
I still remember the first time I ever laid eyes on a Buccellati. I was a Polytechnic student flipping through the pages of an international women’s glossy, seeking inspiration for an upcoming project (aka procrastinating), when I saw a bangle that made me stop in my tracks. I don’t remember which celebrity was wearing it or what the occasion was. But I do remember bending in close to peer carefully at the bangle’s captivating golden silk-like surface. I thought that it was unlike any jewellery that I had seen before.
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It was only sometime later, when I chanced upon an advertisement, that I learnt that the bangle was a Buccellati. And only years after that did I discover that the silk-like texture I was so captivated with is a brand signature, a finish that is—to this day—painstakingly and patiently achieved through very skilled hands, and found within the Macri collection.
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Called the “rigato” (meaning striped in Italian) effect, the long, perfectly parallel lines that cover every micron of a Macri creation’s surface are made using a special burin—a handheld engraving tool that finds its roots in the Renaissance. And it’s not just the Macri collection that showcases this strict attention to minute details.
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The Tulle collection, for example, takes inspiration from the fabric of its name through intricate metalwork that translates the airy elegance of the material into exquisite jewellery designs. Employing an intricate hand-engraving technique that sees sheets of gold being hollowed out, the filigree results resemble the openworked weave of tulle with just thin “threads” of gold seemingly holding the design together (we can attest that the pieces are a lot hardier than they look). Throw diamonds into the heady mix and what you have is a range of timeless, versatile jewellery that showcases Buccellati’s artistry, ingenuity and absolute dedication to its craft.

The fabric motif continues in the Rombi collection, which presents geometric lace-like patterns woven in precious metals and gems. Of all the collections that bear Buccellati’s name, it is arguably this one that most reflects the brand’s Renaissance inspirations. Studded with diamonds and—as with all Buccellati creations—hand-finished with tiny etchings that leave no surface untouched, the creations present a pleasing geometry that finds its shape in the rhombus. Other metalwork techniques that add to the richness and complexity of the designs include repoussé and chasing (both of which involve hammering a pattern or motif into relief from the reverse side). The effect is one that begs to be touched and felt.

I remember a conversation with Buccellati’s creative director (and third-generation family member) Andrea Buccellati, in which he astutely pointed out that Buccellati designs are never copied or imitated because the workmanship would cost too much. You don’t have to look far beyond the brand’s glass doors to see the truth in his words. And a touch is all that’s needed to make you a convert—as six friends of ELLE Singapore discovered at an intimate discovery session held within the Milanese jeweller's Marina Bay Sands boutique earlier this month.

Spending an afternoon with the brand, ELLE Singapore March cover star Chen Yixin, Willabelle Ong, Salina Chai, Hannah Cheng-Bradshaw, Nicole Liew, and Constance Lau got a chance to learn about Buccellati's 105-year heritage through third-generation family member Mr Lucas Buccellati, who had just flown into Singapore. They also got to experience the House’s distinct brand of magic firsthand when they tried on jewellery designs that speak of Old World romance and age-old techniques—wrapped in a modern, versatile and irresistible little bow.