Since its establishment in Milan in 1919 by Mario Buccellati, a jeweler’s apprentice, the famed Italian jewelry house has developed and perfected its unique goldsmithing techniques over a century. Buccellati quickly became one of Italy’s most respected jewelers, with prestigious clientele including the famous dandy and poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, the royal families of Italy, Spain and Egypt, the Pope and cardinals of Rome, and international celebrities.
Blending traditional handcraftsmanship with modern creativity for four generations, Buccellati has cultivated a singular stylistic identity. Reflecting styles from ancient Greece to the Italian Renaissance, Buccellati crafts innovative jewels and objets d’art with a rich textural quality, employing its signature engraving and chiseling techniques in precious metals set with dazzling gemstones for an extraordinary effect.
Featuring deeply researched text filled with historical insights, this volume unfolds the story of four generations of Buccellati’s trademark imaginative inspiration and fine craftsmanship, executed with intricate hand engraving and a refined aesthetic sensibility, exuding a timeless elegance that brings tradition into the modern world.
THE AUTHORS
Alba Cappellieri is a Full professor at Milan Polytechnic, where she holds courses about Jewelry Design and Fashion Accessories. She is moreover Director of the International Master in Jewelry and Fashion Accessories at Poli Design, and she manages the Master in Brand and Product Management at the Milano Fashion Institute. Since 2014, she is Director of the Museo del Gioiello at the Basilica Palladiana in Vicenza.
Franco Cologni is President of Fondazione Cologni dei Mestieri d’Arte (Cologni Foundation for the Métiers d’Art), which he founded in 1995 with the founding purpose to safeguard and promote the heritage of the artistic crafts of excellence. He is also founder of Creative Academy, an international school of design and creative management. In 2016, he founded the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, whose objective is to promote and support craftsmanship at an international level, by creating job opportunities and supporting local cultures and savoir-faire.
Vivienne Becker is a multi-award winning journalist and author of many books about the history of jewelry design. Based in London, she collaborates with the magazine Financial Times How to Spend It, writes for newspapers and magazines worldwide and is lecturer and TV-speaker about these subjects. She has organized and written the catalogue for the first great jewelry exhibition of René Lalique and she curated Jewels of Fantasy, a travelling exhibition of bijouterie of the 20th century.
