The "Fede Sarda" is born from the ideal fusion of the ancient and contemporary worlds, where tradition intertwines with human craftsmanship, and the expertise passed down meets the technical skill of master goldsmiths.

Silver "Fede Sarda"

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What is the significance of the "Fede Sarda"?

The iconic jewel of Sardinia is the "s’aneddu a granos," better known as the "Fede Sarda". It can have multiple rows of small stars (a coil twisted on itself) or "canottigli" (small filigree circles), named differently depending on the geographic area. Each piece signifies belonging to a specific area, town, or region.

The ring is distinguished by the size of the granulation of the small beads arranged in parallel rows or by the different orientation of the small leaves (similar to
quotation marks) that close and shape the curvilinear pattern of the design, comparable to lace.

Originally, there were only three or four rows, but over time, the tradition has evolved towards larger models.

Sardinian Filigree

The Geography of the Ring in Sardinia

The ring is very prominent in popular jewelry throughout the island.

It is made using various techniques and materials, with filigree being particularly notable. In older models, stones are often set using a bezel setting technique. These stones are often semi-precious or replaced with colored glass.

A particular type of engagement gift ring, called "maninfide," is quite common. This ring is made from a thin sheet of metal and features two clasped hands engraved on the top. A similar type was widespread since ancient Roman times.

In Sarrabus (Southeastern Sardinia), in addition to gold rings with stones and coral, there were also rings with flat bezels engraved with the letter "R" and other decorative motifs, such as a key symbolizing good household management.

In Trexenta (Southern Sardinia), rings are also common, but traditionally, a woman wears no more than three. The "a giardinetto" type ring, with a flat bezel, sometimes perforated, circular or square, is also widespread. This type of ring is common in Orgosolo (province of Nuoro), where it is called "aneddu de
punta," and features numerous polychrome stones surrounding a larger central stone. The predominant metal used is silver.

Sardinian Jewellery

A brief history of precious metals in Sardinia

As with traditional clothing, Sardinian jewelry offers a great variety of artifacts, differentiated over the centuries according to the needs of various social
classes, with imported materials being more prevalent than local ones. The most frequently used metal is silver, which is abundantly present on the island,
unlike gold which, though present, is found in much smaller quantities.

In Sardinia, gold was extracted until the early 1900s primarily in two locations: in Montalto, near Lula, between the Saraloi and Turuddo mountains, from a small mine that was later abandoned when extraction became uneconomical, and around Montevecchio, near Guspini (Southern Sardinia). In the latter location, gold
extraction also ceased for economic reasons.

The Montevecchio mine might be the same one from which the gold used to make the jewelry artifacts of the necropolis of Nora (an archaeological site near Pula,
frequented by the Phoenicians and Carthaginians between the 8th and 6th centuries BC) and Tharros (a Phoenician colony from the 8th and 6th centuries BC in the province of Oristano) was extracted.

Much more abundant on the island is silver, with deposits located along the western belt of the island (notably the remains of Argentiera, near Sassari, which is currently disused) and in the Iglesiente region.

The abundance of silver is undoubtedly the reason for the overwhelming prevalence of silver artifacts in Sardinia compared to those made of gold. Additionally,
in the statutes of the powerful blacksmith guilds,defined as argenters in the 17th century, they claimed most of the silver extracted on the island for themselves and their activities. They established significant artisanal production centers in Cagliari, Iglesias, Oristano, Bosa, Alghero, and Sassari.

Gold and silver filigree is also massively present, constituting one of the most important aspects of Sardinian popular jewelry, with a vast range of techniques and applications