There's something special about reimagining a design—it's like waiting for the sequel to your favourite movie. You know the story, but there's anticipation, seeing how it will unfold with an unexpected twist. With Memorie d'Archivio, Pomellato takes a journey through time, revisiting and reinventing Mora and Mosaico rings, which were originally designed in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
The new collection consists only of a wide variety of cocktail rings in various colour combinations, which, you must agree, is not the traditional approach to building a fine jewellery offering. Did you question why there are no earrings or necklaces in Memorie d'Archivio? I certainly did. This threw me back to 2020, when the brand's Creative Director, Vincenzo Castaldo, introduced another ring-only line called Armonie Minerali. Clearly, there is a precedent for this tightly curated launch by the Italian brand.
To continue in line with Pomellato's signature style of boldness and unapologetic volumes, Vincenzo puts the spotlight on minerals and exposes as much of the gem's surface to the viewer as possible. This time, he achieves this through cabochon and sphere-cut gemstones. While many jewellers gravitate towards transparent gems, Vincenzo stays true to his love of opaque minerals, such as agate, malachite, jade, white and pink opal, tiger's eye, kogolong and many others. He pays tribute to these natural beauties in the Mora and Mosaico novelties, placing cabochons side by side to create unique patterns and contrasts. Here, Pomellato's Creative Director demonstrates how the cabochon cut can enhance the depth and richness of colours, allowing natural inclusions, colour zoning and veins to take centre stage and form a unique painting on a gem's surface.
I remember what Vincenzo told me back in 2020 about the use of opaque gems in his bold designs: "It is a collaboration between man and the natural world, where craftsmanship and natural beauty unite in a joyous dance of unexpected combinations to create something totally new." I believe this quote perfectly describes the new Mora and Mosaico novelties, which have a lovely, energetic and joyful quality.
Now, let's review these lines separately, starting with Mora. Translating from the Italian as 'blackberry', this design embodies a whimsical tribute to fruit. Each ring in this collection is a miniature masterpiece featuring a cluster of spherical-shaped gemstones perched atop a sculptural rose gold construction. What's truly fascinating is the interplay of opaque gemstone surfaces and sparkling 'beads' paved with diamonds, as well as the volume created by different sizes of gems, arranged harmoniously together. Imagine bluish-grey labradorite alongside colourless diamonds or the soft glow of chalcedony amalgamating with the intense sparkle of the 'girl's best friend'.
It's like a well-composed symphony where each stone has its own place in the composition to result in something truly beautiful when put together. In total, there are nine Mora ring variations featuring black marble, turquoise, peridot, amethyst, kogolong, and just diamond pave for those who want something universally appealing and timeless.
The Mosaico collection is bolder and more structured, paying homage to the ancient art of mosaics – a technique renowned for its intricate and detailed craftsmanship. Each ring features three large cabochon-cut gemstones at its centre, with the fourth element bringing an arrangement of brilliant-cut diamonds or coloured stones, like spinel, orange sapphire or emerald. There are 15 colour combinations to choose from, and it is a great pleasure to see how many exquisite yet uncommonly used gems have found their place in Pomellato's spotlight. Here, I am talking about rock crystal, tiger's eye, chrysocolla, red jasper and sodalite, among others.
The new iterations of Mora and Mosaico strike a perfect balance between innovation and tradition. Diamonds bring a touch of luxury, while the vibrant, colourful minerals add a playful twist. There is a unique quirkiness to this facet of the Memorie d'Archivio collection that is a refreshing addition to the world of fine jewellery. The only thing you have to decide now is which colour combination is your favourite!
