Glossary

- Cazzaniga (The House Cazzinaga) : Cazzaniga refers to a jewelry house founded by Giorgio Cazzaniga in 1920. It was initially located in via della Stamperia, near the Trevi Fountain in Rome.

Giorgio was born in the stately Roman villa which belonged to the Russian Prince Abamelek, cousin of Nicolas II, the last Emperor of Russia. The fascinating and exclusive atmosphere surrounding the Imperial Family of Abamelek-Romanoff, together with the exquisite touches of Russian and Byzantine style, greatly contributed to Giorgio Cazzaniga's artistic and cultural development.

In 1942 Giorgio Cazzaniga opened his second atelier and shop at the Piazza San Lorenzo in Lucina atelier n. 38/A in the centre of Roma. Within a short time he had established himself as jeweller to several Roman aristocratic families: signet rings displaying the family crest, diamonds set in platinum and white gold and strands of pearls were the items mostly commissioned at that time.

By the end of the 1950's Giorgio had already developed that unmistakable Cazzaniga style. This "Cazzaniga style" consists of a variety of gems of every colour, set in combinations of diamonds and gold of different hues, which are designed to create quite unique items, portraying animals, plants and flowers.

In 1963, another store and workshop was built in via Frattina, also in Italy

In 1965, the grand opening of the new shop in via Frattina n. 21, close to the Piazza di Spagna, sealed Cazzaniga's success among movie stars and among all those charming, eccentric and cosmopolitan people who frequented around Rome in that period.

Through time, Cazzaniga-Jewellery has maintained its quality, taste and style.

After his death but in 1976, both of his sons followed his footsteps by setting up a jewelry business. Paolo Cazzaniga started his own jewelry company in Rome with the same name "Cazzaniga" . While another son, Roberto Cazzaniga, set his own in 1979 by opening a store in New York on Madison Avenue at 64th Street which was subsequently closed in 1981.

Paolo Cazzaniga, Giorgio's son, is now the owner and manager of Cazzaniga. He supervises every of the production of Cazzaniga-Jewellery personally, paying special attention to the distinctive quality and the traditional inspiration of his creations. Since 1994 Paolo settled in the present office in via Passeggiata di Ripetta, 18.
Under his management the company has grown and extended its market to Japan with a showroom in the centre of Tokyo and five outlets at Takashimaya's throughout the country.
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Giorgio Junior, Paolo's son, is now in charge of the company's expansion into overseas markets. At the same time, he is assisting his father in the Europe market and is deeply involved in the development of new designs.
The unicity of Cazzaniga style is worldwide known; in fact, from October 15, 2003 to January 15, 2004 the Cazzaniga Co. exhibits, only Jewellery in the world, to the Exhibition "Ricordo d"Italia. Testimonianze” at the Russian State Museum in St. Petersburgh, Russia.

Visit their website for more information: http://www.cazzaniga.net/

My favorite: Their dangling earrings with round colored stones.