A RETRO GOLD NECKLACE, BY MARCHISIO, CIRCA 1940... Lot 48

A RETRO GOLD NECKLACE, BY MARCHISIO, CIRCA 1940 Designed as a series of graduated circular intertwined links with reeded detailing, each connected with polished gold links accented with beading detailing, in 18K gold, with maker's mark for Marchisio, Italian registry mark '1TO' for Marchisio in Torino between 1934-1944, with gold flat curb-link security chain, length 44.2cm Marchisio can reliably date itself, impressively, to as early as 1649 in Turin when Gian Piero and Joannin Marchisio were appointed Jeweller of the Royal Family. It was in 1859 however, under the sole ownership of Felice Marchisio, that the business began to appear in the form it is known today. With Florence becoming the capital of Italy in place of Turin in 1865 leading to great unrest, Felice was forced to flee to Paris. This move however turned out to be incredibly positive as Felice had the opportunity to learn the new processing techniques that were being developed in France. Five years after arriving in Paris, Felice was again moved by the forces of history, this time fleeing back to Turn in order to avoid the Prussian troops of the Franco-Prussian War. Taking with him his newly learned technical knowledge, Felice, along with his sibling, founded “Marchisio Bros.”. The House succeeded very quickly in making an impact in the Italian fine jewellery world and by the 1880s had over 100 employees creating beautiful pieces mainly consisting of gold. The work of Marchisio was much admired and led to a 14 Karat jewellery box designed and crafted by the House to be donated from the city of Turin to Queen Margherita. In 1926 Napoleone Marchisio became head of the business and carefully steered it through the political turmoil of the early 20th Century, with pieces exalting the brand’s mastery of the manipulation of gold. Lot 48 is such an example of the perfect metalwork created by Marchisio in the first half of the 20th Century. The circular links with reeded detailing clearly show the masterful hands of the craftsmen working for the House in the 1940s. The business was forced to close due to the Second World War, but Marchisio remained in the imagination of luxury admirers until the House reopened in partnership with the Mattioli family in 1968 to immediate commercial and artistic success. Today the Marchisio family works in collaboration with many of the most desired jewellery maisons such as Cartier, Piaget, Buccellati, and Van Cleef and Arpels.