De Liguoro
Pair of large earclips stylised as leaves
Milan, circa 1980
signed with double D, original label
De Liguoro is a northern Italian jewellery company that produced costume jewellery for the entire Italian haute couture industry in the 1980s (Trussardi, Cavalli, Rocco Barocco).
De Liguoro jewelry is one of the most famous "Made in Italy" brands of costume jewelry, noted for its excellent craftsmanship and high quality. The outstanding and sophisticated creations were made by Gianni De Liguoro, one of the best Italian costume jewelry designers that helped Italian prêt-à-porter in the 1980s seem glamorous.
A Neapolitan family with long-standing aristocratic ties that immigrated to the capital of the Lombardy region in the 1930s gave birth to Gianni De Liguoro in Milan, in 1938. After his initial schooling in haute couture, a business in which his family has been engaged for centuries, he went to the Brera Academy of Fine Arts.
After finishing his studies, the creator of De Liguoro jewelry married Angela Locatelli in 1962 and made the decision to establish the DELI company in Milan to create little plastic beauty items. His works were immediately a huge hit, so he quickly moved to design little bijoux.
De Liguoro, who has always enjoyed experimenting, has continuously pushed himself throughout his professional career by first trying his hand at creating gadgets — replicas of Calimero's inventions. Also, in the 1970s, De Liguoro established Voi da Noi, a Milan showroom allowing clients, wholesalers, and merchants to purchase jewelry themselves by selecting items from baskets.
That was a completely original concept at the time, and it became a great success right away. Gianni received widespread acclaim in the key editorials of the 1970s.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
De Liguoro
Pair of large earclips stylised as leaves
Milan, circa 1980
signed with double D, original label
De Liguoro is a northern Italian jewellery company that produced costume jewellery for the entire Italian haute couture industry in the 1980s (Trussardi, Cavalli, Rocco Barocco).
De Liguoro jewelry is one of the most famous "Made in Italy" brands of costume jewelry, noted for its excellent craftsmanship and high quality. The outstanding and sophisticated creations were made by Gianni De Liguoro, one of the best Italian costume jewelry designers that helped Italian prêt-à-porter in the 1980s seem glamorous.
A Neapolitan family with long-standing aristocratic ties that immigrated to the capital of the Lombardy region in the 1930s gave birth to Gianni De Liguoro in Milan, in 1938. After his initial schooling in haute couture, a business in which his family has been engaged for centuries, he went to the Brera Academy of Fine Arts.
After finishing his studies, the creator of De Liguoro jewelry married Angela Locatelli in 1962 and made the decision to establish the DELI company in Milan to create little plastic beauty items. His works were immediately a huge hit, so he quickly moved to design little bijoux.
De Liguoro, who has always enjoyed experimenting, has continuously pushed himself throughout his professional career by first trying his hand at creating gadgets — replicas of Calimero's inventions. Also, in the 1970s, De Liguoro established Voi da Noi, a Milan showroom allowing clients, wholesalers, and merchants to purchase jewelry themselves by selecting items from baskets.
That was a completely original concept at the time, and it became a great success right away. Gianni received widespread acclaim in the key editorials of the 1970s.
About Vintage Costume Jewelry:
Costume jewelry– also known as Fashion Jewelry– was especially made popular in the mid-20th century. While their materials were less precious than real gold and diamonds, using glass stones, semi-precicious stones and lead and brass, many big fashion houses and designers produced highly complex pieces of jewelry that stand for craftmanship that today can only be found in so-called Haute Joaillerie. Most famously, Coco Chanel popularized the use of “faux jewelry”, bringing costume jewelry to life with gold and faux pearls. Chanel's designs drew from various historical styles, including Byzantine and Renaissance influences, often featuring crosses and intricate metalwork. Her collaboration with glassmakers, such as the Gripoix family (Maison Gripoix), introduced richly colored glass beads and simulated gemstones, which added depth to her creations without the high cost of traditional precious stones.
Elsa Schiaparelli– Chanel’s lifelong rival– brought surrealist influences into costume jewelry design, famously collaborating with Salvador Dalí and Jean Cocteau. She created the House of Schiaparelli in Paris in 1927, celebrating Surrealism and eccentric fashions. Her collections were famous for unconventional and artistic themes like the human body, insects, or trompe-l'œil, and for the use of bright colors like her "shocking pink". While Schiaparelli had to close her avant-garde business in the late 1950s and was forgotten for decades, her designs have recently been rediscovered and are celebrated for their bold design.
In many instances, high-end custome jewelry has achieved a "collectible" status and increased value over time. Today, there is a substantial secondary market for vintage fashion jewelry. The main collecting market is for 'signed pieces', which have the maker's mark, usually stamped on the reverse. Amongst the most sought after are Miriam Haskell, Sherman, Coro, Butler and Wilson, Crown Trifari, and Sphinx.
The term signed however is an invention that only reached European production in the late 1950s- when American buyers started to ask for authentification to distinguish high class designers from mass-produced pieces, while in Europe all costume jewelry had been issued by the fashion houses themselves and hence remained somewhat exclusive from the start.
