Fulco di Verdura

Duke Fulco di Verdura
Duke Fulco di Verdura, circa 1939.
Born	Fulco Santostefano della Cerda (1898-03-20)March 20, 1898 Villa Niscemi, Palermo, Italy
Died	August 15, 1978(1978-08-15) (aged 80) London
Resting place	Cimitero di Sant'Orsola, Palmero
Occupation	Jeweler, Artist
Parent(s)	Giulio Santostefano della Cerda and Carolina Valguarnera
Relatives	Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (cousin)

Fulco di Verdura (20 March 1898 – 15 August 1978), or Fulco Santostefano della Cerda, Duke of Verdura, and Marquis of Murata la Cerda, was an influential Italian jeweller. His career began with an introduction to designer Gabrielle "Coco" Chanel by composer Cole Porter. He opened his own jewelry salon, which he called Verdura, in 1939.

He was the last to bear the now-defunct Sicilian title of Duke of Verdura and his cousin was the prominent Sicilian Prince, the writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of the famous novel The Leopard. A biography of di Verdura was published by Thames and Hudson, authored by Patricia Corbett.

Born in 1898 in Palermo, Italy, Fulco di Verdura grew up in aristocratic surroundings largely unchanged since the 1700s. During his early years, he developed a vivid imagination, wild sense of humor, and a love for animals that would later influence his jewelry designs.

Fulco gained the title of Duke when, in August 1923, his father died. Free to go where he pleased but limited financially, he would have to find a profession that fit his stature and provided income to match his lifestyle.

A meeting in 1919 put Fulco on the path to discover what would be his life’s work. That year, he met Linda and Cole Porter – two of his biggest supporters and early backers – in Palermo. Six years later, during a party hosted by the Porters in Venice, Linda introduced Fulco to Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel, who would go on to hire Fulco as a textile designer in 1927. Quickly identifying his talents, Chanel asked him to update the settings of jewelry she had been given by ex-lovers, including Bendor, Duke of Westminster, and the Russian Grand Duke Dmitri. Impressed with his work, Chanel began what would be an eight-year collaboration by making him head designer of Chanel jewelry.

Not long after Fulco started working for Chanel, he created her now iconic Maltese Cross Cuffs, setting a gold cross adorned with bright cabochons in white enamel. A year later, Chanel boutiques sold a piece of costume jewelry modeled after the cuffs Fulco created. The cuffs are considered the hallmark of the Verdura brand and they have been copied many times over the years.