Roberto Coin Necklace Ariculate and Geometric Pendant with Black Diamonds

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.

Pradera is a renowned jewelry brand born in Bilbao, Spain in 1976 who over the years has developed a wide range of clients in other bases as Marbella and Madrid. Their jewels creations are rich in color and textures, always working with the best craftsmen and precious gems. They have been the official distributers of prime European jewelry and watch brands like Chanel, Baccarat, Bulgari, Pomellato, Mattioli, Chantecler, Valente, Breitling, Audemars Piguet, Fabergé ... The actual business is run by Irama Pradera second generation that acts as creative director with young and fresh jewelry creations and leads a selective estate department with beautiful and precious jewels from many private collectors and boutique sample pieces, she travels all over Europe, selecting the best and most beautiful pieces for a sportive and wearable nowadays look