No matter how modern and tech-centered we get, we’ll always yearn for that old-fashion grandeur, a time of splendor that one can only dream of. Remnants of the old-age kingdoms and ancient royalty serve as the only witnesses of those times, with heirloom pieces and jewelry passed on as trinkets of memorabilia. Many attempt to imitate the beauty of ancient pieces, but only a few are able to perfectly capture the exquisite and delicate daintiness of the jewelry. But if there’s one brand that’s up for that challenge and is able to face it with excellence, it’s Percossi Papi.
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The man and his brand
The Percossi Papi was named after its founder, Diego Percossi Papi, who was formerly a student of architecture when he decided to turn to sculpture, art, and jewelry making. He was self-taught and learned earnestly to channel his Renaissance craftsman through his works. When 1968 arrived, Papi opened his own studio near the Pantheon, in the heart of Rome, and started designing and making his own jewelry by hand.
All the pieces created by Papi were made by hand and have signature clear-cut style. Often, Papi used traditional metals and precious gems added with cloisonné enamel techniques—these eventually became the iconic hallmark of his label, Percossi Papi. The main inspiration behind the following pieces created by the Roman jeweler is the Baroque aesthetic of Bernini and Borromini during the 17th Century, a style that compels anyone who wear the jewelry to embody the attitude of a royalty.
How did Papi manage to make his jewelry pieces that powerful? It all lies in the 3 key elements that he applied in his work: emotion-arousing colors, historical and memorable symbols, and extemporaneous creativity in the pieces. All these elements allowed Papi to create pieces that take people into a personal journey, which traces back to the regal past and interesting history.
Collections and pieces
Percossi Papi’s baroque-inspired rings, earrings, and brooches are often lavished with mosaics made out of precious gemstones. Green tourmaline, lemon quartz and rose rubies, plus beautiful and delicately painted miniatures are common features of the brand’s jewelry, which make them utterly irresistible. The brand is also known for its “ad personam” pieces, jewelry that are made from the own material of the client, which result to pieces that are highly unique.
Many of Percossi Papi’s collections show off the creativity of the brand to translate an inspiration into luxurious pieces made up of vibrant pearls or gems and even added with the warm shine of high-quality gold. The brand’s pieces are categorized into these fabulous clusters: Objects of Art, Diamonds, Russian Tales, Aegean, and many others.
The ‘Objects of Art’ showcases the ability of the brand to go beyond jewelry in expressing the instinctive creativity of its artists. It captures the history of Rome and exudes its profane and holy inspiration. Some of the pieces in this cluster are sparkly and regal swords, cups, crow, Medusa shield, and altar cross. Another beautiful collection is the Diamond cluster, which possesses the rare beauty and sparkle of Percossi Papi’s diamond and gold jewelry. Fan favorites among the diamond pieces of the brand include the snake bracelet and earrings, the sun & moon earrings, and the Imperial topaz ring.
On the other hand, the brand’s love for the Russian horizons is expressed in the Russian Tales collection, exuding the beautiful architectural domes and traditional clothing of the nation, as well as Bilibin’s paintings, Rimsky Korsakov’s operas, Pushkin’s fairy tales, and Diaghilev Russian ballets.
Fame of Percossi Papi
Percossi Papi has reached a worldwide influence, with people in various continents appreciating the beauty of the label’s pieces. Currently, net-a-porter features the brand’s jewelry collections and pieces, but its greater fame can be attributed as well to the different films that featured the label’s jewelry. Some of the films include ‘Elizabeth: The Golden Years’, which starred Cate Blanchett, ‘Rossini Rossini’ with Philippe Noiret and Jacqueline Bisset, and ‘The Elective Affinities’ with Isabelle Huppert.
Aside from films, different exhibitions also featured the beautiful collections of Percossi Papi. Fancies of Memory in 2004 and La Maestà, le Contrade: ori di Siena in 2015 are just some of the major exhibitions that showcased the brand’s pieces. But the brilliance of the brand and its founder haven’t gone unnoticed by huge awarding bodies. In fact, Papi has been awarded by the Italian Republic as Knight of Merit for Labour, while University and Noble School of Sant’eligio awarded him as Master Goldsmith. He was also bestowed with an Honorary Professor award at the Pontifical Academy of Fine Arts and Letters.
With Percossi Papi’s rich history, its amazing founder and designer, plus its pieces that will forever be celebrated and appreciated in the history of jewelry, indeed Percossi Papi has a name that will stay known by the whole world for a long, long time.
