Using gold as a canvas for exquisite craftsmanship, Milanese jewellery brand Buccellati, founded in 1919, has created iconic styles that continue to captivate connoisseurs across generations, a distinction achieved by only a select few among Italy’s many jewellery brands.
Maria Cristina Buccellati, Global Communications Director of Buccellati, and Nicolas Luchsinger, CEO of Buccellati, share the journey of growing a historic brand into the modern world from Milan, in an exclusive interview with Shilpa Dhamija.
Mario Buccellati, the visionary founder of the Italian maison, launched his namesake venture in the bold, transformative era following World War I. He acquired the Beltrami and Besnati goldsmith business in the heart of Milan, where he had mastered his craft as a jeweller. Within a few years, Buccellati expanded to Rome and Florence, earning acclaim for his intricate craftsmanship, which transformed gold into delicate designs resembling lace, tulle, and honeycomb.
In the 1950s, Mario Buccellati’s sons joined the family business, to help expand the brand’s global reach; they established the first boutique in New York City and partnering with a reputed luxury goods importer in Japan. As his sons pursued global expansion, Mario continued to innovate, applying his goldsmithing techniques to create collectible silverware and jewelled cases. In the 1970s, Gianmaria Buccellati, Mario’s son, founded the Italian Gemological Institute (IGI).
In 2020, Swiss luxury conglomerate Richemont, which is also the parent company of Cartier, acquired Buccellati to expand the Italian brand’s global presence and its exquisitely crafted, Renaissance-inspired jewellery. Under Richemont’s stewardship, Buccellati’s store count grew from 28 to 48 within four years, with nearly 30% of its boutiques now located in China.
The third generation of the Buccellati family, Maria Cristina Buccellati, Gianmaria’s daughter, along with her brother Andrea Buccellati, continues to uphold and advance the brand’s creative and unparalleled legacy.
How do you create demand for a historic brand in a modern world?
Nicolas Luchsinger: Italy, like India, has a deep history in craftsmanship. As a jewellery brand, Buccellati takes inspiration from the Renaissance period. The reason we continue to be in demand is because we are consistent with our style which is why our designs are instantly recognisable. We never change or follow trends. Our products are niche, very refined and not mass produced. That is the secret to our success.
Maria Cristina Buccellati: We are fortunate to have a diverse clientele spanning all ages, including many loyal customers who have remained devoted to the brand for years. For instance, our highly successful silver jewellery line, Blossoms, crafted in combination with gold, appeals to both younger and older clients alike. Additionally, our other jewellery collections are thoughtfully designed to allow for versatile mixing and matching, catering to a wide range of tastes and preferences.
While we do care about reaching younger consumers, we don’t change our defined style just to match ongoing trends. Our style transcends generations as it is timeless. For instance, most of the jewellery that I wear is from my mother and grandmother, and even my daughter wears it. Similarly, our client growth is achieved organically because they have seen our products owned in their family.
How do you attract new clients beyond relying on word-of-mouth promotion? Who are the newer audiences you aim to reach?
Nicolas Luchsinger: We have marketing campaigns and do product placements. We have historical markets like France, Italy, the UK and the US, and then we have new markets like the Middle East and China, Taiwan, and Singapore where we do events to gain traction.
We have recently started using modern-day girls in our campaign, aristocrats, easy-going people. Buccellati is not only elegant, but it is also for everyday use.
Which are Buccellati’s most important markets today ?
Nicolas Luchsinger: The Asia-Pacific region, including China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, is our biggest market today. We are doing well in traditional markets, too, such as Europe. We have been present in the U.S. since the 1950s, when our first store was opened in New York. We believe the US is a very important market for high-jewellery as well, and we can grow more in the subcontinent.
Maria Cristina Buccellati: There are many markets that we are developing our presence in such as the Middle East. We already have a store in Dubai and are opening another one there as well as one in Saudi Arabia.
India is the second-largest consumer of gold jewellery and among the top three global jewellery markets. For European jewellery brands such as yours, do you see the same growth potential in India as in China and the US?
Nicolas Luchsinger: India is one of the most experienced jewellery markets in the world. The reason we are not in India is because we wonder why anyone would buy a Buccellati piece when they already have the best jewellery in India. If you look at the Ambani wedding their jewellery was made by the local jewellers.
Maria Cristina Buccellati: That said, we do try to attract the Indian diaspora in the Middle East because we know Indians love to shop there for jewellery. Maybe one day we will also be in India because we feel Buccellati and Indian craftsmanship have some similarities in their aspiration for perfection.
Buccellati is renowned for its unique engraving techniques on precious metals. Which of these techniques have stood out as the most popular over time?
Maria Cristina Buccellati: We use many different kinds of engravings on our jewellery such as Segrinato, Rigato, Ornato and Telato. A hallmark engraving style by Buccellati is the Segrinato, in which a delicate luminosity is created on the metal by engraving overlapping lines in different directions. The Telato technique is used to create a fine intricate texture similar to linen or canvas. While in the Ornato technique, the decorations take the forms found in nature such as animals, leaves and flowers.
However, the most popular and successful engraving technique on precious metal used by Buccellati is Rigato. We apply it to many of our collections such as Dream bracelets and even our iconic Macri collection. In a certain way, we can say it is a simple looking technique but certainly not the easiest to achieve. As for the Rigato technique, we create a silky sheen texture by cutting parallel lines into the metal. A craftsman has to have a very firm hand to be able to achieve that.
Segrinato is more complicated. We do it on some rings and on boxes. Ornato and Rigato are often used together because they complement each other. We pride ourselves on doing these engravings because they are very complicated and no one else does them as they are expensive and time-consuming.
Where do you source the precious raw materials for your jewellery? Do you cut the gems in-house?
Maria Cristina Buccellati: We don’t cut the diamonds in-house. Only once have we cut the diamond in-house, which was for the Opera jewellery collection.
Which is your personal favourite piece from the recent Buccellati collections?
Maria Cristina Buccellati: Although I adore all of our jewellery, my personal favourite is the high-jewellery Opera collection that we launched 4-5 years ago. They feature emerald-coloured diamonds and all the workmanship of Buccellati, using the pierced honeycomb style of our brand.
The new copy of the famous Magnolia brooch designed by Gianmaria in the 1990s for the Japanese collection, the yellow, pink, and white gold flower features white gold petals hand-engraved using the Segrinato technique that lends the petals an opaque, soft, velvety texture, while the glossy etched veins highlight the realistic appearance of the flower, which seem to move in the wind. Yellow gold stamens in the centre of a rose-gold corolla are engraved using the Rigato technique.
