Virginia Necklace

Virginia Necklace

Hand-made, in Italy.

Weight – circa 145g

Circumference – circa 65cm

Italian resin. Galvanized gold lobster clasp. Free from nickel and lead.

To remember and honour the identities of the women that inspire us and whose stories we wish to celebrate, we have named each piece of jewellery after a female pioneer at the forefront of Italian history.

This necklace pays homage to the Tuscan noblewoman Virginia Oldoini, whose affair with Napoleon to this day has afforded her an undeserving reputation.

To remedy this pitfall, we strive to honour and remember Oldioni as one of the first active female diplomats in Italy. Married in 1854 to Count Francesco Verasis di Castiglione, a courtier at King Victor Emmanuel II of Sardinia-Piedmont’s court in Turin, she possessed an undeniable charm and sharp wit. The Italian prime minister the Count di Cavour, understood the political possibilities of such a captivating woman and sent her on an ambassador’s mission to Paris in February 1856. Oldoini quickly won the heart of the French court of Napoleon III, upon whom she exercised considerable influence, many alleged due to her status as his mistress. In Paris her clever politicking contributed to important diplomatic accomplishments. Suffering, like many women, the fate of historical erasion, her precise political impact remains obscure as her diplomatic correspondence is believed to have been purposely destroyed. 

Each Pietrasanta piece is lovingly hand-made in Milan, and crafted using the highest quality materials sourced from Italy. Each item comes in a soft white velvet pouch, and a branded presentation box so that you can safely store your new jewellery.

All Pietrasanta jewellery is completely hypoallergenic – it’s free from lead, copper and nickel, so that you can wear it all day long without any issues.

The jewellery may be: plated in gold; silver 925, galvanized gold or galvanized silver – we would recommend the following steps to ensure your items are not damaged and stay clean. The wiring, clasps and studs may tarnish naturally over time. Tarnishing occurs naturally and to avoid this you may use a lint-free cloth to clean the metals parts of your jewellery. Similarly, as certain parts may bend under pressure, we suggest that the items be stored and transported in rigid boxes to avoid any external pressure compromising the item. If the jewellery does not ‘fall’ as expected, remember not to press down on the item, but try to gently align the pieces to their intended state.