The flower Giglio with its striking violet color and bright yellow center is the traditional associated with the city of Florence in Tuscany, Italy. The giglio, better know as the Iris, is a flower with five petals, three with a superior shape and two inferior and is similar to the Lilium. This antique flower was cultivated by Egyptians, Romans and Greeks and in fact the name is derived from the Greek word for rainbow. Legend has it that the name was taken from the goddess Iride, “The Messenger of Goodness”. Iris adapts well to cold weather, mountain regions and rivers and can be found in the south of Europe and parts of the Mediterranean. This flower has been used throughout the years as an ingredient to produce perfume, medicine, and interestingly enough even some toothpaste brands. This symbol not only has inspired the the town of Florence to adopt is as their symbol but also the gold craftsman who date back to the Etruscans.
Florence’s tradition of carefully carved gold pieces include excellent examples of this age old symbol in many of their creations. The people of Florence, Italy wear the symbol with pride, and when it is made in 18K gold from one of the many shops along Ponte Vecchio or the city center, then they know that they are truly wearing a piece of art. Pierotucci relys on these very same artisans to provide them with top quality pieces of jewelry for their store.
Small sized 18k engraved gold Giglio pendant and brooch
A timeless design, steeped in tradition, the “giglio” is the ultimate symbol of Florence. Every where you go in Florence you can see it emblazoned on the walls of buildings, churches and monuments. Though the flower normally comes in a variety of colors: violet-blue, yellow, red, white and brown, the Florentines use the giglio in red on a white back ground. However it is very common to see this symbol in violet or purple which is the main color of the city – so much so that their top soccer team has been nicknamed “VIOLA”. The Florence Iris Garden is open in May, and may small towns near by have festivals celebrating the Giglio, like S. Polo in Chianti. Dating back more than 1000 years, it has become one of our most popular designs. Hand carved in 18 carat gold, it has been cleverly designed to be worn either as a brooch or a pendant.
Pendant: Medium Heart in 18 K gold
The Florence Iris Garden is open in May, and may small towns near by have festivals celebrating the Giaggiolo, the name of the flower in Florentine slang, like in the town S. Polo in Chianti. Dating back more than 1000 years, it has become one of our most popular designs. Though many would confuse it with the French symbol, which is known world wide but it is actually easy to tell them apart. The French symbol has only three petals where as the Florentine giglio has five – three principal petals and two smaller that appear on either side of the top petal. Hand carved in 18 carat gold, you can see the small petals in the image to the right. It’s easy to appreciate the line of the engravers chisel as it cuts to give depth and glitter to each piece. These featured pieces are available in one of three wonderful colours: classic yellow 18 K gold, stunning white, or the increasingly popular rose gold.
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