Italian jewelry designer Aldo Cipullo

Jewelry designer Aldo Cipullo
Born in Naples, Aldo Cipullo (1935-1984) grew up in Rome, the fifth child of a famous Italian jeweler. His father made costume jewelry and Aldo helped his father after school, gaining valuable experience in making and selling jewelry. As an adult, Aldo decided to move to the United States. Arriving in New York in 1959, he literally fell in love with this city. The same year he became a student of the famous Manhattan School of Visual Arts.
Cipullo began his career as a jeweler in the legendary company of David Webb (1960), then Tiffany (1963) and Cartier (1969).
However, an important turning point in the designer’s career was the opening of his own company, Aldo Cipullo, Ltd. in New York in 1974. The same year he received the prestigious Coty Award for pioneering influence on men’s jewelry design. From the early days, Aldo has shown a talent for innovative design inspired by modern life. Thus, the design of jewelry included machine parts – nails, screws and knots, along with dollar signs and even pasta.

Characteristic in his designs was an innovative approach to color combinations of stones. For example, he combined black onyx with turquoise or rock crystal with topaz, which was unheard of at the time. While working for Cartier in 1969, he created a gold “love bracelet” that brought immediate success to the designer.
His clients included Sophia Loren, Liza Minelli, Elizabeth Taylor and the Duchess of Windsor, as well as Pierre Cardin, Frank Sinatra and Richard Burton.

Italian jewelry designer Aldo Cipullo