16th century
The origins of lace
Born almost simultaneously in Venice and Flanders, pillow lace spread thanks to printed pattern books.
Scanno · Abruzzo · since 2012
Pillow lace
becomes jewellery
Gold and silver threads, hand-woven one knot at a time. Unique, patented pieces born in our workshop in Scanno.
16 – 22 November 2026 · Milan
Il Gioiello del Tombolo
comes to Milan
From 16 to 22 November, at via Spartaco 11, Federica and Francesco will be there to let you see, try on and touch the jewels.
A couple, two crafts
An ancient art,
a new goldsmithing.
Federica is a lace-maker, Francesco is a goldsmith. Together they brought the tombolo of Scanno, the lace that the women of Abruzzo have handed down for centuries, into the world of jewellery.
Il Gioiello del Tombolo was born in 2012: creations made entirely by hand, the result of two methods studied and perfected over the years by the two artisans. Each piece takes days, weeks, sometimes months of work.
The method
From drawing
to jewel
A job for four hands, with a simple principle: the goldsmith supporting the lace-maker. The result is a jewel that did not exist before, protected by a patent.
01
The design
Federica creates the design and fixes it onto the tombolo, the pillow on which every pattern is born.
02
The weave
With the bobbins, onto which she has wound a special metal thread, Federica begins to weave.
03
The structure
Francesco, the goldsmith, makes in gold or silver the “perforated metal anchoring system” along the perimeter of the lace.
04
The union
With needle and metal thread, Federica attaches her lace to the goldsmith's structure. The jewel is ready.
A patent with three functions
- It makes wearable items made of thread.
- It protects them from wear.
- It enhances them aesthetically.
2012Year of birth
1Patent
100%Handmade
DaysSometimes months, for every single piece
The hands behind the jewels
Federica and Francesco
She weaves the lace, he builds the structure that makes it wearable. A job for four hands, in the workshop in Scanno.
Francesco is a second-generation goldsmith: he learned by watching his father Dino in his workshop. Federica brings the mastery of tombolo lace. From the meeting of the two crafts comes a jewel that did not exist before.
Federica SilvaniLace-maker
Francesco RotoloGoldsmith
A tradition of Scanno
Tombolo lace, in brief
Three things to know about an art that has survived for five centuries.
Abruzzo
Tombolo in Scanno
According to tradition, it was the wives of Lombard master builders who taught it to the women of the town during the long winters.
The craft
Pillow, thread, bobbins
A padded roll, pairs of bobbins, pins and a pattern: agility of hands and mind, one stitch at a time.
Come and see us
The atelier in Scanno
The best way to understand a tombolo jewel is to see it being born. Drop by the workshop, try the pieces on, ask us how they are made.
- Where
- Via Abramì 18, 67038 Scanno (AQ), Italy
- Phone
- +39 349 434 1164
- info@ilgioiellodeltombolo.it
Events
Where to find us
24 January 2024
53 Wooster Street, Manhattan
The ancient art of Scanno tombolo meets the avant-garde of New York.
2026
L'Aquila Capital of Culture
A dedicated atelier at via delle Tre Marie, 18.
16 – 22 November 2026
The atelier in Milan
Via Spartaco, 11 · Porta Vittoria / Porta Romana. Federica and Francesco, owners and creators, will be there in person. From 23 November to 15 December the creations remain in Milan at via della Chiusa, 3.