Born into a jewellery family in Naples in 1935, Aldo Cipullo became the most glamorous jewellery designer of the 1970s and early 1980s. Aldo left Italy for the exciting possibilities of life in New York City and enrolled at the School of Visual Arts. In 1960, he worked for acclaimed jeweller David Webb, who was known for producing designs that were bold and expressive, before joining Tiffany & Co. where he began to develop his own design vocabulary. In 1969, he and the company's president, Michael Thomas, moved to Cartier, where, at the top of his profession, he introduced some of the most modern and timeless creations, such as the Love bracelet, a groundbreaking design that used a special screwdriver. He followed this up in 1971 with the Nail collection, inspired by a nail on the finger or wrist, a surprising creation that embodied the gritty New York glamour of the time. Aldo Cipullo started on his own in 1974 and continued to create jewellery for men and women that attracted attention, including pieces in the shape of the dollar sign, which he considered "the electric eye that reflects the mood of this country". In 1978, the American Gem Society commissioned him to put together a collection of stones mined in America, including turquoise from Arizona, diamonds from Arkansas and sapphires from Montana; these pieces are now part of the Smithsonian Institution. Although he sadly died suddenly in 1984, Aldo Cipullo's legacy of progressive yet classic designs remains eternally popular.
This slipcase volume is filled with striking images of Aldo Cipullo's modern jewellery designs, which are both iconic and universal, intimate but also intensely personal, contemporary and timeless. Interrupted by Cipullo family photos and fond anecdotes from Aldo's friends, Cipullo: Making Jewelry Modern unfolds the story of one of the most innovative and hitherto enigmatic talents in modern jewellery history.
The dimensions are.
28 x 35.5 x 4 cm.
