Creating Heirlooms Of The Heart: Exclusive with Buccellati's Creative Director
A confluence of art and jewellery, the house of Buccellati celebrates a century of fine design, craftsmanship, and one-of-a-kind jewels.
Since Buccellati’s humble inception in the early 20th-century, the Italian high jewellery house known for its veritable works of art has managed to preserve a certain savoir faire. Known for his enterprising spirit, the first-generation jeweller Mario Buccellati took an avid interest in the craftsmanship of metals and stones at an apprenticeship with Belrami & Besnati in the early 18th-century. In 1919, he opened his first eponymous jewellery label in Milan, on Largo Santa Margherita. Paying homage to the goldsmithing techniques of the Italian Renaissance and combining it with his appreciation of Venetian art, his jewels held a rich textural quality almost resembling fabrics such as lace and damask. Buccellati’s designs started circulating through Italian high society soon expanding to the royal families of Spain and Egypt, as well as the pope and the great cardinals of Rome. One of his customers, an Italian poet, Gabriele d’Annunzio addressed him as ‘The Prince of Goldsmiths.’ Following his success in Italy, Mario Buccellati ventured into the American market with two stores in New York in a short span of two years.
After Mario Buccellati’s passing in 1965, his four sons took the reigns of the illustrious Milanese jeweller. Amongst them, Gianmaria Buccellati along with his brother Luca were the notable driving forces behind turning Buccellati into an international powerhouse. Owing to their creative vision for the brand and strong business sense, Buccellati jewels have stood the test of time. As the brand is nearing completion of a century-long journey, Gianmaria’s son Andrea Buccellati and his daughter Lucrezia are spearheading the expansion of the business across the globe.
An inimitable design aesthetic and refined craftsmanship have always been at the centre of the Buccellati universe. Since its inception, the jeweller has laid emphasis on artistry. Reviving the use of age-old engraving and chiselling techniques incorporated into a mix of precious stones, the brand makes a case for uniqueness. “Every Buccellati jewel is a work of art, because it is entirely handmade and therefore unique. But, the connection between Buccellati and art also comes from the sources of inspiration—Italian Renaissance, classical beauty, Art Deco, and Venetian paintings,” says Andrea Buccellati speaking of the brand’s association with the art world.
Andrea is involved in every step of creation at Buccellati. Inspiration for the jewels largely stem from details in art and architecture or the colours of different stones. “When I start making sketches, it is my imagination connecting with my heart and my hands,” explains Andrea. “After the drawing is finished I meet the artisans and I explain my drawing that I will follow step by step until the final realisation of the jewels. They pass through six steps of production—first the goldsmiths, then the engravers, and lastly the stone setters,” he adds. The jewels are instantly recognisable owing to the engraving techniques like rigato (parallel lines cut onto the surface of metal to obtain a sheen effect), ornato (decorations based on natural forms), and modellato (the most delicate engraving technique used for ornate borders). Their ‘Eternelle Tulle’ ring was the heart of their lace filigree collection and continues to remain a bestseller. Feather-light and airy, the pieces take over 500 hours of painstaking attention to detail to perfect the delicate honeycomb design with variations in white gold, yellow gold, and diamonds. “Sampling and sourcing gems is a crucial process in jewellery making,” explains Andrea Buccellati “We have various stone suppliers, and many of them have been working with us for generations, now. They perfectly know what we look for in the market and this is of great help to make the first selection,” he adds. Evoking a sense of nostalgia, Buccellati pieces effortlessly blend old-world charm with the appeal of modern finishing.
Visit the discreet atelier in Milan and you won’t smell the fumes of large machines or the cutting sounds typical of even larger watch or jewellery manufacturers.
Almost everything at Buccellati is done by hand by 200 highly skilled artisans. Over the course of the years, Buccellati has expanded its repertoire to include silver objects and bespoke timepieces, making them an auction-house favourite. In 2001, Gianmaria Buccellati inaugurated the brand’s first watch collection at the SIHH exhibition in Geneva. The timepieces are almost jewel-like with paved dials featuring as a signature. Most Buccellati timepieces are designed as cuffs making them an ideal choice of jewellery for a bride. Nature-inspired and Renaissance motifs are the recurring themes in the brand’s silver objects. Their silverware for instance brings to life the natural shapes of dahlias, anemones, and gardenias in dinnerware, while their figurines show a confluence of organic forms and fruits like pumpkin, pear and even hand carved animal figures with exquisite detailing.
An endearing quality of Buccellati pieces is that along with being visually appealing, they come with an element of multi-functionality. The Milanese jeweller, showcased their latest high jewellery collection at their atelier in Paris in 2017. The highlight of the collection titled Romanza was the ‘Carlotta’ tiara. Conceived for a princess bride, the tiara can be transformed into a necklace. Composed of rhomboidal motifs set with four diamonds, it alternates with elements in white and gold. “Its design has been developed along the concept of oriental tiaras, with a drop-shaped decoration on the forehead,” says Andrea. To complete the ‘Carlotta’ line, they reimagined the tiara into a bejewelled watch with openwork elements in white gold and white diamonds reminiscent of light Victorian lace. With an increase in demands for customised jewellery pieces, Andrea Buccellati is here to deliver. “As a part of our business, we have always designed on request of clients. We cater to those who just want a new one-of-a-kind piece or those who want to set their own stones in a new jewel. I have to say that this is the most enthusiastic part of my job, as I have to fuse the client’s personality with the jewels,” says the designer.
Now in 2017, the heritage jewellery house continues to keep its eye on expansion, with Lucrezia Buccellati running the show alongside her father Andrea. “Think of the Romanza bridal collection, designed by Lucrezia and me—it is perfect for all those millennials who are getting married or think of a life together,” suggests Andrea about the increasing importance of a much younger audience. For instance, their latest campaign, lensed by Peter Lindbergh shows the French actress Elisa Sednaoui wearing Opera chain necklaces over a plain white T-shirt. While Italian Renaissance has been the cornerstone of Buccellati jewels, the father-daughter duo have found a new, fresher take. In 2015, they celebrated the relaunch of their New York store with a showcase of five jewellery pieces inspired by great works of art. Their take on Monet’s Storm on the Coast of Belle-Île were earrings where the waves were captured with white diamond pendant earrings accentuated with Paraiba tourmalines, while Winslow Homer’s Light Blue Sea at Prout’s Neck was reinterpreted as a bracelet set entirely in white diamonds, reproducing foamy textures of the sea. The designs looked more abstract, and modern rather than a direct interpretation of the artworks.
Geographically, Andrea reveals that Buccellati is aiming to tap into ‘new markets’ focusing mostly on expanding the brand in Asia and the Middle East. “We are sure that the respect for top-level craftsmanship and our ‘Made in Italy’ techniques and style will allow us to launch amazing new collections in future.” What is to come? “Wait and see,” he concludes.