Authentic Roberto Coin 18 Karat Yellow Gold Nugget Earrings

In his debut Appassionata collection in 1996, Italian designer Roberto Coin (b. 1944) made the ruby a core element of his designs. Inspired by ancient Egyptian and Burmese traditions of wearing a ruby against the skin as a talisman of love, joy and protection, Coin set a small ruby on the inside of his necklaces, rings and bracelets. The hidden ruby became Coin’s signature as he launched his brand as a groundbreaking innovator in quality Italian craftsmanship.

Coin’s talent lies in working with precious metals and creating unexpected designs by combining white, rose and yellow gold. Coin was initially a successful hotelier before leaving that career to pursue his passion for jewelry. Although he was born in Venice, Coin chose to set up his studio in Vicenza, Italy. Known as the “City of Gold,” Vicenza is the heart of the Italian gold and jewelry industry, boasting over 700 years of goldsmithing heritage.

Coin was interested in bringing new technology into Italian jewelry manufacturing, such as using machines originally intended to weave metal for car exhaust pipes to spin the gold wires for his jewelry. Coin’s brand produces hundreds of unique and limited-edition jewelry pieces every year and draws inspiration from the great Italian craft traditions as well as art, history and mythology.

Along with the signature ruby, the Appassionata collection’s most enduring legacy is the masterful fabric-like texture of the woven threads of gold. The technique of interlocking gold links that characterizes this series creates a beautiful basket weave that strengthens and elongates each piece’s life, rendering the accessories robust heirlooms. Coin’s other collections continue to offer innovations in design, from Classica Parisienne contributing to the trend for stacking white, rose and yellow gold together to Pois Moi involving square shapes and hand-etched and -carved details.

Find a collection of Roberto Coin rings, bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.

Diana Musheev, a third-generation jewelry designer originally from Riga Latvia in Eastern Europe, is a Certified GIA Gemologist who has been designing the finest jewelry since the age of 16. She is the creator and Chief Designer of Diana M Jewels, taking care of well known clients from all over the world since early 1980s, creating and selling exceptionally white, rare color diamonds and precious jewelry. Diana grew up watching her mother and grandmother create jewelry for the European elite, and at an early age she naturally developed the ability to see in her mind’s eye what she would do with any precious stone. A graduate of the prestigious Moscow School of Design, she travels the world with her astute eye focused on unique, exceptional and high quality diamonds and gemstones. Diana absorbs not only the beauty of the stones but also the beauty of each place she visits, all of which inspires her designs.