident when worn. You might say that Pomellato makes its own uniquely singular statement within the world of fine jewelry.

“Pomellato’s delicate, witty jewelry was made, and continues to be made, for all the women who grabbed that emotional, experimental brass ring fifty years ago and never let go, and for their daughters who have inherited the lessons and the lifestyle.”

That quote brings up to the point of stating that this anniversary celebration of a book is part social history as well as chronicle and timeline of the brand. If there is a negative to be said about the book is that the international context is a bit too overstated concerning the times in which the brand was born.

On the flip side, the images of the jewelry are products of some of the greatest photographers of this century and last such as Newton, Barbieri, Ritts, Snowdon, Watson, Mocafico, and Lindbergh. Not only does the reader see the workmanship and pride of the brand but the context of the times is also seen pictorially through iconic images of that era.

If you are a “liberated woman” of the ’60s or just a jewelry aficionado, then this is a book that will be a justifiable addition to your growing library of jewelry brands. Pomellato: Since 1967 is a rather refreshing way to see how a brand proffers its history via text and photography.