Saturday, October 10, 2015

Designer Spotlight: Buccellati


This exquisite designer ring is set with 39 brilliant-cut diamonds in white gold rhombs. The scalloped border is molded in an openwork design with frilled yellow gold, fashioned in the likeness of Venetian lace. In all of its magnificence, this ring sings with the hallmarks of its high-class designer, Buccellati.

Buccellati is the trade name for one of the most prestigious jewelry design firms in the world. Its headquarters are located in New York City, but this family-owned dynastic jewelry house owes its beginnings to the influence of its birthplace, Milan, Italy.

In 1919, Mario Buccellati opened his first jewelry boutique on Largo Santa Margherita in Milan. Having learned the secrets of the Italian goldsmiths, Signori Buccellati put his acquired skills to use. Drawing upon the inspired works of the Italian Renaissance, Buccellati infused every jewel with imagination and inspiration. Striving for perfection, he developed a meticulous approach which has now brought forth signature designs that look almost like the delicate lace that inspires them.

True to form, this particular Buccalleti jewel features the signature pairing of gold and diamonds. When their work is not inspired by fine textured linens, it is inspired by flowers and leaves. Every Buccellati piece is completely hand engraved. A smooth surface is rarely found in this designer's work, as that would be boring. And Buccellati is never boring, never predictable, never run of the mill.

In all their pieces, an elegant simplicity can be found. Recurring patterns, recurring themes, reinvented from one year to the next. Every piece is made by hand, drawing upon centuries of trade secrets passed down from father to son/father to daughter.

Today, Buccellati is in the capable hands of four Buccellatis. Gino manages the silver goods, Maria Cristina oversees marketing, and Andrea serves as president of the firm. These three men inherited the firm from their father, Gianmaria, who in turn inherited it from his father, Mario. The fourth Buccellati, Lucrezia, is the first female to hold the prestigious position of designer alongside her father, Andrea.

Lucrezia represents the new age of Buccellati in what she calls "a soft passage from old to new."{1} She explained to Galena Mosovich of Ocean Drive that the house has always aligned two generations to work together in conceptualizing the firm and its designs. In this way, the secrets of the trade are passed down without interruption, and tradition is always influenced by the now.

With a current focus on engagement rings and jeweled electronics cases, Lucrezia continues to draw on the Italian Renaissance for her cues. Techniques passed down for over four centuries have been enhanced with the introduction of more sophisticated tools which are used to wrought decidedly classic designs.

Buccellati jewels are inspired by many things, including nature's beauty, elements of dreams, Venetian lace, the works of Benvenuto Cellini, Italian architecture, and of course by the woman who will wear their jewels.

Buccellati believes this woman is a feminine wonder, naturally elegant and beautifully spontaneous. This woman infuses every aspect of her life with a joyful flair. Her beauty is timeless, and her style is inimitable. She is one of a kind.

If you are this woman, then may we invite you to visit our Seattle-area showroom and try on this magnificent Buccellati gold and diamond ring?

Notes

  1. Mosovich, Galena. "Presented by Buccellati: How Lucrezia Buccellati is Leading Her Family's Jewelry House into a New Generation," Ocean Drive, December 5, 2014.

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