Dolce&Gabbana: Alta Gioielleria starringCatherine de Medici

Dolce&Gabbana held a three-day presentation in Florence for their

Alta Gioielleria collection, where Catherine de Medici was the central

piece.

Presented inside Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria

Novella, which celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2012, the

collection’s presentation started on Wednesday and the main exhibit

was a golden necklace, at whose centre two golden cherubs carried

a rare crystal scent bottle.

Officina Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, the world’s oldest

pharmacy had its first perfume created for Catherine de Medici in

1553, who brought ampules of the scent over the Alps when she

went to marry Henry of Valois, the future king of France. A bergamot-

based essence named 'Acqua della Regina; the perfume continues

to be produced today and is known all over the world as Acqua di

S.M. Novella;

Dolce and Gabbana’s bottle carries real scent allowing a lady to

perfume herself throughout an evening. Like every object in this

collection, it is a unique piece.

“Finally! It’s great to be back. Especially at the centre of the greatest

art movement in history, the Renaissance,” enthused Stefano

Gabbana as he toured the jewellery display inside the

storied pharmacy.

Every piece for this collection was made in Dolce&Gabbana’s

jewellery studio located in Legnano, west of Milan, a decade ago.

“We are lucky enough to work for two genius designers, with great

imaginations, and our team love the challenge of producing their

elegant and exuberant ideas,” explained Walter Veneruz, the house’s

jewellery and watch director.

The men’s jewellery was all presented inside a sacristy underneath

frescoes of the Passion of Christ and the martyrdom of various

saints. The ‘Atlanticus’ watch was a Renaissance inscribed by hand

with sketches from Leonardo da Vinci illustrations.

Superb Byzantine style cufflinks with rhodolite garnets came in at an

entry-level figure of 30,000 euros, while the most expensive watch

was the Ferdinand II, with a face of green jade, done with golden

intarsia, at 595,000 euros.

The three-day exhibition continues in the Tuscan capital on Thursday

evening with an alta moda runway show.

By Maria Peftouloglou