Buccellati London’s customer base has evolved into a growing mix of aficionados from Britain, as well as luxury tourists from all over the world, informs senior journalist David Brough.
Buccellati London’s boutique off Bond Street, showcases exquisite “Made in Italy” craftsmanship in high jewellery and collectable objects that reflect the “timeless beauty” of the brand.
The first Buccellati shop opened in Milan in 1919 and rapidly won a reputation for outstanding craftsmanship and customer service, which remain the brand’s hallmark today.
Now owned by the Richemont group, Buccellati has more than three dozen stores located in top luxury retail hubs around the world, including recent additions in Singapore and Dubai.
“What makes Buccellati stand out is ‘Made in Italy’ craftsmanship, its uniqueness, and service,” Lord Bruce Dundas, Managing Director of Buccellati London, told Solitaire in an interview.
Discretion is another byword for the brand, as typified by Buccellati London’s location on Albemarle Street in Mayfair, off Piccadilly and just a short walk from bustling Bond Street, London’s high jewellery district.
The boutique, which has a convivial atmosphere and a garden where guests and customers can relax, presents a variety of one-off high jewellery pieces, recent collections of fine jewellery at more accessible prices, and objects including unique, hand-made silver sculptures of wildlife.
The hottest collections at the moment include the Macri and Hawaii lines, and Giardino high jewellery, Lord Dundas said.
The “rigato” effect, obtained by handmade engraving, reaches its peak of virtuosity in the Macri Collection.
The surface is wavy and embellished with brilliant-cut diamonds set in tiny star-shaped rosettes. Small and shiny gold beads play with the opaque texture and the light of the diamonds.
The Hawaii collection was conceived by a spark of inspiration of Mario Buccellati, the founder of the brand, in the 1930s, and had immediate success due to its enthralling modernity.
Unaltered in time, from then on its design has remained a best-seller at Buccellati: tiny gold circles formed of threads, hand-twisted one by one and then intertwined, in a perfect work of engineering, to become bracelets, long and short necklaces, and pendant earrings of rare beauty. White, yellow and rose gold or the three colours together.
To a brand that made “timeless beauty” its motto, the Hawaii collection is a symbol of everlasting youth and elegance.
In the high jewellery range, the “Il Giardino di Buccellati” collection shows off the extraordinary intricacy of Buccellati design, and comprises instantly recognisable Buccellati pieces.
All of Buccellati’s contemporary jewels are designed by Milan-based Andrea Buccellati and his daughter Lucrezia, who are descended from the company’s founders, and are handcrafted by the highly trained craftspeople at Buccellati’s growing atelier in Milan.
Buccellati is currently expanding its recruitment of artisans in Italy to meet the rising global demand for unique, handcrafted luxury items that show off exceptional designs.
Buccellati London, which opened in October 2020, is developing its bespoke business, and prioritised building relationships with high-net-worth customers in the UK market during the lockdowns.
Now that the virus-driven confinement period is over in the UK, the customer base of Buccellati London has evolved into a growing mix of aficionados from Britain, as well as luxury tourists coming from all over the world, notably from the United States and the Gulf Middle East.
Buccellati is upgrading its website and social media presence to adjust to the rapid digital transformation of the high jewellery and collectables markets, with plans for wider campaigns on Instagram and meticulously targeted marketing and advertising strategies.
Celebrities play a part too: British actress Kristin Scott Thomas, perhaps best known for her roles in the movies “The English Patient” and “Four Weddings and a Funeral”, has worn Buccellati on the red carpet in London.
Buccellati London, with the backing of Richemont, is now well-positioned to establish its mark on the London luxury scene.