Verdura jewellery: the collector’s guide

When was Verdura founded?

Founded by Duke Fulco di Verdura in 1939 in New York City, Verdura has long been celebrated as one of the foremost names in jewellery, adorning American high society and famous figures throughout the 20th century. Verdura’s aesthetic defied prevailing jewellery conventions in favour of bold, sculptural and colourful designs.

Today, Verdura is widely recognised for iconic pieces like the Maltese Cross Cuff bracelet and Diamond Fan Earclips, popularised by luminaries such as Marlene Dietrich and Babe Paley.

Who was Verdura’s designer?

Born in 1898 to Sicilian society, Duke Fulco di Verdura was raised in his grandmother’s country estate outside of Palermo, Italy. Thanks to his aristocratic background, the duke rubbed shoulders with high society figures from a young age, leading to early commissions by important friends-turned-patrons such as Cole Porter.

In 1925, Porter introduced Verdura to Coco Chanel at a party in Sicily. Smitten with Verdura’s non-conformist designs, Chanel took him under her wing for the following decade. Verdura worked at The House of Chanel in Paris, first as a textile designer and then at the helm of her costume jewellery department.

In 1935, the designer relocated to New York, where he began working with the American jewellery designer Paul Flato. Known as a jeweller to the stars, Flato introduced Verdura to Hollywood celebrities including Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, who would become some of his most loyal clients. In 1939, the designer officially established the house of Verdura, opening his first boutique on Fifth Avenue with the financial help of Porter and Paul Astor.

Duke Fulco di Verdura grew into a defining figure in American jewellery during the postwar years, integrating joyful colour, whimsy and elegance into his creations. He transformed familiar motifs like seashells, crescents and stars into designs uniquely his own, full of playful charm and liveliness.

Ten years after the Duke’s passing, Verdura was purchased by Ward Landrigan, a longtime industry legend who over the next five decades restored Verdura to its former glory. Helping the company flourish into the 21st century, Landrigan continued Verdura’s legacy for today’s collectors using original sketches and archives. Landigran passed away in November 2025.

What are the most iconic Verdura pieces?

In 1934, while working with Coco Chanel to rework pieces of jewellery from her personal collection — many of them gifts from her various suitors — Verdura conceived what would become his most famous design: the Maltese Cross Cuff. Chanel had been given a Maltese cross by the Grand Duke Dmitri of Russia. Verdura reimagined the piece by setting it in enamel, creating a bold cuff bracelet with a face of colourful gemstones set in gold. Several iterations and types of jewels using this theme were created for Mademoiselle Chanel personally as well as other luminaries of the period, including the First Lady of the American Theater Helen Hayes and Vogue's editor-in-chief, Diana Vreeland.

Thanks to its popularity, Verdura adopted the Maltese cross motif into his brooches — an item he became known for — often pushing the boundaries of what was expected. Worldly and passionate about history, Verdura drew inspiration from a wide range of sources, from Byzantine art to Greek mythology. One brooch, for instance, was made from shells he found on the beach at Fire Island and paired with precious gemstones.

In 1944 came the chunky gold-linked and diamond studded Double Crescent Bracelet, popularised on the wrists of Merriweather post and Princess Diana, who adored the bracelet in part because two interlocking crescents on the face, representing the moons of Diana, Roman Goddess of the hunt. In 1997, she was photographed in the bracelet, paired with the ‘Diana’ ear clips at the charity sale of her gowns at Christie’s New York.

Some of Verdura’s most famous pieces were popularised by the women in the Capote-era of New York’s society such as Babe Paley and Slim Keith, including the ‘Fan’ Earclips, a sculptural statement earring in alternating strands of studded diamonds and 18 karat gold in a flared, fan-like silhouette.

The most expensive Verdura piece sold at auction

In 2016, a Burmese Jubilee Ruby Ring by Verdura sold for $14.16 million at Christie’s, becoming the most expensive piece of Verdura jewellery ever sold at auction. Surrounded by diamonds and set in a distinctive gold mounting, the 15.99-karat ruby was mined from the Mogok Valley in northern Burma, the source of some of the most magnificent rubies coveted by Burmese sovereigns and European aristocracy since the 15th century.

One month later, Christie’s in Geneva sold the Oppenheimer Blue Sensational Coloured Diamond Ring for CHF 56,837,000. The mounting of the extraordinary 14.62 karat stone was set on the original ‘Eight Blades’ design by Verdura.

Famous figures and celebrities who love to wear Verdura

Verdura boasts a star-studded roster of patrons. In his early days in Sicily and Paris, Verdura made numerous designs for friends including Cole Porter, Coco Chanel, Diana Vreeland and Elsa Schiaparelli. After opening his Fifth Avenue boutique, Verdura’s commissions and collaborations took off.

In 1941, the designer collaborated with Salvador Dalí on a collection of jewellery that was later exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The same year, Verdura designed two custom curb link bracelets for Greta Garbo, who rarely went anywhere without one on each wrist for the next decade. A flock of American starlets followed, including Marlene Dietrich, Joan Crawford and Katharine Hepburn. The latter wore several of his designs in the 1940 film The Philadelphia Story. Later, the influential socialite Babe Paley became Verdura’s muse, often travelling with him and wearing his jewels to important events.

Today Verdura continues to shine on some of the biggest names in society and culture. Loyal supporters of the brand include Sarah Jessica Parker, who wore Maltese Cross Cuffs and a gold and diamond brooch by Verdura on Sex and the City, as well as Rihanna, who sported Verdura’s emerald and diamond ‘Stardust Cluster’ Earclips while performing at the 2023 Academy Awards. Brooke Shields, Sofia Coppola, and Carolina Herrera remain loyal clients. The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Jewellery for America exhibition in 2022, featured Verdura’s Maltese Cross Cuffs, which are part of the museum’s permanent collection.