Centennial Excellence
1880
Birth of Pirro Piccini, goldsmith, engraver, setter, and founder of the Maison
1903
Piero Piccini opened the shop that bears his name at Ponte Vecchio, 23
1925
Armando Piccini, the youngest of Pirro’s three sons, began attending Porta Romana Art Institute. The great master, Libero Andreotti, mentored and later invited him to teach at the same school
1936
On behalf of his father’s firm, Armando Piccini took part in the 20th Venice Biennale and was awarded first prize in the semi-precious stones and cameos category.
1937
Ugo Ojetti, member of the Royal Academy of Italy, commissioned Armando Piccini to create a two-layer onyx cameo depicting his daughter Paola
1951
Pirro Piccini handed the company over to his sons Renzo, Tebaldo, and Armando, renaming it Fratelli Piccini
1958
Fratelli Piccini participated in the International Diamond Awards competition in New York. Their powder case in gold, platinum, and diamonds—embossed and chiseled masterfully and entirely by hand—captured first place
1959
As a confirmation of the international level of their mastery, Fratelli Piccini again won first prize at the International Diamond Awards in Buenos Aires
1966
The Arno flood shattered Florence without sparing the Ponte Vecchio shops. However, thanks to the restoration and consolidation work carried out a few years earlier, Fratelli Piccini managed to save a great deal of their jewelry and historical archives from the fury of the Arno River
1970
Renzo’s daughter, Laura Piccini, who entered the company in the mid-1950s, began assisting Armando in the search and selection of precious stones all over the world
1986
Laura’s daughter, Elisa Tozzi Piccini, graduated in gemology from the GIA in Los Angeles
1990
Laura Piccini took the reins of the company with her daughter Elisa by her side
1993
Fratelli Piccini celebrated their first 90 years of business with an exhibition of their creations at the Bardini Museum. To honor this important milestone, they donated 14 engraved semi-precious stones to the City of Florence. These stones had won the 20th Venice Biennale first prize and are now housed in the Tesoro dei Granduchi Museum at Palazzo Pitti
2003
The Maison celebrated its 100th anniversary by restoring the Charity by Piero del Pollaiolo. Out of the seven Virtues series, only this painting shows a jewel with a preparatory sketch by his well-known brother, Antonio, on its back.
The Superintendent of the Polo Museale Fiorentino, Director of the Vatican Museums, and Minister for Cultural and Environmental Heritage, Professor Antonio Paolucci, together with the philosopher and scholar, Professor Massimo Cacciari, presented this important initiative at the Uffizi Library (former Magliabechian Library).
Since then, the work has been on permanent display at the Uffizi Gallery
2013
Elisa Tozzi Piccini was appointed as the fourth generation leader of the family business. She contributed a personal, contemporary touch to the Maison’s centenary traditions
2017
The Armando Piccini Award Jewelry Design Competition was established. This initiative came from Elisa Tozzi Piccini’s desire to bring young talent closer to the art of goldsmiths