Founded in 1929
FOPE has been based in Vicenza since 1929 when Umberto Cazzola, a goldsmith, opened his workshop in the city
It was the economic boom of the 1960s that allowed Umberto’s son Odino to expand; investing in modern technologies that saw the development of an innovative flexible metal strap, which was the precursor to its now-iconic Flex’it and was popular among Swiss watch brands. It is this strap – the Novecento mesh, launched in 1985 and supplied to Swiss watch brands – that gave the Company its first name, the rather catchy initialism FICM (Italian Factory Metal Strap in English). The boom in the jewellery side of the business led to a change of name in the late 1960s from FICM to Factory of Jewellery Precious Export. Luckily this time the acronym was deemed better and FOPE was born.
By the year 2000, FOPE has become successful enough to open its global headquarters in the heart of Vicenza where the brand continues to blend traditional Italian jewellery-making craftsmanship with cutting-edge technology. FOPE updated, patented, and renamed its Novecento mesh Flex’it system in 2007. This new and improved mesh was rendered fully flexible due to the tiny gold springs discreetly hidden between each 18ct gold link. Ten years after the launch of the first Flex’it collection, LadyFope was introduced – a collection of quartz watches that embraced the Flex’it system with a Flex’it bracelet.
FOPE has now been crafting beautiful jewellery for over 90 years. The brand’s classic yet contemporary collections harness a quintessentially Italian form of elegance, style and sophistication, with cross-generational appeal. From the patented flexible gold bracelets that are decadent as well as comfortable, to the twisted white gold rings, each piece is a touch of luxury you can wear every day.
We are delighted to have partnered with FOPE for many years, stocking the brand’s elegant collections in both the UK and US showrooms and online, whilst working with FOPE to develop exclusive pieces that give us a point of difference in the market. Since opening the UK’s first FOPE boutique on Old Bond Street, London, in 2019, we have welcomed FOPE VIP clients to an exclusive event and Manufacture visit in Italy, as part of the Vicenzaoro fair, and to our London boutique and select Mappin & Webb showrooms for 1-2-1 appointments and new collection previews.