Amid the boom and revolution of Milan in 1967, artists, writers and eccentrics of all stripes fueled their creative ferment with drinks at the legendary Bar Jamaica. There, the son of a Milanese goldsmith hatched a bar-side plan for a new kind of jewelry: Aimed at the era’s freewheeling feminists, it would be expressive yet easy to wear, blending Italian artisanship with the kind of prêt-à-porter nonchalance that was replacing haute couture’s fussy supremacy in fashion. Pino Rabolini called his jewelry line Pomellato.

This year, Pomellato celebrates its 50th anniversary, and has made appreciable progress from those Bar Jamaica origins. The company now has more than 60 shops in 50 countries. And while its parent company, Kering, does not break out financial figures by brand and Pomellato will not disclose its sales, Women’s Wear Daily has reported that Pomellato is Europe’s fifth-largest jewelry company in terms of revenue.