Buccellati

Tradition, skills and excellence in handcrafting, creativity and the highest-quality materials: these values have always been central to Buccellati, a long-established family firm that creates Italian-designed jewellery and silverware, which has preserved its stylistic identity for a century. Every Buccellati silver object is the result of the individual attention of skilled silversmiths, who have perfected their craft during a whole lifetime of work, handcrafting each and every product. Curiosity, beauty and energy are the three elements permeating the Buccellati silver works, which are simply inspirational and royal in their aspect. The wide range of silver giftware and decorations acquires importance and refinement thanks to the continuous search for new designs, patterns and objects.

Every Buccellati Doge silver product takes its shape from the various stages of embossing and chiselling, up to the final stages of filing and polishing the silver. The chisel technique involves working the metal with numerous tools, creating reliefs and recesses on different planes. Initially, the slab is worked on soft pitch; it is then fixed on a bed of hard pitch placed on a marble surface, in order to absorb the blows of the chisel. The manufacturing process continues with lost-wax casting to create the elements that complete the product. Welding is used to adhere these elements to the main body, filing removes excess welding, and polishing makes the object shine.

Mario Buccellati opened his first jewellery store in Milan in 1919 and he quickly became one of Italy’s most respected jewellers of the period. In 1925 he opened two additional stores (in Rome and Florence), and in 1951 he ventured into the American market by opening two stores in New York and one in Palm Beach. After Mario, in 1966 Gianmaria took over the creative and business management and he was the first Italian jeweller to set up a shop in Hong Kong in 1970, followed by several Japanese locations. In 1979 Buccellati was the first Italian jewellery brand to open a boutique in the world-famous Place Vendôme. Today Andrea – Gianmaria’s son – is Honorary President and Creative Director of the Buccellati Group. As generational transitions are a “must” at Buccellati, Andrea is today supported by his daughter Lucrezia, a young woman bringing new inspiration to the brand’s creations.

Details: Genealogies of Ornament Exhibition