From historic and noble origins, her unmistakable creations are innovatively contemporary. From the art and splendour of renaissance goldsmith masters to the origin of Milan's excellence, to the allure of the colours of the Molise skies of the centuries of Robert Guiscard, when the breadth of the wide vistas extending between Larino and Ururi intertwined with the essential and cosmopolitan wisdom of benedictine monks.
Pia Mariani was born and grew up in Ururi, which means “dawn” in the arbëresh language, inhaling the wide and gentle vistas of the Molise hills.
When her family moved to Milan, Pia Mariani discovered the best environment in which she could fully achieve her freedom of expression and complete her creative vocation. She graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera in Milan with honours in painting, which drew attention to her undisputed artistic talent. She began working immediately as a designer creating fashion, fabrics and posters.
From 1980 to 1985, Pia worked as a model for renowned fashion houses such as Pims, Soprani, Callaghan and Versace.
In 1985 she began designing and creating in close contact with selected artisans and goldsmiths in order to intensely study micro sculpture and techniques to create precious objects, both as unique pieces and as part of a series.
After numerous partnerships with italian and foreign jewellers, and after a 'momentous' trip to japan, the artist-designer decided to create her own brand in 1994, with an independent production, totally italian, in gold, diamonds and precious stones, the outcome of insightful research.
Her first precious work, called Il Mappamondo, the globe, is a refined creation that has become emblematic of the art of italian goldsmiths with timeless appeal. A gold pendant (the continents) with diamonds and interchangeable stones (the oceans) that transform their colours: from aquamarine to turquoise, from coral to lapislazuli, from rock crystal to amber. A mechanism along the equator opens and closes the globe with its exquisitely detailed land surfaces.
Thanks to complex and innovative workmanship, Pia Mariani’s jewels can open, move and transform themselves like the iconic Five ring, designed to be worn in five different ways, and the Klimt earrings from the Change collection, that can be worn both facing forward and on the reverse side. This last line uses a technique created with a single compound combining white gold and pure gold to create shades of colour approximating golden 'brush strokes', which give a nuanced watercolour effect and make all the pieces unique.
Experimentation also led the designer to recreate a lace effect in gold, used for the Sheherazade collection (the cuff-bracelet of this collection is made in yellow gold set with a green beryl) and the Le Mille e una Notte (Thousand and one Nights) bracelet made of yellow gold set with paraiba tourmalines, cabochon jade and diamonds.
Gabriel -inspired by the archangel renowned for being the harbinger of innovations, births and creativity - is a remarkable entry because it is unexpected: it introduces an original direction for the jewel designer, a new quest seeking a rapport with a much wider audience. A simple circle and the construction of two wings magically transform a five-pointed star into a flying angel.
In 2018 Pia Mariani began to pursue the concept of majesty taking on the challenge of launching a new creation that intertwines innovation with tradition: La Regina (the Queen). From conception to design, La Regina combines all the expertise of the italian tradition. An absolute novelty in jewellery design, a unique, inimitable, personal ring, exclusively designed to reflect the personality of its wearer. A ring that you can play with consisting of three crown-shaped rings that can be composed according to your desire and aesthetic taste. The timeless appeal collection and the creation of new and surprising projects are the certainties and basis of the eclectic designer who never ceases to astound with her unmistakable creativity and originality.
The brand's creations, conceived by Pia Mariani in her atelier at via San Sisto in the centre of the Cinque Vie, in the historic centre of Milan, can be found in her on-line jewellery shop, to reach every corner of the world, and by appointment at the atelier.
