The history of the trading house Carlo Luca Della Quercia began in 1920 under a different name – Carlo lllario, thanks to Carlo, Vincenzo and Luigi Illario in Valencia, Piedmont. The city is known as the center of jewelry art in Italy.
Carlo, not long before, worked as a jeweler in Paris at the famous jewelery house W. Wisoune. It was a time of rapid development of jewelry art, at the turn of two eras: Art Nouveau and Art Deco. Time of amazing opportunities for jewelry production: the emergence of new forms and precious materials.
Carlo (professional jeweler) was in charge of production.
Vincenzo combined the functions of a buyer, merchandiser and customer service. Luigi (accountant) worked in administration and public relations.
7 years passed, and in 1928 the production was already working stably, making a profit and planning to expand. Several highly specialized specialists were invited from Vienna, such as the jeweler E. Popper, the enameller R. Hurka, the miniature designer F. Ballon, the engraver and guilloche L. Skrabal, and the polisher K. Vory. This contributed to the emergence of the production of new categories of goods: high jewelry, medium jewelry, chains, and accessories.
The famous “Snakes” appeared by 1950.
These unique, iconic pieces have captivated the public in the form of necklaces, bracelets and rings. At the same time, enamel and mother-of-pearl appeared, as well as new jewelry characters in the assortment: fish, frogs, dragonflies.
Carlo lllario’s jewelry was truly unique. Flexible springs were inserted inside the jewelry, which “revived” the snake when they moved. The scales were made of gold and platinum, applied several layers of enamel and diamond plating.
Since 1960, the company has been a participant in almost all the iconic exhibitions in Europe, and began to sell its jewelry abroad. In 1963 they took part in a traveling jewelers’ exhibition in the USA. In the same year the name of the company was changed to Carlo lllario e Fratelli spa.
They won the most prestigious jewelery award, the Diamond International Award, with the Cornucopia bracelet, designed by Carlo Pianzola, in yellow gold and polished steel, set with baguette-cut diamonds and two oval-cut diamonds at the ends. And in 1986 they again received this award for a ring made of gold and blued steel, also made according to a drawing by Carlo Pianzola.
In 1997, Carlo (after completing his studies at the GIA and New York University) and Gian Luca Illario (trained in art in Milan and London), Carlo Illario’s grandsons, continued the family tradition by founding CARLO LUCA della QUERCIA. And go until now, this brand is known for its bracelets – snakes. The same snake flaunts on the brand logo.
The production of one snake takes up to four months.
During the year, the jewelry house produces about 150-200 pieces of jewelry. An interesting fact is that each snake head, as well as the expression of its “face”, is not repeated in any product from CarloLucadella Quercia.
In 2009, amazing Chinese dragons appeared in the assortment. A line of “snake” watches was launched with an opening mechanism, with the help of which the reptile’s head leans back and reveals the watch dial to the owner’s gaze.
In 2020, the company turned 100 years old: the family history continues and is steadily updated, thanks to the successful combination of innovative ideas and the continuity of generations. Collections of vintage jewelry with precious stones and diamonds have been added to the main collections.
