Garnet Cocktail Ring Pomellato

When Pino Rabolini (1936–2018) founded Pomellato in 1967, he was continuing the heritage of goldsmithing in his Milanese family but wanted to take a different approach to fine jewelry. While so many European jewelers, including Cartier, Bulgari and Van Cleef & Arpels, were designing status pieces, Rabolini turned toward women interested in everyday style. In fact, the first few pieces he designed were an homage to the women — actresses, singers and artists — at Bar Jamaica, a popular Milanese bar frequented by the city’s creative set. He wanted to craft pieces for the women of Italy (and eventually the world) who deserved to wear fine jewelry that reflected their dynamic identities, even if they were merely headed to their unassuming local bar or cafe.

Rabolini helped revolutionize the world of fine jewelry by offering women an opportunity to wear colorful gems in their daily lives. Among the brand’s innovations were its advertising campaigns, which included work by leading black-and-white photographers like Gian Paolo Barbieri in the 1970s, Helmut Newton in the 1980s and Alistair Taylor Young, Lord Snowdon and Javier Vallhonrat in the 1990s. In the 2000s, Michel Comte led the brand's shift into color photography for its campaigns.

Pomellato released numerous collections since its inception, and in 1995 added the Dodo brand aimed at a younger audience with more playful shapes and affordable designs. But it was the 2001 Nudo collection that put the brand on the international map, giving the Nudo ring design instant cult status. Nudo, which is Italian for “nude,” seemed the most appropriate name for the ring collection given its simple, prong-free setting. The Nudo ring’s solitaire stone, which has a double-face cut, is completely exposed on all sides save for the bottom. And the band, usually rose gold, is often devoid of any stones or designs. The collection became so popular that, in 2019, Pomellato expanded upon it, adding a sautoir, which can be worn three different ways: as a classic sautoir, a lariat necklace or a double-wrap chain. It also updated the original Nudo ring to include rose-gold bands set with three rows of colored pavé diamonds.

In 2013, Pomellato was acquired by the Kering Group. The Nudo collection remains the most popular collection to date as Pomellato’s team of goldsmiths continues to produce striking jewelry from its Milan headquarters.

Find authentic Pomellato rings, necklaces, earrings and other jewelry on 1stDibs.

A flashy symbol of wealth during the early 20th century, antique and vintage cocktail rings have gained broader appeal in the decades since for the hefty dose of glamour they bring to any ensemble.

Cocktail rings earned their name for their frequent appearances during glitzy cocktail parties at the height of the Prohibition era. Back then, these accessories were seen not only as statement pieces but as statements in and of themselves. They openly represented a sense of freedom and independence as well as a demonstration of opulence. After all, the 1920s heralded the Harlem Renaissance and Art Deco design, and a slew of social and cultural shifts meant that women in particular were breaking from pre–World War I conventions and embracing newfound freedoms to express themselves as individuals.

Women expressly wore cocktail rings on the fingers of their right hand versus the left, which was “reserved” for an engagement ring or wedding band, accessories definitely paid for by a suitor. And for cocktail rings, the bigger the colored gem at the center — which is usually mounted in a high setting — and the more elaborate the design, the stronger the likelihood of being noticed.

Cocktail rings remained a popular piece of jewelry for women until the 1930s, when the Great Depression and the onset of war marked a change in behaviors nationwide. While the 1960s and ’70s saw a return in visibility for the accessory, it wasn’t until the 1980s that cocktail rings once again assumed their position as a beacon of luxury and glitz.

During the 20th century, the range of dazzling cocktail rings seems to have been limitless, from glimmering gold rings set with carved jade diamonds designed by David Webb to Pomellato’s pink quartz confections to striking Gucci butterfly rings with accent diamonds set in a pavé fashion.

So, how do you wear a cocktail ring? Cocktail rings “can be worn for almost anything — dinners, date nights, parties, special events, on the red carpet,” explains David Joseph of New York-based jewelry brand Bochic. 

Can you wear cocktail rings with other rings? “In my opinion, cocktail rings should stand on their own since they showcase a large gem in the center,” says Joseph.

These glamorous jewels can be worn inside or outside crowded taverns, in either daytime or nighttime with casual or dressy attire. On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of antique and vintage cocktail rings, including those offered by Chanel, whose elegant cocktail rings often feature pearls and, of course, diamonds, and sometimes were styled after showy flowers like the camellia, and Van Cleef & Arpels, whose detailed and intricate designs are viewed as miniature pieces of wearable art.