Vintage Damiani Jewelry Guide

Looking for Vintage Damiani Jewelry? Learn about the history, materials used, jewelry marks, and collectible pieces in this guide.

Damiani is an Italian jewelry brand founded in the 1920s and remains family-owned today. Known for using precious metals, pearls, gemstones, and original designs, they have created many pieces for high-profile customers.

Today, Damiani is a leader in the Italian jewelry market and holds a record-setting 18 Diamonds International Awards.

Damiani Jewelry History

Enrico Grassi Damiani founded the company in 1924 in Valenza, Italy, an area with a rich goldsmithing history. Enrico's expertise led him to make jewelry for the aristocracy.

During the 1930s, Damiani created convertible jewelry, such as brooches for wearing on a garment or in the hair, or pieces that converted into earrings. However, these older pieces rarely come on the market today.

Enrico's son Damiano Damiani was born in 1934 and started working for the company in the 1960s. When his father passed away in the 1970s, he took over the family business. Damiano's industrial and commercial expansion efforts and his promotion of design and technical innovation research profoundly marked the company's evolution.

Damiani's jewelry continually gained renown thanks to the revolutionary idea of guaranteeing prices to customers and assembling catalogs with all the collections. In addition, Damiani was the first company to introduce Certificates of Authenticity for jewelry pieces indicating the details included in the jewelry, for example, the number of carats.

In 1976, Damiani received the first Diamonds International Award, the most prestigious recognition in the sector, which prizes the best jewelry design and creation with diamonds.

In the 1980s, jewelry stores worldwide carried Damiani jewelry, and the company moved its headquarters to Milan. Commissions for high-profile clientele were typical, and that tradition continued in the subsequent decades.

Between the 1980s and 1990s, Damiani introduced testimonials in their marketing campaigns. As such, internationally renowned photographers captured portraits of celebrities for high-impact advertising.

In 1986, the new brand Salvini was launched.

In the 1990s, Damiani opened its first boutiques in Italy, Milan, Rome, and Florence. Towards the end of the decade, the Damiani Group opened its first international branches to manage distribution in its most important foreign markets.

Damiano Damiani died in 1996 after an accident. As a result, the company's management passed to his wife and three children. Today Guido Damiani is President, and Silvia and Giorgio Damiani are Vice-Presidents. Silvia deals with purchasing pearls and the company's communication, while her brother Giorgio deals with exports.

In 2000, Damiani created custom wedding rings for Brad Pit and Jennifer Anniston. After this, the couple sued the company over a claim of violated exclusivity, stating that Damiani was selling reproductions of the ring custom-designed by Brad Pitt and made exclusively for their wedding. Damiani said they never made that agreement. Ultimately, Damiani won, stating, "The legal proceedings between Brad Pitt, Jennifer Aniston, and Damiani have been amicably resolved and were the result of an unfortunate misunderstanding." As part of the settlement, Brad Pitt designed Damiani's D.Side line of wedding rings, and Aniston modeled in ads for the company. In exchange, the company promised to stop selling copies of their wedding rings.

In 1998 the Damiani Group acquired the jewelry brand, Alfieri & St. John. Then, in the year 2000, the Bliss brand was launched. Afterward, in 2006, the Damiani Group acquired Milan's historical luxury jewelry brand, Calderoni.

In November 2007, Damiani Group became one of the few high-end jewelry groups to be listed on the Milan stock exchange.

In September 2008, the Group acquired complete control of Rocca, Italy's leading upmarket jewelry and watch brand and the Group's first distribution brand.

In 2009, the Group signed agreements with leading brands operating in the luxury sector to design, create and distribute jewelry licenses.

In the summer of 2011, Damiani became personally involved in offering help to those who live near diamond mines by launching the Clean Water Project in support of the non-profit association Drop in the Bucket. Since then, Damiani has financed the construction of over 70 water wells. The most recent endeavors include "Damiani for Japan" to raise funds to support women in areas hit by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami and interventions to support populations hit by earthquakes in Italy and abroad.

During 2012-2013, the first mono-brand Damiani boutique opened in New Delhi inside the luxurious Oberoi Hotel, where prestigious international luxury brands are already present. This opening represents the start of the Group's entrance into the Indian marketplace.

In 2016-2017, the Group opened several new Damiani boutiques abroad in Paris, Shanghai, Singapore, Seoul, and Dubai. In Italy, the Group also inaugurated the Damiani flagship store in Venice.

In 2016, the Damiani Group embarked on a diversification project, acquiring complete control of Venini, the world's most famous glassmaker with a 95-year history in all-Italian art glass.

Damiani's Diamonds International Awards

Damiani's 18 Diamonds International Awards were awarded to the following jewelry pieces:

1976 - The Squalo Bracelet
The bracelet, made of platinum and yellow gold, is designed by Gabriella Damiani and illuminated by a pavè of white diamonds comprising 41.19 carats. The originality comes from a self-locking clip that elegantly and tightly encircles the arm.

