MARCHISIO: A LAPIS LAZULI AND DIAMOND BANGLE, CIRCA 1968 Th...

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€1,200 - €1,800

MARCHISIO: A LAPIS LAZULI AND DIAMOND BANGLE, CIRCA 1968 The hinged bangle centring a lapis lazuli baton, between single-cut diamond borders and reeded shoulders, mounted in bi-coloured 18K gold, signed Max, Italian registry mark '1TO' for Marchisio between 1944-1968, numbered, inner length approximately 17.5cm The story of the Marchisio family in the world of jewellery begins as early as 1649, when the Marchisio name first appeared in Turin’s goldsmith industry records. Nearly two centuries later, in 1846, Felice Marchisio was born and at just 13 years of age, he started working in his older brother Antonio’s workshop to help support his family. After Italy’s capital moved from Turin to Florence, economic challenges forced Felice to move to Paris, where he learned modern processing techniques and refined his manual skills. During his time in Paris, Felice was caught up in the Siege of Paris before escaping back to Turin, bringing with him some of highly capable laboratory workers from France. Back home, he and his brother founded their own workshop, which rapidly grew into Turin’s largest goldsmith company by the 1880s, employing over 100 workers. One of their early and notable projects was the creation of a 14 kg gold jewellery box, which was presented by the City of Turin to the future Queen Margherita, wife of Umberto I of Savoy. In the early 1900s, Felice’s three sons Francesco, Napoleone and Giuseppe began contributing to the company’s success. In 1903, Felice co-founded the Turin Goldsmith’s Art School with Sir Ghirardi. His son Francesco was one of its first students. However, World War I brought hardships, forcing a reduction in the workforce and claiming the lives of two of his sons, Francesco and Giuseppe. After Felice’s death in 1926, his only remaining son Napoleone took over, but political unrest and World War II forced the factory to close. After the war, Napoleone and his son Giovanni reopened the business as “Napoleone Marchisio”, achieving immediate commercial success. In 1968, the company became Giovanni Marchisio & Co, re-establishing the brand’s prestigious reputation. Since the 1990s the company has been led by the Mattioli family, under whose guidance it maintained a strong position in the industry. In 2013, the historic Antica Ditta Marchisio was acquired by the Richemont Group, continuing production and remaining a key supplier for major international brands such as Cartier, Piaget, Buccellati and Van Cleef & Arpels.