Ippolita

Ippolita launches her first collection of women's fine jewelry in 1999 at a luxury retailer.

The main material used in Ippolita jewelry is gold. All gold used in the production of Ippolita jewelry comes from recycled sources, and its quality is identical to mined gold. The world contains a finite amount of metals and minerals, and Ippolita is committed to using only previously refined gold. Ippolita refineries purchase returned consumer jewelry and industrial gold scraps. By removing all alloys and other contaminants from the metal, they create 99.99% pure gold that artisans then combine with silver to create our signature 18K “green” gold alloy.

Italian society in general is heavily based on the principle of fewer, better things. It is basically a no-waste society. Furthermore, the great tradition of artists’ workshops and craftsmanship is based in the belief of doing things oneself, with one’s own hands. If you do things yourself, you have control over both the means of production and waste. And even more so, you have visibility into the entire process, from the first sketch on the back of a napkin to the final, beautiful product.

Ippolita started her journey in India, but eventually ended up in Bangkok because she related to the sensitivity towards the material of the Thai artisans. The most unexpected discovery was the sheer number of beautiful materials there are, and secondarily that only a small percentage of the rough was considered usable. Cutting your own material gives you the opportunity of using more of the rough than is typically done and finding beauty in the inclusions that have been centuries in the making.

Designer jewelry by Ippolita is available online with complimentary shipping and gift wrapping on lmfj.com, or visit a Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry store near you for a more robust selection of women's necklaces, women's earrings, women's bracelets and more women's fine jewelry.