Handcrafted jewelry. Where to find the most beautiful in Florence

Gold, silver, precious stones and above all the beauty and savoir faire of creations #ichoosemadeintuscany

The art of goldsmithing, in Florence, can be traced as far back as to the Etruscan age and it reached its peak during the Renaissance, which witnessed artists of the caliber of Donatello, Luca della Robbia and Benvenuto Cellini distinguishing themselves as goldsmiths too. In the late 1500s, Ponte Vecchio became the Florentine symbol of the art of goldsmithing, when Ferdinando I de’ Medici decided to replace the butcher’s and greengrocer’s shops lining the bridge with more elegant goldsmith’s and silversmith’s workshops. Still today, along the bridge, as well as in other workshops scattered across both sides of the Arno river, know-how and tradition are combined with innovation and contemporary design to create big and small works of art to be worn or displayed in one’s home.

Here are our favorites #ichoosemadeintuscany.

Argentiere Pagliai

Argentiere Pagliai
Borgo San Jacopo, 41r
ph. +39 055 282840
argentierepagliai.it

For three generations the Pagliai family has been the go-to silversmith for antique dealers, collectors and customers from all over Italy and abroad. Their workshop-laboratory is close to the Ponte Vecchio, in the medieval part of Borgo San Jacopo. Here one can purchase in-house manufactured, Sheffield and antique silverware. The restoration of objects in antique silver or silver plate is in the safe, expert hands of Paolo Pagliai, who with meticulous craftsmanship creates missing pieces of sets by hand, reproduces cutlery that is no longer commercially available using the lost wax casting method and produces limited numbered series of objects, , including jewelry.

Cristiano Pierazzuoli

Cristiano Pierazzuoli
Via Maggio, 76r
ph. 39 055 0124351 - +39 348 3160972
cristianopierazzuoli.com

In his workshop, a stone’s throw away from the Basilica of Santo Spirito and from Palazzo Pitti, Cristiano Pierazzuoli has been creating works straddling the border between art and jewelry since a young age. Each piece is crafted directly from the materials, without the use of any preparatory designs. 18 carat gold and precious stones are his favorite materials, and they are worked with a superb mastery of ancient techniques, with patience and creativity, bringing into being the most attractive and harmonious pieces. Moreover, Pierazzuoli is one of the few goldsmiths to create sacred jewels for the Vatican.

Foglia Firenze 1935

Foglia Firenze 1935
Via dell’Argin Secco, 2/G
ph. +39 055 5272309
fogliafirenze.it

Unique creations made with silver, gold and precious stones, in which classic lines alternate with new kinds of style: this is Foglia Firenze, a workshop dedicated to researching, designing and producing precious metals. The atelier is the artistic heir to the tradition of the Foglia Master engravers and offers four different macro-collections: Excellence, vaunting unique and exclusive commissions, Foglia Argenteria, dedicated to home furnishings, Foglia Gioielli, which includes the various jewellery collections, and Wedding, a new line in the bride collections. 

Fratelli Piccini

Fratelli Piccini
Ponte Vecchio 21/23r
ph. +39 055 294768
fratellipiccini.com

Fourth generation family of artisan jewelers, Fratelli Piccini keeps up with the times whilst maintaining traditions of the past. For over 115 years, Fratelli Piccini has been the proud guardian of exceptional techniques in haute jewellery. Hand crafted by expert artisans, each piece is a stunning and unique work of art. Continuing the family tradition is Elisa Tozzi Piccini, a gemologist who trained at Los Angeles’s GIA - Gemological Institute of America. Their expertise craftsmanship, creativity and innovation have resulted in the Piccini One and Prêt-à-Porter collections.

Alessandro Barellini Gioielli

Alessandro Barellini Gioielli
Lungarno Guicciardini, 19r
ph. +39 055 268148
alessandrobarellini. com

Stunning design and artisan skills, the past and the present, are blended to perfection in the hands of Alessandro Barellini: his jewelry is a triumphant cross between experimentation and tradition, as can be seen in his studio boutique in Lungarno Guicciardini, where he has been creating and experimenting since 1999. Just like his jewels, Alessandro is multifaceted: he is passionate about art, movement, design and especially light, and this is all reflected in his creations. Alongside his main collection, Alessandro Barellini Gioielli, the most sophisticated and refined, we find other collections: Ext, jewelry and accessories of contemporary inspiration; Magia, a collection of rings featuring diamonds, colored enamels and precious stones combined with gold; and Bridal, dedicated to wedding rings.  

