Ornella Bijoux vintage costume jewelry

Ornella Bijoux vintage costume jewelry
The history of the Italian family brand Ornella began at the end of the Second World War. Its founder, Piera Albani, opened her jewelry boutique “Ornella Bijoux” in the center of Milan in 1944. A few years later, the company was headed by her talented daughter Maria Vittoria Albani Scala (born in Monza in 1929), who actually helped her mother from the age of 15, creating jewelry designs. Becoming the chief designer in 1950, and subsequently the owner of the company, 20-year-old Maria led the company to success, and her boutique became one of the attractions of Milan. Moreover, awarded the status of “Botteghe Storiche di Milano”, the boutique entered the history of creative jewelry art in Italy. Besides, jewelry pieces of this company adorn not only the Milan Palace-Museum Palazzo Reale, but also the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
Traditionally exclusive costume jewelry, Ornella pieces are created by the hands of women and for women only. The style of jewelry is mainly Italian “Baroque” Art Nouveau, with elements of flora, fauna and nature, which are naturalistic masterpieces of jewelry sculpture.
An example of such a masterpiece is the Pomegranate brooch, created by Maria Vittoria Albani in the 1950s.
Noteworthy, the designer began to label her pieces only in the 1960s, while jewelry from the earlier period has metal or plastic tags with the inscription Ornella Milan.
Maria Vittoria Albani died in 2019, she was 90 years old.

Ornella Bijoux vintage costume jewelry

In the 70s, Maria took inspiration from abstract art with geometric elements and enamels in vibrant colors. Along with copper, gilding, alloys, crystals, and Murano glass, she also used unconventional natural materials such as rope, leather, and feathers. Since the 1980s, she has created a series of brooches and rings in the form of scarabs, butterflies and birds.

During her 60-year work Maria has created jewelry collections for such brands as Biki, Borbonese, Céline, Swarovski, and Dolce and Gabbana.