Gioielleria Pennisi is synonymous with a cultivated sense of style for collectors and connoisseurs alike. Originally from an old family of diamantaires and goldsmiths based in Catania, Sicily, Giovanni Pennisi relocated to Milan to continue the family tradition.

At first glance, the shop’s iconic storefront transports you to another time and place. Its classic burgundy awnings and art nouveau typography are reminiscent of the classic sophistication and elegance of bygone years; dazzling window displays offer just a mere taste of the trove of treasures that await inside. 

Pennisi has amassed a distinctive and extensive collection of jewels from Art Deco to collectibles once popular on the nobleman’s Grand Tour – the cultural journey around the Italian peninsula and Greece that young men of a certain rank and wealth took in order to experience the cultural legacy of antiquity. Following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Pompeii became an irresistible stop for a new type of souvenir. Lava cameos carved from the volcanic rock became a mark of style and culture to the wearer, pictured. One of the iconic pieces that surfaced at Pennisi was a parure set, most probably belonging to the Empress Sisi of Austria, designed by a Viennese jeweller who served the Imperial family.