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Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, also known as the Duke of Verdura, was born in Palermo in 1898. His early life was spent in Italy, where he gained his title in 1923, inherited his estate, and settled into a charmed playboy existence. It was a chance meeting with Coco Chanel shortly thereafter that changed the course of his life.Verdura was hired by Chanel as a textile designer, but soon began designing costume and precious jewelry. His bold, colorful pieces meshed well with the tastes of Chanel, who didn’t care for delicate jewelry. It was during this time that he created his signature Maltese Cross Cuff bracelets, often worn by Chanel herself. These cuffs are still popular to this day, and in fact a limited edition of 70 cuffs was recreated recently to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the opening of Verdura’s 5th Avenue boutique in New York in 1939.
Verdura lived a glamorous life filled with celebrities and muses. With friends like Cole Porter and the Duchess of Windsor, and clients that included screen legends Joan Crawford, Katharine Hepburn and Greta Garbo, it’s hard not to be fascinated with his life and work. His playful yet elegant style was revolutionary for its time, combining large precious and semi-precious stones with different colors of gold. This was in sharp contrast to the more conventional look of diamonds set in platinum. This particular ring is called the Three Stone Ring and is composed of one aquamarine set with two iolites. The design is very simple, but uses the vibrant colors that Verdura is famous for. Iolite is not a particularly valuable stone, but because the ring is by Verdura, it holds its value in the secondary market. Without the Verdura signature, it would be worth significantly less. At CIRCA, we’re big fans of Verdura’s aesthetic and are always looking to acquire his pieces.
