Peruzzi — Boston c.1930 — 1981
Mark: Peruzzi Boston

Founded in Boston by Gino Peruzzi in the
early 1930’s,
Sold to Aldo Fioravanti in 1945.
Went out of business in 1982.
Info from “Amazing Gems”.

As usual. please click on the photos.

I used to shop in a little store that had the most wonderful vintage and antique pieces. I enjoyed the wonder of the place so much that I worked there part time for several years on Saturdays and sometimes after teaching. I loved being around all the cool stuff.

While a customer I fell in love with a necklace which I purchased, because it reminded me so much of wonderful trips to Italy. I had no idea of its background for years until I joined a vintage charm collectors group on ebay. There I learned that the manufacturer was Peruzzi, which was in business for 50 years. It was started in Boston in the 1930’s and was sold to Aldo Fioravanti, in 1945. It closed its doors in 1982. These wonderful pieces catered to the tourists like myself who met Italy and couldn’t say, “Ariverderci, Roma.”

My first chain. This is a very long necklace of florentine links and is embedded with “stations” of heavy silver charms of Roman symbols. I wear it doubled or tripled:

Maschere, or masks, possibly fountains or funerary,

the papal keys,

a bird, symbol I believe of the holy spirit,

the Roman eagle, SPQR,

the fleur de lis.

necklace

This bracelet was purchased on ebay. Several of the charms are on some of my recently posted Italy bracelets, so they might look familiar. The wide links are a mix of Italian city symbols and have beautiful workmanship:

The shield (Florence),

Romulus and Remus with the she-wolf (Rome),

cupid holding the dolphin (Florentine fountain)

fleur de lis (Florence)

San Marco Lion (Venice)

bracelet

This chain was purchased on ebay as well and is a beauty. It is shorter than the previous one, and chock full of charms, representing the big cities again:

The shield,

il porcellino, the lucky pig in Florence,

Romulus and Remus (Rome),

Il Bambino (Florence)

Lion Passant (Florence),

maschere, masks, perhaps for carnivale

San Marco Lion (Venice)

and a statue with cross.

neclkace

reply stillybee wrote on Apr 19, ’08 I gigle in glee as I bzzzzz from blog to blog today!! From farmers markets to arranging flowers to scrapbooking to great restaurants and now to here! Very nice!! What do I type in specifically to find sum of these beautys??

reply poetessgarden wrote on Apr 19, ’08 so intricate and beautiful…you must have a jewelry box the size of my closet LOL

reply butlerdidit2 wrote on Apr 19, ’08 Lovely bracelets made more so by their historical background commentary. I find all your works beautiful. Thanks, once again!

reply sweetpotatoqueen wrote on Apr 19, ’08 These are to die for…so very unusual!

reply skeezicks1957 wrote on Apr 20, ’08 poetessgarden said you must have a jewelry box the size of my closet How do you display them? Or do you put them away in a chest of some type. And do you present an educational program about them to groups?

reply starfishred wrote on Apr 20, ’08, edited on Apr 20, ’08 The bracelet with romulus and remus you are never going to believe I have practically the same thing-my hubby’s aunt Marci left it to me in her will cause I love Florence and Italy so much-she bought it in Florence many many many years ago-she has been dead 10 yers and she was 95 when she died-such a coincidence

reply luluone wrote on Apr 20, ’08 nice bracelets.. and it’s nice to know the origin of something you like:-) I like necklaces more

reply agnes128 wrote on Apr 20, ’08 I was gonna ask if the bracelet was custom made for you, but read the comments. I like the chains, but I always drool on your bracelets ;-D They are so personnal, unusual and telling your story.

reply nemo4sun wrote on Apr 20, ’08 i didn’t know anything about “marks” until watching antiques roadshowinteresting to know where something is made and it’s history 🙂

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Apr 20, ’08 poetessgarden said so intricate and beautiful…you must have a jewelry box the size of my closet LOL (I probably do!!)

reply sanssouciblogs wrote on Apr 20, ’08 butlerdidit2 said Lovely bracelets made more so by their historical background commentary. I find all your works beautiful. Thanks, once again! 1 is a bracelet the other 2 are necklaces.

editdeletereply lauritasita wrote on Apr 20, ’08 These are beautiful, that’s for sure! It must be great working in the shop that sells these ! I’d be working overtime everyday!

reply mystied wrote on Apr 21, ’08 I’d love to hold one of those up close and study the detail, I imagine the pictures do not do the artist’s work justice. I’m sure you treasure every single one of them for their true value.