Blackamoor Jewelry by Nardi Click photo for larger image.

Grace Kelly had one. So did Liz Taylor and Barbara Hutton. Even Joe DiMaggio was interested, but it was Vogue fashion editor Diana Vreeland who really understood the value of her Blackamoor. Today collectors covet the brooches designed by Venetian jeweler Giulio Nardi depicting a turban-headed Moor. As much a symbol of Venice as the gondola or the masquerade, Blackamoor jewelry, or Moretto (Moor's head), is still being handmade by the third generation of Nardis, Alberto Nardi.

While the main shop in St. Mark's Square, Venice, is a landmark destination for tourists with taste, Nardi, with his business partner Paulo Costagli, has opened a by-appointment-only location at 730 Fifth Ave. at 57th Street in Manhattan.

"These pins have nothing to do with Africans or slavery or racism," cautions Costagli. "If you look, they have very Caucasian features."

Giulio Nardi designed the "Tree of Life" as a gift for the Venetian woman with whom he fell in love before leaving for World War I. "It was inspired by Shakespeare's story of Desdemona and Venice's noble Othello," recalls Costagli. The original was all diamonds and white gold and is still being reproduced by hand today.

"Each one is unique, because they are all handmade," notes Costagli. You can tell the ones made before the 1950s because the back of the pin is not filigreed or engraved. It is very simple and often signed "G. Nardi."

"It's crazy, but some of those early pins can go for $50,000 or $60,000 at auction," he says. The new ones are even more intricate, with frette work and filigree on the back. "They are more elaborate now and you will still never see two exactly alike made by Nardi," he adds. The firm continues the tradition and will not compromise just for the sake of business. "We want to keep it extremely exclusive because these pins and our other jewelry are something that should be loved and cherished. It's very personal," Costagli notes.

At 73, Sergio Nardi, son of Giulio, is also still designing. Often opulent, and some might say over-the-top, these jewel-encrusted busts incorporate any combination of rubies, sapphires, pearls, diamonds and more. For more information: www.nardi-venezia.com or 1-212-974-9360.