History

In 1961 the company Deambrogio Fratelli (trademark 1043AL) was founded by the two brothers Italo and Piergiorgio Deambrogio. At the beginning the headquarter was established in viale della Repubblica 30, then in 1963 it moved at number 5/H of the same street where it is still today. At that time 30 employees worked for the company, they were specialized in high jewellery, above all in making the so called “chiusure-gioiello” (jewelry clasps) for necklaces and for bracelets addressed to national and international markets. In 1955 one of the two founders, the commander Italo Deambrogio (1929-2015), after a period of work at Staurino Pietro and Carlo Ceva, founded a society with Lorenzo Ricaldone. The company counted 35 employees and it specialized in clasps too. In 1961 his younger brother Piergiorgio (who was born in 1933) joined the society after some working experiences at Martinengo and Barberis and at Carlo Ceva too. During the years the Deambrogio Fratelli maintained its traditional production of clasps but at the same time eriche its offer making other products such as rings, earing, bracelets and chokers. In 1997 the company was converted into srl becoming a limited company. Currently Paola, Andrea, Gianluca and Stefano, Italo and Piergiorgio’s sons, are involved in the business. This historical company was awarded with several acknowledgements such as Sant’Eligio prize (2005), gold medal assigned by Camera di Commercio (2008), Oscar del successo by Provincia di Alessandria (2015).

Archive

Documents witnessing the work of the company have been collected since 1961, the year of the foundation. Around 10.000 pieces are counted, among them especially rubber moulds and base metal moulds. Many documents are already useful for commercial activity and manufacturing, especially the latest material.

Particular attention should be given to the series below:

Rubber moulds collection, around 9000 pieces, 1961-2016

Base metal moulds collection, around 500 pieces, approximately the‘60s

Technical catalogues for production and sale, from model nr. 1 to the current nr. 8334, for what concerns the recent pieces the material is collected both papery and digital

Drawings, both papery and digital

Photographs catalogue for advertising

Attendance book for employees from the foundation in 09/01/1961

Sources

Lia Lenti, Gioielli e gioiellieri di Valenza, Arte e storia 1825-1975, Allemandi, Turin 1994, description on page 408 and images 114, 371, 372, 666.

Deambrogio Fratelli, in Previdenza sociale e lavoro in Italia, anno XI, n. maggio-giugno 1967, pages 251-252

Deambrogio Fratelli, in Vogue Jewellery Directory 1999, Condé Nast 1999

W. Fochesato, R. Massola, Gioielli su carta. Ricchezze dorata fra disegni e cartoline: da Valenza all’Italia, Interlinea, Novara 2018, drawing print on page 62