La nuova mostra permanente è stata inaugurata!

Open to the public from November 28, the new permanent exhibition curated by Paola Venturelli

The Museo del Gioiello di Vicenza has inaugurated “Jewelry – Italy. Material, Technique, Art. Between Ancient and Modern,” the new permanent exhibition curated by Paola Venturelli, an internationally renowned scholar.
The exhibition, which is of extraordinary importance due to the quality and iconic charm of the works on display, highlights the exceptional nature of Italian jewellery in a continuous narrative that unfolds across eleven stages in the Museum's six rooms. It is a journey through more than two millennia of history, from the 5th century BC to the early 21st century, revealing how art, technique, and materials intertwine in timeless masterpieces.

The more than 150 works collected, including individual pieces of jewellery and sets, but also everyday objects such as handbags, cosmetic bags, precious containers, three paintings, and two Apulian ceramics from 330-310 BC, punctuate a journey that is both chronological and thematic. The materials, gold, coral, semi-precious stones, glass, micro-mosaic, gems, and unconventional materials, combined with the techniques used to work them, convey the expressive diversity of Italian jewellery and its ability to combine craftsmanship, inventiveness, and innovation. Technical and artistic perfection is evident to the visitor: the extremely difficult Etruscan granulation technique is revived in a late 20th-century set, inspiring innovative interpretations in a more recent work.
Along the exhibition route, visitors can witness a constant dialogue between goldsmithing and the figurative arts: Pompeian wall paintings inspire coral masters, while a lava stone brooch gazes at the colossal marble bust of Jupiter Serapis from the Vatican Museums, dating back to the 2nd-3rd century AD. The layout of the famous Palladian villa “La Rotonda,” just outside Vicenza, is honored in a pendant. The shell cameos of a sumptuous set of jewellery refer to famous carvings by Antonio Pichler and Antonio Berini, as well as a bloodstone cameo attributed to Valerio Belli, the glory of Renaissance Vicenza, a famous goldsmith and master of glyptics.

Two special sections enrich the exhibition. The first is dedicated to Vicenza. Between Ancient and Modern, the exhibition presents the most significant works in the history of goldsmithing in the area. Among these are three pieces of extraordinary value: a ring and a small cross from the Lombard period, a rare and precious votive crown in gold with gems and cameos, and a gem-set necklace with a pendant offered in 1604 by the noble Caldogno family of Vicenza.
Artist's Jewel - Designer's Jewel is the second special section. It explores the influences between contemporary art and jewellery, from Futurism to Kinetic Art, with protagonists from the Padua and Marche schools. Sketches, drawings, and prototypes bear witness to the creative process that leads from design to finished product.
To highlight the value of craftsmanship and innovation in the art of goldsmithing, a small section on the ground floor displays molds and models for bracelets, chains, and pendants from Angelo Tovo in Creazzo, a company that closed in 2005 after about fifty years in business, which manufactured molds and punches for local goldsmithing factories.

"The 2025-2027 biennial exhibition is the result of an extraordinary collaboration with museums and foundations throughout Italy, particularly with museums in Vicenza, establishing a profound dialogue with the city and the region. The exhibition, divided into eleven chronological and thematic sections, aims to showcase the excellence of Italian jewelry. Around 150 works, from ancient history to contemporary creations, highlight the materials, techniques, and craftsmanship that are a fundamental part of our material culture. We want to convey that jewelry is much more than an ornament: it is memory, storytelling, and a bridge between the past, present, and future." Paola Venturelli, curator of the Museo del Gioiello