Tucked in a courtyard in Milan’s Centro Storico, there is a discrete door with no name on it, nothing to suggest that one of Milan’s premier custom jewelers is hidden inside. For almost 30 years, Elvira’s atelier has been known only by word of mouth as her growing circle of collectors has shared the secret of her custom jewelry with their daughters, granddaughters, and close friends.

Clients are welcomed into the intimate studio where they sip espresso and browse drawers of rare and unusual gemstones painstakingly curated from around the world. Stones are selected and designs are sketched before the piece is brought to life, passing through the hands of the goldsmith, the stone setter, the polisher, and the hallmarker—all within close walking distance to the studio. Each artisan adds their own centuries-old traditional methods to the final product, resulting in a piece of jewelry that the collector only wants to take off to pass down to the next generation.

Now, after 15 years as a costume designer and stylist in New York, I’ve come to realize how much of my passion for color, details, and authentic style is rooted in Milan and the unique beauty of my mother’s studio. As a gemstone connoisseur, Elvira uses the finest Milanese artisans—known as the best in Italy—to create jewelry that is not only beautiful in design and details, but incredibly comfortable and long-lasting. Recognizing my mother’s incredible talent and knowledge, Elva was born as a way to share her incredible work with the rest of the world.

A combination of my mother’s name (Elvira) and mine (Valeria), Elva brings together Elvira’s fifty years of fine jewelry experience and my own knowledge of design, and together we create timeless pieces that are minimalistic and approachable. Every Elva piece begins behind that secret unmarked door in my mother’s courtyard and passes from hand to hand in the same Milanese process that Elvira perfected years ago. I’m so proud to introduce you to one of Milan’s best-kept secrets and I hope you find a piece that you’ll never want to take off.

— Valeria