Verdura was established in 1939 by Fulco di Verdura, a Sicilian duke who began his career as Coco Chanel?s head jewelry designer. After eight years with Chanel and, most notably, designing the Maltese Cross brooches and cuffs, Verdura embarked to America in 1934. With a Hollywood connection through his close friend Cole Porter, Verdura designed colorful jewels for stars of the 1940s, including Greta Garbo, Rita Hayworth and Katharine Hepburn. Eventually Verdura settled in New York and, with the financial backing of Cole Porter and Vincent Astor, opened his own store on Fifth Avenue. He immediately gained following with the high-society crowd, including Babe Paley, who was his muse and one of his best clients. In 1985, after eight years as head of Sotheby's jewelry department, Ward Landrigan purchased Verdura. The company remains on Fifth Avenue and continues the tradition of creating timeless designs from the nearly 10,000 sketches Fulco made in his lifetime.