The Art of Adornment: Roberto Coin’s Dazzling New Jewels

Roberto Coin is a true romantic at heart. When the Italian jeweler speaks about his native Venice, his passion rises with every word as he recalls the city’s breathtaking beauty, storied history, and magical gondola rides at sunset. Though this international bon vivant travels the world, there’s no place he would rather be than Venice, where every year he reveals the city’s splendor at a lavish masquerade ball hosted for friends at an historic palazzo on the Grand Canal, with guests dressed in authentic 17th-century regalia.  

To know Coin is to see Italy through his eyes and through his expressive jewelry designs. For 30 years, he has translated Italy’s legacy of gold craftsmanship into contemporary creations, each collection a love letter to his heritage. Liquid gold chains flow like silk against the skin, bold cuffs sprinkled with diamonds m

irror the stars reflecting on the canal at night, and colorful gemstone rings are as vibrant as Murano glass.  

“Italy’s history spans over 2,000 years, from the Romans to the Renaissance, which makes it a living museum and source of art inspiration,” Coin shared in a recent interview. While his worldly travels feed his creativity, he adds, “Venice is a main inspiration for our collections today — it is one of the most incredible and beautiful places in the world.” He reimagines the mosaic tiles at the Doge’s Palace in new geometric-patterned jewelry designs with colorful gemstones and he evokes the city’s Moorish architecture through curvy gold and diamond jewelry motifs. These subtle references infuse his designs with a sense of romance and place. 

At the heart of Coin’s design philosophy is a profound understanding of femininity. He’s designing for women across generations, creating an evolving narrative, with pieces that seamlessly blend with past collections and integrate into a woman’s wardrobe and lifestyle.  

On a visit last year to his workshops outside the city, in Vicenza, the designer showcased the evolution of his jewelry, a blend of age-old craftsmanship combined with the latest technology. He unveiled new, showstopping high-jewelry pieces, made with rare gems and diamonds — and worn by actress Dakota Johnson, the house’s global brand ambassador, in a new advertising campaign. Often photographed out and about in Coin’s jewelry, Johnson styles her looks with statement-making diamond and gemstone floral pendants and modern medallions with vibrant enamel, layered with the brand’s classic bold gold-link necklaces and drop earrings. It’s a master class in how to style jewels with a singular point of view. 

The house’s latest high-jewelry collection, Tiarè, features exceptional-quality red spinel gemstones, specifically cut and faceted just for Roberto Coin. “They look like rubies, but come at a significantly different price,” says Coin, a longtime admirer of red stones — since his start, he has set a ruby inside every design to touch the skin, symbolizing good fortune and love from the brand. To highlight spinel’s rich, vivid hue, marquise-cut stones are arranged in graceful floral motifs across necklaces, earrings, and rings crafted in gold and diamonds. The designs play with the light to enhance the stone’s natural radiance and depth of color.  

Coin is also a practical creative. The new Venetian Princess Pirouette collection features a series of reversible pendants, earrings, and rings with rotating flower centerpieces — one side in diamonds and the reverse in lapis, turquoise, malachite, and other colorful stones. It is the perfect accessory to update your jewelry wardrobe, one that is versatile for day, evening, or satisfying any mood. 

Stylish Jewelry Essentials 

Every smart jewelry wardrobe starts with foundational pieces, the go-to designs that you can mix and match with everything in your wardrobe. It’s jewelry that is so comfortable and easy to wear it feels like a second skin. Think of it as your capsule jewelry wardrobe. Since 1996, Coin has made some of the best Italian-style classics with a sense of luxurious elegance, many of which are still in the collection today. These essentials include diamond hoop earrings (mid-size so they get noticed), a statement ring with diamonds or colored gems, and a strong gold chain-link necklace that sits close to the neck (16 to 18 inches) worn alone or layered with longer necklaces. 

Coin’s top picks for foundational pieces are a textured gold Appassionata bracelet (one his first designs), a diamond ring from the Cento Diamond collection (Cento is his signature diamond cut with 100 facets), and a playful pendant and earrings from the Venetian Princess collection. 

The New Must-Haves 

If you’re investing in one great jewel this season, make it a long, colorful pendant necklace. Effortlessly chic, it’s the kind of signature jewel that can dress up a T-shirt and jeans or add a touch of personality to a classic blazer. Coin’s latest designs include striking options from the new Venetian Medallions collection with floral motifs in mother-of-pearl, turquoise, black jade, or agate, inspired by the paterae ornamental medallions found on historic Venetian facades.  

Another stand out is the Love in Verona bangles designed with four-petal diamond flowers dancing around the wrist. A perfect add-on to a stack of bracelets, they are equally elegant worn solo. 

When it comes to layering, go ahead and embrace the mix. Combine white, yellow, and rose gold tones, layer varying textures, and play with shapes to create a look that feels curated and personal. Just be mindful of proportion: Let one statement piece lead and build around it with more delicate accents. 

Yet, as Coin says, there are no rules. Jewelry is meant to be worn, enjoyed, and styled in ways that reflect a woman’s individuality and confidence, with a touch of romance. The romance of Venice, of course.