1986 - Bloody Mary
Inspired by the collars of sixteenth-century dresses, this luxurious collier features waves of burnished gold and yellow gold embedded with 1121 full-cut and baguette-cut diamonds totaling a weight of 87.98 carats.

1988 - Vulcano
A bracelet whose beauty comes from its minimal design, simplicity, and pure lines. Vulcano was made with 185 grams of gold and 346 baguette-cut diamonds totaling 40.63 carats.

1988 - Bermude
This ring comprises 30 baguette-cut diamonds that run along two tracks, one in platinum and the other in yellow gold, merging into the center and meeting at a 0.77-carat triangular diamond.

1988 - Spaziale
A luxurious collier with bands in satin-finish platinum and yellow gold that are embedded with 646 full-cut diamonds and 476 baguette-cut diamonds for a total of 106.6 carats. The clasp opens the necklace in two, ensuring wearability.

1988 - Onda Marine
The Onda Marine bracelet looks like a wave illuminated by 644 full-cut and baguette-cut diamonds for a total of 30.25 carats.

1990 - Piovra
This bracelet features undulating planes of platinum and yellow gold embedded with 958 pure gems for a total of 59.15 carats.

1992 - Flash
The flash bracelet looks like two lightning bolts overlapping each other; one of yellow gold and colored gold, the other of platinum lit by full-cut and baguette-cut diamonds. This bracelet contains 184 grams of platinum, 188.30 grams of gold, and 88.59 carats of diamonds.

1992 - Caresse
Baguette-cut diamonds encircle the central triangular 0.70 carat diamond on this ring. The diamonds are set in 17.30 grams of platinum and 10.20 grams of yellow gold.

1994 - Fireworks
Platinum and rose gold shape a double spiral curling upwards. The ring is illuminated by 392 diamonds totaling 14.57 carats.

1994 - Blow Balls
Interweaving platinum, rose gold, and yellow gold ribbons are illuminated by 280 diamonds. The earrings' spherical forms are skillfully constructed on alternating full and empty spaces.

1994 - Hong Kong Light
A spectacular collier composed of bubble-shaped triangles alternating in platinum, yellow gold, and rose gold. The triangles are embedded with 1450 round full-cut diamonds totaling 49.64 carats.

1994 - Night and Day
A celestial-themed bracelet made of a single yellow gold plate weighing 413.7 grams and has been covered in a complex blue enamel finish. Stars are in yellow and white gold and embellished with 659 diamonds totaling 20.92 carats.

1996 - Sahara
288.50 grams of white gold and 1865 diamonds make up a bracelet that resembles rippled dunes.

1996 - Blue Moon
The moon inspired these earrings. They feature a metallic "line" in yellow gold with 13.19 carats of glistening diamonds set in white gold that appear suspended in the air.

1996 - Twins
A breathtaking ring featuring yellow gold waves formed by a double face of 118 baguette-cut diamonds for a total of 8.3 carats. Diamonds are also embedded on the sides of the ring, enhancing the wave effect.

1998 - The Wheel
An elegant bracelet made of yellow gold decorated with 380 baguette-cut diamonds for a total of 40.67 carats. Alternating squares of gold and diamonds create a checkerboard effect.

2000 - Eden
A white gold bracelet with 900 full-cut diamonds totaling 95.01 carats spirals around the arm like a snake, encircling it in light and femininity. This bracelet took about 800 hours to make.

Damiani's Jewlery Collections

Some of Damiani's jewelry collections include:

Absolute - fluid, feminine pieces with diamonds and gems of color cut to create beautiful shapes.

Margherita - Inspired by the ring that Enrico Grassi Damiani dedicated to Queen Margherita in the early 1900s, this collection blends the classic and the modern with a sophisticated and pioneering design reproducing the ordinary beauty of the daisy.

Mimosa - Inspired by the surprising harmony of the mimosa flower, this collection reproduces the lightness of its flower buds with refined elegance. The combination of different stones and cuts enhances this collection's design and three-dimensional aspect with a unique style.

Emozioni - Two different setting techniques form a mosaic of jewels that stir the emotions.

Belle Époque - evokes the style of 1920s film stars.

Luce - This collection includes stud diamond necklaces and earrings, three gemstone rings, bands, and tennis bracelets. All have a classic four-pronged setting that symbolizes timeless jewelry.

Minou - A classic and iconic collection celebrating the combination of white gold or platinum with diamonds. This collection is recognized by its exclusive "raised," six-pronged setting for the diamond, which emphasizes the stone's splendor.

Metropolitan - Clean aesthetics and minimal lines enhance the unique texture of central jewels.

Eden - This collection is characterized by the figure of the snake whose bewitching spiral envelopes the female body with hypnotic light.

