Renato Cipullo has expanded his 18-karat yellow gold “Splendente” collection of letter pendants to include hardstone offerings.
The entire alphabet is available in rock crystal or onyx, and the pendants are half the price of the gold versions.
Our Piece of the Week is the “R” letter pendant in onyx with a 0.085-carat diamond set in 18-karat yellow gold.
Cipullo first designed his “Splendente” letters in 1973 as a pair of earrings for his aunt. Later, they were reimagined as a pendant when the piece was passed down to her daughter.
He hand-sculpted the original offerings in silver, featuring clean, architectural lines that were softened with subtle curves, making each pendant sculptural yet fluid.
Today, the designer has added hardstones pendants as a thoughtful answer to the skyrocketing price of gold, the brand said.
The reimagined “Splendente” letter pendants are available in onyx, left, or rock crystal ($4,950)
“The Splendente letters have always been among our most coveted pieces, so we’ve been thoughtfully considering how to reinterpret them while honoring the spirit of the era that inspired them,” Cipullo said.
“Hardstone felt like a natural evolution: distinct, unexpected, and true to the 1970s, when richly colored stones were a defining element of fine jewelry design. It brings depth and character to the collection while offering a more accessible price point in a time when the cost of gold continues to climb.”
As of press time, gold was $5,250 an ounce, according to AMPEX.
The rock crystal and onyx Splendente pendants retail for $4,950 while the 18-karat yellow gold versions retail for $9,900.
The onyx Splendente pendants are available on the Renato Cipullo website.
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The Splendente collection expansion debuted alongside the “Blocco” and “Trio” pendants.
The two pendants are also revivals of Cipullo’s designs from the 1970s. Both feature hardstones with precious metal at the center.
The Blocco pendants are available in rock crystal or onyx with platinum while the Trio pendants use onyx, lapis, or turquoise and 18-karat yellow gold.
From top to bottom, the “Blocco” necklace with a rock crystal and platinum pendant and suede cord with diamonds ($4,950) and the “Trio” necklace with onyx and 18-karat gold and a cotton chord with diamonds ($4,950)
The pendants come on either a black suede or cream-colored cotton cord with diamonds accenting the ends.
The Blocco and Trio pendants also will be available in smokey topaz as well as 18-karat yellow gold versions with a stone inlay on the reverse.
The pendants retail from $4,950 and are available on the Renato Cipullo website.
