Damiani Celebrates The Turn of a Century
As 2024 marked 100 years of italian maison Damiani’s illustrious legacy, vice president Silvia Damiani reflects on 40 years in the family business and the next exciting chapter to come
“When you work with beauty, it’s a privilege,” begins Silvia Damiani, vice president of the Damiani Group. This is a privilege that Silvia has enjoyed since the tender age of 19, when as the eldest of three siblings she joined the family jewellery business. “I started straight out of high school, as a 24/7 assistant to my father – he was the master of everything, so I learned all aspects of the job,” she explains. Silvia belongs to the third generation of Damianis to steer the helm, as the Italian brand was first founded by her grandfather Enrico Grassi Damiani in 1924, in Valenza, a world-famous goldsmithing hub.
Celebrating her 40th anniversary at the maison this year, shortly after the brand’s centenary celebrations in 2024, the milestone has prompted plenty of reflection on her time in industry. “My father wanted me to be in charge of pearl buying, so for a decade I spent more than two months per year in Japan. I was just 22 when I first started going, accompanied at first, and then I went off alone,” she recalls. After studying a master’s degree in business administration – which Silvia admits was regularly interrupted by her father’s requests for her to come on stone sourcing trips – Silvia expressed an interest in the PR and marketing arm of the business, a remit that would become her own, working alongside brothers Guido and Giorgio, now president and co-vice president respectively.
To mark the centennial, the siblings embarked on the collection of a lifetime that was presented at an exhibition titled ‘Damiania 100 x 100’ at Gallerie d’Italia. Each masterpiece riffs on one of Damiani’s key collections, from its Belle Époque and Mimosa motifs to its Fantasy Cut designs, all showcasing sensational gems. “It took us over two years to find the stones,” says Silvia. “About a third came from our private family collection, from the family safe, stones that have been passed down from my grandfather to my father.” The result is spectacular – from rare Paraiba tourmalines and Padparadscha sapphires, to colour-changing and star cabochon sapphires. “One of our Fantasy Cut designs features a blue cobalt spinel – you might only find one other in the whole world,” she explains.
Does she feel emotional about the centenary year coming to an end? “At the beginning of the year I felt so much emotion around it, it’s a crossroads between the dreams you wanted to achieve and the ones you still want to achieve. Before I was doing everything for me and my generation, from now on, I’m doing everything for the next generation,” she pledges.
We can rest assured that the Damiani legacy is safe – said next generation includes seven cousins, one of whom is Silvia’s son. “The eldest is 21, so we will still have to work for a while,” she quips. “They’re all still learning and will go on to study at university, and get some experience at other companies first. I have always brought my son with me on business whenever possible, to explain it all,” she says. “Recently he watched a video that we had made about the business, and it made us both emotional. He said, ‘You’re not delivering us a company, you’re delivering us a dream.’ It’s beautiful to hear that from your son.”
The brand’s plans are certainly grand – with recent boutique openings in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, Damiani hopes to expand globally by 21 stores in 2025. What does Silvia hope the young Damianis will carry through into the next 100 years? “I hope my son will respect what those who came before him have built, that he is thankful, but at the same time that he remembers that this does not have to kill you, you are not the company itself,” she warns. “I want him to remember that my father and grandfather always wanted us to grow up humble and kind, and that is something he has inside of him – I hope I’ve passed that on to him.”
While Silvia is the only female member of her generation, she explains that the next generation is more evenly split. “My father always had a woman in his right-hand roles, because he wanted to ensure we were making jewellery that appealed to female sensibilities. The next generation has four boys and three girls – the youngest girl is nine and she is perhaps the cleverest of all. She will probably run the show,” she laughs. “So the family line is there. Let’s just see what happens.”
From Harpers Bazaar Arabia’s winter 2024/2025 Issue