The iconic Italian brand Buccellati was present at the Doha Jewellery and Watches Exhibition. OHLALA enjoyed talking to Luca Buccellati, Director of Special Sales and VIP Customers, about the brand’s quintessential legacy.
OHLALA – Can you tell us how the jewellery universe entered your life?
Luca Buccellati – I represent the third generation of the Buccellati family, so I actually grew up on it. My dream was to be a musician, but then I gave up because I was quite okay but not a genius. Then, I chose to join the family jewellery business, and it was the right choice, to be honest. I love my job. I love to stay in touch with customers, having people around me and handmade jewellery. I also like spending many hours with our artists to see how they work. I have pieces in the exhibition that take about two years to make, so it is incredible to watch something being born.
OHLALA – What gives people a deep appreciation for jewellery? What do you think makes people love Buccellati?
Luca – They love Buccellati because everything is handmade. It’s a brand that exudes passion, heritage and history in every single piece of jewellery. Everything started in 1919 with my grandfather, Mario Buccellati, and some designs are still the same. Even the technique of making the jewellery is the same. We use three things to create a Buccellati: hands, heart and mind. You mix these ingredients and a Buccellati piece is born; we are very different. My grandfather took inspiration from the Italian Renaissance to create the designs – the passion of Italy is there. My father used to tell me that you have to smell the Buccellati jewellery. It smells good; it smells unique.
OHLALA – What part of working with or on a new collection do you find most interesting?
Luca – When it’s finished. The designs are created in the family, mostly by my cousin Andrea, and from the original drawings and sketches up to the end, they constantly change. During the whole process, more ideas come and because everything is handmade, it can be easily modified. So, from the very beginning to the end, it’s completely different and that’s what makes Buccellati stand out. The part I like least is when I sell them. Sometimes, those beautiful jewels are my babies, and I don’t like to see them go. I know it’s crazy, but I don’t want to sell them.
OHLALA – What metals and gems can be spotted at Buccellati? Do you have a favourite?
Luca – At Buccellati, we always mix and match yellow and white gold. I think that’s a trademark – it’s kind of a signature. We might have 10% of pieces that are only white gold. But my personal favourite is yellow gold. It comes from the Romans; it’s warm and makes my heart beat faster. In terms of gems, it’s a bit more complicated. I love sapphire, aquamarine, emerald and I am deeply in love with tourmaline. It’s hard to choose only one. Because the best is when they are merged together. At Buccellati, you see a lot of samurai (which is a super shiny green stone) paired with yellow diamond. So, it’s green and yellow and if you properly mix them, bingo. The gems universe is vast and when combined the right way, the result is sensational.
OHLALA – Do you have any favourite collection or special pieces?
Luca – I love my personal collection. I have a selection of old pieces by Mario Buccellati that belonged to my father and when my father passed away, I had the honour of adding them to my collection. I like to have vintage creations from our brand. My grandfather made only two tiaras; one is in my private collection, but the other is lost in the market. The last news I had about it was that it was in the United States, maybe in Texas, and I am still after it. However, from the modern creations, there is a necklace from the Mosiaco collection that I adore.
OHLALA – Tell us more about your watches and luxurious items.
Luca – We make watches for women and men. We have the Macri line and mainly in the Middle East, our customers love them. They wear them as jewellery pieces. But the brand goes beyond with our silverware items; they are a tradition. I can say that 80% of our business is jewellery and 20% is silver. My grandfather started silverware and jewellery together and it has been like this forever. The frames are very popular, but our big centrepieces have had huge success in this region. Some other jewellery brands also used to have silver, but they lost this tradition. We will never stop making them; they are part of our heritage and DNA.
OHLALA – What are the highlights and expectations for 2025?
Luca – 2025 will be a year of further growth for Buccellati. We have many important projects in development and I am not only talking about new boutique openings but also important events and launches. One of the most important ones is definitely the second edition of The Prince of Goldsmith, an exhibition that celebrates Buccellati’s illustrious history, which will move from Venice to Shanghai. It will be a relevant event that gives us the chance to commemorate a significant milestone. This year, our Asian customers, who couldn’t participate last year, will be able to attend. We will also launch a new High Jewellery collection, which is always a great source of pride for us, and we plan to place a significant focus on silverware for 2025 in order to elevate it and make it as well known as our jewellery worldwide.