House Buccellati is a symbol of Italian jewellery, with a century-old history spanning 4 generations of passionate craftsmen. A skilled goldsmith, she specialises in working metal, whether gold or silver, to create jewellery, placemats, beauty sets and cigarette cases.

 

The origins of an Italian jewellery icon

Buccellati was founded in 1919 by Mario Buccellati, who, at the age of 28, after years of apprenticeship with a Milanese goldsmith, decided to set up his own business.

Mario Buccellati

One of Mario's first ideas, inspired by the Venetian embroidery of Burano, was to work the gold so finely that it resembled lace. This technique made Mario famous.

With the help of his brothers Carlo and Melchiorre, he opened two new boutiques in quick succession in the 1920s, first in Rome and then in Florence.

Buccellati cigarette cases circa 1920

The famous Hawaii collection was born in the 1930s, inspired by Mario Buccellati. Composed of a multitude of ultra-fine gold rings intertwined with precision, each piece in this collection is a symbol of timeless youth.

Hawaii Sautoir in Yellow Gold

The Eternelle ring was invented in the 1940s. Made of precious metal lace, it represents love without beginning or end. Available in white or yellow gold, with or without diamonds.

Rings from the 'Eternelle' collection in diamond-paved yellow and white gold

The expansion of an Italian luxury jewellery brand

The post-war period was marked by the arrival of the second generation. Of the three sons who assisted Mario, it was Gianmaria who took over the creative side of the brand.

Gianmaria, Lorenzo, Mario and Federico Buccellati

In 1951, the company opened its first boutique in the United States.

In the 1960s, Buccellati developed its tableware. Following a special order for a private individual, the company launched its famous Tahiti silver and bamboo dinner service.

Silver and Bamboo Tahiti Service

After Mario's death at the end of the 60s, Buccellati's growth accelerated. In 1972, Gianmaria signed an agreement with Japan's largest importer of luxury goods, enabling him to take Buccellati to Japan. In 1973 he founded the IGI, the Italian Gemmological Institute. A passionate lover of precious stones, he was its president for 25 years. Finally, in 1979, Buccellati opened a boutique on the Place Vendôme, the first Italian jeweller to do so. The inauguration was attended by some big names, including Jacques Chirac and Anouk Aimée.

Logo of the IGI which created Gianmaria Buccellati

The modern heritage of Buccellati Italian Jewellery

Continuous innovation in Italian jewellery

In the 1980s, Gianmaria began to involve his own children in the management of the company. He created the Macri collection in honour of his daughter Maria Cristina and entrusted the company's historic silverware business to his son Gino, while his other son Andrea gradually joined him on the creative side. To this day, Maria Cristina and Andrea hold the positions of Communications Director and Creative Director respectively.

Earrings, Ring and Bracelet from the Macri collection, in yellow gold and diamonds

In 2000, the Smithsonian in Washington opened an exhibition entitled 'Buccellati: Art in Gold, Silver and Gemstones', and in the same year Buccellati launched its first line of watches, designed in Italy and manufactured in Switzerland.

In 2004, the company launched a new special collection called 'Bestiaire'. Consisting of 21 unique brooches, it was developed around a selection of baroque pearls used to form the bodies of animals such as an elephant or an eagle.

Elephant from the Bestiaire collection in white and yellow gold, diamonds and baroque pearl

In 2009, a collection of cocktail rings was launched, paying tribute to Gianmaria's passion for gemstones.

Yellow and white gold Buccellati rings, paved with diamonds and centred by peridot, topaz and tourmaline

The future of luxury Italian jewellery

In 2019, the company celebrates its centenary and is acquired by the Richemont Group. This anniversary is also the occasion for the creation of a "Buccellati" diamond cut.

Still based in Milan, Buccellati continues a tradition that goes back more than a century. In addition to jewellery, it continues to offer a range of tableware and finely sculpted and engraved silver objects: frames, candlesticks, paper presses, bar accessories and strikingly realistic figurines...

Owl in silver from the Furry collection

Today, Andrea Buccellati sometimes works with his daughter Lucrezia, carrying on the family legacy.

Andrea et sa fille Lucrezia Buccellati, crédit 2016 Bertrand Rindoff Petroff

 

The unique techniques of Buccellati Italian jewellery

Throughout its history, Buccellati has innovated and adopted 5 techniques in the field of jewellery and goldsmithing.

Engraving: The Italian art of precious metals

Engraving is Buccellati's great historical technique, which is divided into several different forms.

• Rigato is made up of fine parallel lines to create a light, silky weave. It is particularly popular in the Macri collection.
• Segrinato, which creates the illusion of a tight weave by engraving crossed and superimposed stitches reminiscent of velvet. Gianmaria used this technique to depict flowers such as peonies and anemones.
• The telato is made up of cross-hatched lines that intersect at right angles to create an effect reminiscent of linen or canvas.
• Ornamentato is highly ornamental, recreating the motifs of brocades, damasks and laces that were signs of wealth and prestige during the Renaissance.
• According to Buccellati, modellato is the most complex form of engraving, with its three-dimensional effects and high relief. Buccellati often used modellato for his floral motifs. For Mario Buccellati, this style of engraving is a tribute to the great goldsmiths and sculptors of the Renaissance.

Buccellati jewellery and beauty sets from the 1950s

Chaining: a technique for making bracelets

Chaining is the meticulous work of linking that is essential to the composition of jewellery, particularly using small links to ensure flexibility. Mario Buccellati used this technique to create his silver bracelets with gold braiding.

Tulle: from complexity to perfection

Also known as "honeycomb", tulle metalwork is an openwork technique designed to evoke the effect of the fabric of the same name. It is perhaps the most complex and time-consuming technique to master. Each piece of jewellery is pierced with tiny holes and each of the resulting cells can be reworked a dozen times until perfection is achieved.

Pair of earrings from the Tulle collection, in yellow gold and diamonds

Gold lace: a speciality of Italian jewellers

Working metal into lace is the technique that originally made Mario Buccellati famous. Inspired by delicate Venetian embroidery, Buccellati's lace imitates it with empty spaces in geometric shapes or reproductions of foliage, decorated with stones and engravings.

Yellow and white gold lace necklace, paved with diamonds and centred on a ruby

Filo Ritorto: Twisted wire

Filo Ritorto, which translates as twisted wire, is a technique in which a fine gold wire is extruded using a special tool and then twisted around itself. This technique is particularly evident in the jewellery of the Hawaii collection.

 

We are also available for any free expertise of your vintage jewels, for that you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.

Whether you're interested in buying a piece of jewellery or a stone, a free jewelry appraisal or jewelry resale, Pierres de Julie welcomes you to its Parisian boutique in the Village Suisse, a stone's throw from the Ecole Militaire and the Esplanade des Invalides.