NAA - Studio

NAA - Studio
Via dei Serragli, 59/Ar
ph. +39 055 9754413
naastudio.com


Negar Azhar Azari is the name of a young Florentine artist of Persian origins who, with much study, courage and determination, opened her workshop in the heart of the Oltrarno artisan quarter. Here she designs and creates jewelry, pieces in which her experimental and innovative style blends perfectly with the finest Florentine goldsmiths’ tradition. An ideal artisan mix from which six collections and many other personalized pieces of jewelry, unique in design and craftsmanship, have resulted.    

Nerdi Orafi

Nerdi Orafi
Vicolo Marzio, 2
ph. +39 055 292382
nerdiorafifirenze.it


Within the old walls of the Casa dell’Orafo at the Ponte Vecchio, we find a little workshop, run by Daniela Messeri Nerdi, who has been carrying on the family tradition for 28 years, keeping the ancient craft of the goldsmith alive. Here, amid sketches and old tools of the trade, amid engravings and gold and silver fretwork, splendid jewelry, exclusively hand-made with ancient techniques that can be traced back to the great masters of 16th century Florentine culture, is created.  Restorations and new creations, coats of arms and personalized items are executed on commission. A simple, genuine place driven by tradition and passion, where the visitor will be enchanted by the atmospheric Renaissance setting.

Penko Bottega Orafa Artigiana

Penko Bottega Orafa Artigiana
Via delle Oche, 20r
ph. +39 055 2052577
Via Zannetti, 14r
ph. +39 055 211661
paolopenko.com

In his downtown Florence craft shop, master goldsmith Paolo Penko creates, alongside his wife Beatrice and children Riccardo and Alessandro, unique handmade pieces of jewelry, inspired by Florence’s great artistic and cultural heritage, some of which are shown at the Bargello Museum and Palazzo Pitti’s Silver Museum. His knowledge of age-old Florentine goldsmithing techniques allowed him, in 2008, to develop the innovative and exclusive “Penkato” method, which involves the use of the diamond-tipped cutter, of the chisel and engraving burin, in order to obtain a three-dimensional effect typical of the classic engraving technique.

Pestelli Creazioni

Pestelli Creazioni
Borgo SS Apostoli, 20r
ph. +39 055 2302488
pestelli.com


Edoardo Pestelli opened his jewelry business in Florence in 1908, with prestigious customers including the House of Savoy, the Viceroy of Egypt and Romanian royalty. Today the business is carried on by Tommaso Pestelli and his wife Eva. Every piece in the shop has been crafted by hand, following an original design or an idea supplied by the customer. On display are traditional Florentine jewelry, unique collectibles and furnishings crafted of gold, silver and precious stones, and decorative tableware. Pestelli creations are featured at the Museo degli Argenti in Florence, and sold at Talmaris in Paris and Bergdorf & Goodman in New York. Pestelli also has a restoration business recognized by the Ministry of Cultural heritage and Tourism.

Takirai Design

Takirai Design
Via dell’Oriuolo, 54r
ph. +39 055 2347457
yokotakirai.com


Contemporary art you can wear. After graduating from university in the United States, in 1995, Yoko moved to Florence, where she honed her creativity at the school Le Arti Orafe. In 2002, she founded the contemporary jewellery company Takirai Design. Soon thereafter, she partnered with Pietro Pellitteri, designer and art director at Pellitteri Design. Together, they create jewellery with innovative designs, and in 2018, they opened a new workshop-gallery. Their pieces can be found in several exhibitions and international museums, including in Montreal, Barcelona, Monaco, Tokyo and Amsterdam, as well as the Museum of Art and Design in New York, the Gallery of Art in Legnica, Poland, and the Treasury of the Grand Dukes in Florence’s Palazzo Pitti.