Aldo Cipullo
Aldo Cipullo was born in Naples, Italy in 1936 and grew up mostly in Rome. After leaving school he began an apprenticeship with his father who ran a successful costume jewelry manufacturing business with factories in Rome and Florence. By his early twenties he had moved to New York where he arrived in 1959 to study at Manhattan’s School of Visual Arts. After graduating he found work designing for David Webb before leaving to join Tiffany & Company. He then moved to Cartier in 1969 and designed a gold bangle in a modern style called the 'love' bangle. In 1971 he produced another design, the Juste un Clou (just a nail) bracelet. Cipullo created multiple collections and was allowed to sign Cartier pieces using his name. He left Cartier in 1974, in order to establish his own freelance atelier and gain complete design freedom.
In 1978, he was commissioned by the American Gem Society to create a collection of jewels showcasing the gemstones of America. Thirty one pieces were set with gems such as sapphires from Montana, diamonds from Arkansas and turquoise from Arizona and after a tour of the United States they were donated to the Smithsonian. In 1984 Aldo suffered a double heart attack and died at the age of just 48.
In 1978, he was commissioned by the American Gem Society to create a collection of jewels showcasing the gemstones of America. Thirty one pieces were set with gems such as sapphires from Montana, diamonds from Arkansas and turquoise from Arizona and after a tour of the United States they were donated to the Smithsonian. In 1984 Aldo suffered a double heart attack and died at the age of just 48.
