Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** This piece highlights Pedonesi Jewelry, a 47-year-old family business in Lucca’s historic center that embodies Italian craftsmanship. Brothers Vittorio and Andrea share how their artisanal roots and commitment to quality align with the city’s growing focus on meaningful tourism.
For 47 years in the historic center, Pedonesi Jewelry is a symbol of Made in Italy: “Quality tourism in Lucca”
12 October 2025 | 13:05
Brothers Vittorio and Andrea started as goldsmith artisans: “Jewelry can be significant gestures of love and attention”
A business that has been part of Lucca’s historic center for 47 years.
At Pedonesi Jewelry, located at 187 Via Fillungo, artisanal beauty and product care crafted by skilled hands have always been at home. Ever since Vittorio Pedonesi began the story of a place that is still making history for the city, even across the ocean.
Alongside him, practically from the start, is the other crucial half of Pedonesi Jewelry: his brother Andrea.
“We have been in the historic center for many years,” recounts Vittorio Pedonesi. “Even today, many customers come to our shop. I started in 1970 as a watchmaker, but I have been practicing my current activity since 1975 as an employee in a workshop in Santa Maria a Colle. My brother Andrea, on the other hand, trained to become an artisan.
We opened here in the historic center in 1978. That’s how we went into business for ourselves. Initially, we took over an old shop that was closing at that time, which was located opposite our current location at 148 Via Fillungo.”
Vittorio and Andrea Pedonesi have practically always had a predisposition for this work in their DNA. But they owe who they are today to years of commitment and sacrifices, especially in the beginning. “My brother Andrea and I learned our trade as kids,” says Mr. Vittorio. “We went to school and at the same time, in our free time, we went to learn the craft in a workshop.
We both started as goldsmith artisans. Then we specialized. I went on to learn the watchmaking trade, while Andrea focused on goldsmithing. And we both worked as employees.”
“This was before we went into business for ourselves. Initially, he worked in Corte Portici. We also have another brother, Pier Luigi, who works as a goldsmith. We also commission work from him in his workshop.”
The current Pedonesi Jewelry store has been at its present location since 1990.
“We have been at 187 Via Fillungo for 35 years,” says Vittorio Pedonesi. “We have a staff of nine. Next door we have the Pedonesi Fashion jewelry store. Before, we were where we started, at 148 Via Fillungo. There is also the Swatch monobrand store, opened in 1991, with which we doubled our space compared to the current jewelry store. We were the fourth Swatch monobrand store. About thirty-five major watch brands are currently represented there.”
The strength of Pedonesi Jewelry is its foreign customers. Or perhaps the true added value, as Mr. Andrea Pedonesi tells us with an important reflection. “Foreigners seek Made in Italy more. For them, making a beautiful purchase during a more favorable moment in their life, like a trip to Italy, is a special treat. They will remember that gift for their entire life. Lucca, in recent years, has enjoyed good, high-quality tourism. I believe that for a purchase of one of our products, even one with a higher cost, several factors come into play. A trust relationship is certainly paramount. A store like ours, which has been here for almost 50 years, also sells a product with a particular brand. In the end, it’s also a matter of brand recognition, and if you can afford it, you have no problem spending on something special, perhaps unique.”
“Today,” adds Andrea Pedonesi, “beyond this, there is also our own touch. And then word-of-mouth helps you if you do good work. We are also quite active and present in the area throughout the year. We organize events in various important local locations.”
Behind every piece of jewelry, Pedonesi Jewelry has a special and precious story to tell. “Thanks to artisan work,” recounts Vittorio Pedonesi, “we bring to life unique jewelry or creations made with passion and dedication. Pedonesi Jewelry aims to move its customers, understanding their needs and desires. I want to recall, among the many stories of our countless customers, a fairly recent episode that struck us deeply.
Last year, a husband gave an American tourist a ring after commissioning it from us. The surprise was perfectly organized in every detail, and the wife said she did not expect such a significant and precious gift. This girl was happier than we could have ever expected. This year, her parents also came to commission a piece from us.”
“This,” says Vittorio Pedonesi with satisfaction, “was an emotional moment for all of us, a testament to how jewelry can be profoundly significant gestures of love and attention. Even in these weeks, we are working on a piece for a foreign tourist. We strive to apply ourselves with particular artisanal care. First, we make a drawing that meets their wishes, in a way that is much more accurate today than in the past. Then we carry out the various operations, like casting, to finally create a unique ring with sapphires, as requested.”