A. They are examples that we take and follow, like a light that you see. My grandfather was the art director. He designed all the jewellery along with his daughter. My father was ‘360 degrees’ an entrepreneur and a creative man. [Sticking to our] roots is one of the most important things. What we are strong at is creativity. It’s in the family.

Q. Are there any differences between how the three generations work?

A. Absolutely. It’s interesting because each one of them has a way. First of all, you talk to the artisans. You have to explain your designs.

My grandfather used to do a sketch, maybe on a napkin. We went to an artist and he explained how to do it exactly. My father was a little bit more detailed. He spent less time on explaining to the artisans but more time going through the different stages of the creations. My brother [Andrea Buccellati] is so precise that he creates every single piece in its millimetres. Everything has to be perfect. He goes to the artisans and says this is the piece. They see the artisans and show the steps of the creation. My brother sees the skeleton of the jewels. Then he looks into modifying, grading and proportion. What is important is that it’s not just about designing but being able to interact with the artisans.

Q. How does Buccellati translate heritage into the modern world?

A. We have something particular, a style that never changes. It’s the kind of style that you know your mother, your grandmother or your daughter can wear because it’s not something that defines age. It is important that we can be modern and old at the same time. The necklace I’m wearing was designed by my grandfather in the 1930s. It’s been almost 100 years but still looks modern today. It’s not being modern or not, but being yourself – keeping your heritage, your style and being faithful to your values. That’s what people like. Because often if you buy something, in two years’ time, it’s not fashionable any more. With our jewellery, you know [you can wear it for a ] lifetime. And that’s important.

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Q. How does Buccellati appeal to A-listers including some princesses?

A. We work for a lot of famous people, but we never reveal [their identity] because we are discreet. We are selling our jewellery and everybody knows what it is.

Q. How has the market been responding?

A. Very well, especially in China. The clients are extremely sophisticated. They want to have something different. They’ve seen everything, and they know what luxury is. They want to know everything about the brands. They don’t just go and buy something because they’ve seen it on someone. They love to search. I think they are trying to buy our history, our heritage. It’s been quite successful for us. Also, it’s helpful to have the testimonial of Zhang Ziyi. She has charisma. She’s a great actress and has been our ambassador for a few years.

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Q. What’s the next step plan for the Asian market?

A. We had significant developments last year and now we are settling down and putting everything in order so that we can develop the second-tier cities in the following years.

Q. What’s the strategy in selling luxury jewellery to a younger demographic?

A. China is a new market. A lot of clients are in their 30s. In Italy, they are older. In France, they are 18. I love to stay in the shop and see their reactions. I’ve seen very young girls wanting Buccellati. [Every market] is different. In America, our customers are in their 40s. They prefer big bracelets and important necklaces. In China, [customers like details]. I’ve seen a lot of women wearing our rings. They want luxury so they love to have super-sophisticated things.

Q. Does the younger generation make passionate artisans?

A. Yes, they do, which is quite interesting. They have a lot of passion, and want to be skilful. It’s rare, but also that’s why they work with us because they feel the same passion on our side.

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Q. In 2018, Buccellati was acquired by Chinese enterprise Gansu Gangtai. Have there been any changes since?

A. There have been a lot of changes. Although they do make decisions on strategies in terms of development, they never interfere with our creativity. We are quite independent.

Q. Do you see social media being a disruptive factor for the brand?

A. Social media is enhancing the knowledge and the awareness of the brand. But it can be used in positive and negative ways so you have to be very careful. We are very balanced in terms of communication through social media. We do it but we do not exaggerate. We remain faithful to our strategy – always discreet, elegant and sophisticated.

Q. Do you hope your daughter will join the company one day?

A. I’ve never thought about it. She has her own choice, and I don’t push her to do anything. I want her to be happy. Whatever she wants to do, it’s fine.

Q. What do you love the most about your home country, Italy?

A. I love Italy in every sense but [I love sharing the good times] eating with friends. There is also heritage and history that you can breathe. You go around, seeing the buildings, the statues, the art, the museums … you feel the history which is really beautiful.

Q. Growing up in a prestigious family, what does luxury mean to you?

A. I’ve never thought of luxury in terms of objects or money but rather, time. I love to take time for myself, for my family – that to me is a real luxury. You can have whatever you want, the best bags and best shoes, but if you don’t have your family or friends, life means nothing.

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