The history

A century of talent and passion

Tradition, skill, artisanship, creativity and top-quality materials are the values that have always been main and essential to the Buccellati family firm, which has earned a solid reputation for creating fine jewellery based on models by Italian designers and has maintained its stylistic identity for the entire century by reviving age-old goldsmith traditions in the high-end jewellery sector.

Mario Buccellati (1891-1965), founder of the family business, was trained at an early age in the jewellery business by the renowned jewellers Beltrami & Besnati. The beauty of the precious metals and stones, the artisanship of the jewellers fascinated him. The young man dreamed of reviving the forgotten techniques of ancient artisans from Ancient Greece and medieval jewellers of his favorite period, the Renaissance.

In 1919, he opened his first jewellery shop in Milan, in Largo Santa Margherita, not far from the famous Teatro alla Scala. To create his masterpieces he revived ancient traditions and focused on the techniques of old artisans, using their tools and appliances. Although he admired the refined style of these artisans, he never intended to copy the jewels of the Renaissance epoch, hence to interpret the style in his own way. His art pieces were characterized by opulent texture reminiscent of luxurious fabrics - exquisite damask and delicate Venetian lace. The ancient technique of processing gemstones and metals made it possible to produce exceptional and marvelous jewellery items.

He had a natural aptitude for drawing and an inquisitive mind, so he soon became one of the most respected jewellers in Italy of the time and gained a prestigious clientele. The famous "literary dandy", Gabriele D’Annunzio, who was one of the Buccellati firm clients, called him the "King of Jewellers". With the time, he began working on the order from royal Spanish and Egyptian families and supplied jewellery to the Pope and Cardinals.
Mario Buccellati had the Midas touch, and taking into consideration his triumphal success in Italy, he decided to expand his business and in 1925 opened two more shops, in Rome and Florence.

In 1951, Mario decided to expand the Buccellati firm internationally and try his hand at the American market: he opened his first shop on 51st street in New York City and a few years later in 1954, he opened the second department store on Fifth Avenue and a seasonal shop on the famous Worth Avenue in Palm Beach.

When Mario Buccellati passed away in 1965, four of his five sons took over the family business, but only Gianmaria was a keen student of Buccellati's meticulous art – being rather young he followed his father’s example, starting to work at the family firm as an apprentice. In 1966, Gianmaria (born in 1929) took over the management of the workshops and the creative side of the company: he designed every product that came out of the workshops (the same principle is still implemented today). He worked alongside his brother Luca, with whom he shared a vision to transform Buccellati into the international jewellery company. Luca developed the business in the United States while Gianmaria managed the workshops and was responsible for the products design and the company operations.

After a long period of collaboration with his brother Luca, Gianmaria decided to separate. Simultaneously he gave a new impetus to the development of his company: just like his father in the United States, in 1970, Gianmaria became the first Italian jeweller that opened a shop in Hong Kong. In the next few years, this shop was followed by several shops in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Gianmaria did not stop there: he decided to restructure his business in Europe and in 1979 Buccellati became the first Italian brand with its own boutique in the world-famous Place Vendôme in Paris, where the world's largest jewelry brands are presented.

Since then, the company's growth opportunities have expanded considerably. Over the years, Gianmaria has always been accompanied by his son Andrea, who has inherited his father's artistic talent and now oversees all stages of jewellery production at the company's headquarters and workshops in Milan. Andrea has been president of the Buccellati Group since 2013.
Just as in a fairy tale, where good always triumphs over evil and good qualities are passed on from father to son, his daughter Lucrezia, who lives in New York, supports Andrea in his activities. She brings fresh inspiration and contemporary trends to the brand's products.

Buccellati presents Italian jewellery art based on Renaissance traditions, brought to the 21st century by the efforts primarily of Mario, then Gianmaria and nowadays his son Andrea and daughter Lucrezia.

Tradition and culture, handed down from generation to generation, help to create perfect products that are admired all over the world.