Notte di San Lorenzo - Envokes the magic of a starry night. An explosion of falling stars in gold and diamonds accentuates rings, earrings, pendants, and bracelets.

Per Sempre - A collection of modern and elegant wedding rings forged in platinum and available with a diamond embedded on the inside and the outside to celebrate the unforgettable day.

Balance - A collection for men which features elegant geometric silver cufflinks with round shapes which enclose square-shaped stones: lapis lazuli, mother-of-pearl, and onyx.

Le Perle - Carefully selected pearls based on criteria of excellence and quality give rise to unique creations with great class and sensuality. In some versions, the pearls are embellished by a small diamond setting that renders them even more magical.

My First - Fun pendants to symbolize special events.

Belle Époque Reel - Iconic jewels dedicated to digital and contemporary arts.

NOI 2 - Simple wedding rings with a hidden diamond.

Veramore - Offered in white or yellow gold with a diamond embedded inside or outside, the Veramore wedding rings express Damiani's style and class.

D. Side - Wedding rings featuring two concentric circles in white gold and platinum united by pairs of full-cut diamonds and embellished with a solitaire diamond.

D. Icon - This collection features ceramic, gold, and diamonds. The D of Damiani in white or rose gold is embedded in white, black, baby blue, cappuccino, or candy pink ceramic and embellished with a diamond.

Damianissima - This collection plays off the shapes and curves of the letter "D" for Damiani. The collection utilizes pink, white, and yellow gold paired with white and black ceramic and diamonds. 

Gomitolo - In Italian, “gomitolo” is the word for a ball of yarn. This collection features master settings of pave diamonds. Though it was introduced in the late 1980s, this collection was redesigned recently to include sterling silver and enamel. 

Damiani Jewelry Marks

Materials Used in Damiani Jewelry

• 18K Rose, Yellow, White, and Black Gold
• Silver
• Titanium
• Platinum
• Ceramic
• Diamonds
• Pearls
• Sapphires
• Emeralds 
• Rubies
• Onyx
• Malachite
• Mother of Pearl
• Lapis Lazuli
• Citrine
• Aquamarine
• Amethyst

Favorite Collectibles

Let's look at some of our favorite vintage collectibles from Damiani. All of the following products are from shops on either Etsy or eBay with consistently high reviews and clear photos of maker marks and hallmarks:

Damiani Belle Époque Rainbow Sapphire Necklace

An 18K rose gold necklace with multicolored sapphires—part of the Belle Époque collection. The rainbow of colors is dazzling. 

Damiani D.Side Mother of Pearl Earrings

18K rose gold D.Side drop earrings featuring mother of pearl and accent diamonds. 

Damiani D.Icon Black and White Diamond Bracelet

Damiani D.Icon bangle made with 18k white gold and 2.41 carats of black & white pave diamonds.

Vintage Damiani Rose Gold Metropolitan Ring

This stunning Damiani band features one round brilliant cut diamond set in meticulously detailed 18K rose gold.

Vintage Damiani Yellow Gold Wedding Ring

Classic Damiani style with a timeless solid yellow gold wedding band. 

Damiani Damianissima Pendant

A beautiful Damianissima pendant made of 18K white gold hanging on a rose gold ring. It has 5 round diamond accents and 1 diamond accent on the lobster clasp for a total of approximately .02 ctw.

Damiani Margherita Ring

A beautiful ring from the Margherita collection is made of 18K yellow gold and features a central citrine stone and pave diamonds. 

Damiani Eden Ring

An 18K white gold band featuring round brilliant cut diamonds with a total weight of approx. 0.65ct.

How to Authenticate Damiani Jewelry 

To make sure you aren't buying fake Damiani jewelry, here are some tips for authenticating Damiani.

• Look for European Gold Marks - Most European jewelry has a fineness of .750 or 75 percent purity (18 Karats). European gold is marked in parts per thousand, so the caratage should be marked as 750, not 18K or 18KT.
• Check the Hallmarks - Besides the fineness of the metal, jewelry is marked by the company that made it. The stamps should always be clear and precise. The backside or inside of the metal should say "Damiani" and "Made in Italy."
• Check the Quality - Damiani uses only high-quality metals like gold and platinum. Indication of gold-plating is a sign the item is fake. Look for signs of discoloration or areas where it appears there is another color underneath.
• Price - Because Damiani uses high-quality material and impressive craftsmanship, the jewelry does not depreciate over time. If you find an item in good condition at a steal of a price, it is likely fake. 
• Source - China produces most counterfeit goods, so be wary of items originating there. Buy from shops that guarantee their jewelry and offer an excellent return policy. 
• Appraisal - When in doubt, appraise the item at a trusted jeweler.

Conclusion

We hope you enjoyed this article about Vintage Damiani Jewelry. Let us know in the comments below if you have any questions. 

Happy Vintage Hunting! 
Andrea