Six artisanal, unconventional jewellery shops in Milan
Make way for character and elegance: where to find precious accents to elevate your outfits.
We know that choosing jewellery, whether as a gift or a treat for yourself, can be tricky. That is why we have selected six designers with varied, original and fascinating backgrounds. Their creations are all handcrafted, thoroughly researched, surprising and anything but ordinary. Stepping into their ateliers, you will find creativity, passion, expertise and tailored advice; if anything, the only problem is that you will want to buy the entire collection!
Fiore all’occhiello
Via San Giovanni sul Muro, 12
In her micro-atelier on via San Giovanni sul Muro, a short walk from Cairoli, Fiorenza Zuolo, the founder of Fiore all’occhiello, creates design-led jewellery for confident, fascinating women who are not afraid to stand out. Anyone wearing Fiore all’occhiello wants to express their personality without compromise, embracing maximalism with clean, elegant lines. Fiorenza, who trained as an architect, won over Hollywood stars in the early 2000s with her shell-set rings, landing on the covers of top fashion magazines. Today her creativity shines through rings, earrings, bracelets and the occasional necklace: all one-off pieces, sketched or carved in wax by her and her husband, pairing gold and silver with personally selected precious and semi-precious stones set by skilled goldsmiths in their workshop. Fiorenza’s pieces are unmistakable, defined by curved, sinuous shapes that embody a quintessentially Italian elegance. Versatile enough for everyday wear or formal events, they bring character to any look. If you are wondering which little treasure to choose, step inside Fiore all’occhiello for warm, expert guidance.
Donatella Pellini
Corso Magenta, 11
With two boutiques in the city – one on Corso Magenta and another on via Morigi, in the heart of old Milan inside the 18th-century Palazzo Belgiojoso, which also houses the showroom, offices and historical archives – Donatella Pellini is known for distinctive, tastefully striking jewellery that brings personality to any outfit and feels quintessentially Milanese. Carrying forward her family’s heritage with flair (her grandmother Emma Caimi Pellini opened the first atelier in 1947), Donatella’s signature is resin experimentation, transforming an artisanal craft into something modern. Hand-poured piece by piece, the resin captures fragments of life: stones, fabrics, sand, photographs, printed or illustrated paper and flowers, shaping wearable, one-off sculptures with a romantically decadent feel. Alongside these, Donatella Pellini produces an equally captivating semi-precious line, where unusual stones and metals create opulent necklaces and bracelets in vibrant colours. If you want to give your summer outfits an extra lift and enjoy making a statement, explore the spring/summer collection: a riot of sea green, coral red, aqua, periwinkle and lemon yellow, featuring fish, lobsters, shells, crabs and seahorses immortalised in resin. Summer you can wear, literally.
Pilgio’
Via Caminadella, 6
Tactile, bold and distinctly unconventional, these pieces stem from constant experimentation. They are designed by Antonio Piluso, born in Calabria and Milanese by adoption, who founded the Pilgiò brand in 1984. Pilgiò’s creations have a mysterious, primal aura that evokes ocean beds, mother-of-pearl shells and barnacled shipwrecks. Drawing inspiration from Byzantine jewellery, Asian art and organic forms, they arise from spontaneous insights, everyday moments and personal family history. From his bricklayer father, Piluso inherited a love for materials such as iron and brick, and objects like nails and pliers, seamlessly weaving them into fine artisanal jewellery alongside diamonds, gold and gemstones. True to his experimental spirit, Piluso even patented ‘oro muto’ (mute gold), textured until rough, oxidised and porous like volcanic rock, because standard gold felt too polished and ‘loud’. If you are after a truly unique piece or want to mark a romance in an unconventional way, Pilgiò’s workshop-boutique on via Caminadella, near Sant’Ambrogio, is the place.
So-Le Studio
Via Sant’Andrea, 10
In the stunning Piazza del Quadrilatero, recently opened between Corso Venezia and via Sant’Andrea, sits the So-Le Studio boutique by Maria Sole Ferragamo. As her surname suggests, an eye for beauty and a mastery of leather craftsmanship run in her blood. She studied architecture before pursuing her childhood love of jewellery with a course in jewellery design at Central Saint Martins in London. That led to So-Le Studio, which upcycles leftover leather offcuts and scrap metal into sculptural yet feather-light design pieces. Maria Sole’s modern approach to recycling comes alive in drop earrings, leather cuffs, oversized ear cuffs, necklaces and now even a jewellery bag. Experimental cutting and dyeing techniques developed by the designer produce shadows, movement, metallic sheens, rich shades and sensory illusions – like the Fiore ring, where shimmering leather stretched over a metal frame poses as a gemstone. Organic shapes, geometry and architecture define her work: Maria Sole drafts designs in AutoCAD, crafts prototypes by hand and entrusts production to master artisans in Tuscany.
DDM Daniela de Marchi
Via dei Platti, 9
Daniela de Marchi launched the DDM brand in 2000 after completing her jewellery design studies; today her pieces are sold worldwide. Her creations are defined by her signature ‘dropage’ technique, which uses irregular miniature spheres to coat surfaces and create a canvas for colourful enamels, giving silver, bronze and brass ever-changing nuances. According to the designer, colour is the most important element to consider when choosing a gift, as it catches the eye first and should complement the wearer’s skin tone, hair and eyes. If you are looking for a genuinely thoughtful gift, combining stones and metals to achieve the perfect palette, this is the place. You can find Daniela de Marchi jewellery in her charming atelier-workshop on via Piatti, just behind the Duomo (where you can watch goldsmiths at work through the window) and in her boutique on piazzale Lavater, in Porta Venezia.
Atelier VM
Via Cesare Correnti, 26
When Marta Caffarelli and Viola Naj Oleari founded Atelier VM in 1998, they made a bold and seemingly contradictory pledge for accessory designers: never to add anything superfluous to the world. They certainly succeeded, as their creations are delicate, minimalist and as delightfully superfluous as a poem. Iconic pieces include L’Essenziale, an 18-carat gold chain welded directly onto the wrist, coveted by Milanese women and now also available as a necklace or anklet, and the Impronta ring, stamped with the wearer’s fingerprint. Atelier VM’s jewellery has a gentle, romantic charm, often accented with charms depicting letters, words, animals, flowers, hearts and stars that evoke universal themes like family, nature, the five senses and personal roots. Fine yet resilient, understated yet meaningful, the pieces are crafted primarily from ethical gold, mined with methods that respect both the environment and local communities, paired with carefully selected precious and semi-precious stones. Alongside the historic flagship on via Cesare Correnti, you will also find shops on Corso Garibaldi and inside Rinascente.
