A volume edited by Lucia Ajello and Bianca Cappello exploring Italian jewelry from the Middle Ages to the present day. Presentation in Rome on Sunday, October 11.
Those who love jewelry also love the creative process behind it. Before CAD technology drained away some of that creativity—at least the manual aspect—jewelry was (and in part still is) the result of studies, drawings, and sketches, often intersecting with the artistic process of painting. This journey lies at the heart of the book *Segni Preziosi: Il Disegno del Gioiello Italiano dal Medioevo al III Millennio* (Precious Marks: The Design of Italian Jewelry from the Middle Ages to the Third Millennium), edited by Lucia Ajello and Bianca Cappello. Lucia Ajello is an art historian and official at the Ministry of Culture, as well as an expert in decorative arts and goldsmithing; she is a member of prestigious European research networks, the author of numerous specialized publications, and regularly coordinates and participates in international conferences dedicated to goldsmithing culture, jewelry, and the decorative arts. Bianca Cappello is an art historian specializing in jewelry and goldsmithing; she works as a lecturer, consultant, coordinator, and curator of conferences, seminars, and exhibitions on the history of jewelry—activities she complements with publications on the subject. A certified expert in precious items for the Milan Chamber of Commerce, she is a member of the Society of Jewellery Historians in London.
The richly illustrated book makes its official debut on Sunday, October 11, at the Gallerie Sistine in Rome, with an introduction by Claudio Strinati, President of the Superior Council for Cultural Heritage and Landscape at the Ministry of Culture. The volume represents a pioneering effort that, over four years of research, has developed and expanded upon the findings of the *Segni Preziosi* study day—an event conceived and curated by Lucia Ajello and Bianca Cappello as part of a previous edition of Rome Jewellery Week.
The book aims to contextualize jewelry design within the Italian cultural landscape by examining sources, artworks, artists, and the evolution of techniques, materials, and styles, weaving a narrative that spans from the Middle Ages to the present day. It reveals jewelry design as a primal act and a fundamental tool of thought, capable of uniting design concepts, technical execution, and aesthetic sensibility. The narrative flows smoothly and clearly, appealing to both industry professionals and the general public. Spanning seven centuries of history, the book highlights anonymous jewelry sketches alongside designs from historic jewelry houses and works by the greatest artists—such as Giovannino dei Grassi, Pisanello, Leonardo da Vinci, Benvenuto Cellini, and Michelangelo, to name but a few. Furthermore, the volume offers a wealth of surprising information regarding drawings that have rarely—if ever—been revealed before, forging new cultural connections with well-known jewelry pieces and trends.
The text is accompanied by over 300 color images—many previously unpublished—sourced from public and private museums, archives, and collections in Italy and abroad. For every published drawing, the Sogand Nobahar graphic design studio carried out meticulous, respectful digital restoration to optimize definition and capture every detail. The volume is published as a special issue of *OADI – Osservatorio delle Arti Decorative in Italia* (Observatory of Decorative Arts in Italy) in open-access ebook format, available for free download from the OADI-Digitalia academic platform.
The Event
Sunday, October 11 at 3:30 PM
At Gallerie Sistine, Borgo Santo Spirito 2, Rome
Introduction by Claudio Strinati
Official welcome by Monica Cecchini, Director of Rome Jewellery Week
Featuring authors Lucia Ajello and Bianca Cappello
