Style Edit: Buccellati CEO Nicolas Luchsinger on the Italian house’s handcrafted jewellery

While in recent years Buccellati has experienced rapid growth and increased awareness – especially after being acquired in 2019 by Richemont, the owner of jewellers such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels – the house has managed to retain its niche appeal and rarefied image associated with Italian aristocracy and the upper echelons of European society.

“Speaking of the strategy of Buccellati, the challenge we face is that as you develop the maison – you open more stores, you do advertising campaigns – at the same time, you want to keep it very niche,” he says. “It’s something we really would like to keep.

“What is also great with Buccellati is the style. It’s a very specific style, which is very recognisable. It’s not that you recognise a model – you recognise a style when somebody is wearing a ring or a bracelet.”

Unlike most jewellery brands, which tend to focus on instantly recognisable fine jewellery lines, turning them into signatures – like Alhambra at Van Cleef & Arpels, Love and Juste un Clou at Cartier, and Quatre at Boucheron – Buccellati doesn’t rely on any particular range, an aspect of the company that Luchsinger believes is an advantage rather than a drawback. “When you do a survey among clients, they are often unable to tell you the name of the line but they say, ‘Oh, I recognise that – it’s Buccellati,’” Luchsinger says. “I don’t want to be dependent on an icon. It’s dangerous. And perhaps if you oversell your icon, people will be bored. We have a lot of different lines like Macri, Opera, Rombi …”

It’s clear that Luchsinger is doing something right. Speak to any jewellery aficionado in a luxury hub such as Hong Kong and they will tell you that the Buccellati fine jewellery pieces they’ve had their eye on are almost always sold out – “a good problem to have”, Luchsinger says. It’s because Buccellati still relies on traditional craftsmanship for all its creations, made in workshops in northern Italy for fine jewellery and in its Milan ateliers for high jewellery. “We are increasing production, but it’s complicated because it’s all handmade,” he adds.

While most jewellery houses release at least two high jewellery collections per year, Buccellati only launches one every other year, due to the complexity involved in making the pieces. With its baroque and Renaissance influences, the maison stands out for its engraving techniques and sculptural handiwork – both visible at a glance in the lacelike creations that come out of its ateliers.

Founder Mario Buccellati’s grandchildren – Maria Cristina and Andrea – remain deeply involved in the business, working alongside Luchsinger, who is very happy to be collaborating with descendants of the founding family, including fourth-generation member Lucrezia, who is based in the US.