Buccellati Brings Retrospective Exhibition to Shanghai

MILAN — A decade after entering Mainland China, Buccellati will stage a retrospective exhibition in Shanghai beginning Sunday until Jan. 5.

The exhibit is a new leg of “The Prince of Goldsmiths. Buccellati Rediscovering the Classics” that was unveiled in Venice in April 2024, but with four additional rooms. The title stems from the moniker poet Gabriele D’Annunzio gave to the late founder of the brand, Mario Buccellati, in 1936 for his superior skills and craftsmanship.

Chief executive officer Nicolas Luchsinger joined Buccellati in April 2024 from Van Cleef & Arpels, so he said in an interview that the exhibition coincided with his own introduction.

After showing in Venice during the Biennale, he said the retrospective was “very successful and we decided right away that it had to travel.” This can be challenging, he contended, because of the need for expansive spaces and because many locations and museums are booked a long time in advance. “We looked at every opportunity in the United States, in the Middle East, and China, where we found this great location,” he said of the Shanghai Exhibition Center.

“I was always impressed by its grand architecture,” he mused.

The building was erected in 1955 and marked the alliance between China and the Soviet Union. It is a major landmark in Shanghai, one of the largest integrated building complexes in the center of the city, with an elaborate central tower and a colonnade and is close to Nanjing Road, one of the premier retail and commercial streets of Shanghai. This positioning also makes it “easier for our clients to come and see the exhibition,” said Luchsinger.

He said Shanghai was selected rather than other cities in China because he believes it “is still the commercial capital for the country. It’s where East meets West, and it has all this tradition in architecture and decorative arts.”

Buccellati has 10 stores in China, with three in Shanghai.

Asked about an overview on China, he said the market is “not back on track, there’s some weakness, but I think that the confidence of the Chinese is back, and that they trust the government’s decisions, which means that they are less worried than during the real estate crisis.”

Buccellati is planning a dinner event for the inauguration, catered by Michelin-starred restaurant Da Vittorio. “We really want to bring Italian entertainment to Shanghai. We are very lucky because the family will be there, we eat on our own silver in a space fully decorated by Buccellati. And we have now six members of the Buccellati family working at the brand and they will all be there, which makes it very unique and each has a very specific position. It’s nice to have them all together.”

The Buccellati Family

The family includes: Andrea Buccellati, honorary president and creative director; Maria Cristina Buccellati, global communication director; Luca Buccellati, special sales/VIP director; Lucrezia Buccellati, vice president, clients relationship, Buccellati America and a member of the brand’s creative design team; Filippo Buccellati, brand ambassador based in Dubai and part of the commercial team, and, recently, Carolina Buccellati, the daughter of Luca Buccellati. Filippo and Carolina are members of the family’s fourth generation.

While the company is part of Compagnie Financière Richemont, Luchsinger touted the fact that younger Buccellati heirs wish to join the brand, signaling that “the family is still attracted by the company. They are all very proud to have their name on the door and they are here to help us to promote the maison and to develop the message.”

He also enthused about their knowledge of the company and the opportunity to hear first hand about their history, and, when in doubt, be given answers about archival or missing pieces. “For the local clients, press and partners in Shanghai, to have the family there and be able to speak with them will make it very special and a great experience.”

Similarly, he said that, since the opening of the apartment above the store in Milan’s Via Montenapoleone, the family has held lunch and dinner events for international clients “who have stars in their eyes” when they speak directly to family members.

The family is also central to the retrospective, curated by Alba Cappellieri, and that also includes multimedia visual language.

The Exhibition

Balich Wonder Studio conceived the set design for Venice and Shanghai and for the latter Buccellati “added a little bit more of its history and archival and original pieces,” highlighting the craftsmanship, with artisans flying in from Milan to show the manual work necessary to create the jewels “and what makes Buccellati and its tradition of engraving unique. Usually, to make something more precious, you add materials, diamonds and gems but at Buccellati, because of our signature engravings we actually remove gold and it is this that makes our jewelry becomes so precious.”

The exhibit in Shanghai will display 250 creations, including 150 jewels and 100 silver pieces — the latter, another storied Buccellati business, and many items “influenced by nature and by the sea in a very grand spectacular display,” he offered.

It begins with The Buccellati Generations, an introductory room where the butterfly — symbol of transformation and continuity — guides visitors through a reflection on time and identity. Four butterfly brooches, designed by Mario, Gianmaria, Andrea and Lucrezia Buccellati, illustrate the brand’s stylistic evolution over the years.

This leads to a more intimate space, designed as an evocative reconstruction of the Buccellati family’s private study. An Italian Family Story presents period photographs, memorabilia and correspondence. The narration is accompanied by the voice of Gianmaria, son of Mario Buccellati and a central figure in the development and affirmation of the brand around the world.

The exhibition continues with Manmade Wonders, composed of three thematic rooms dedicated to the artistic Buccellati inspirations. The first, Wonders for Special Occasions, presents a selection of historic cosmetic bags and handbags and new clutches designed by Andrea Buccellati. The second room, Wonders of Beauty and Proportions, celebrates the connection between goldsmithing and architecture.

Wonders from the Past, finally, pays homage to archaeology and classicism with the collection of silver Boscoreale cups, created by Mario and reinterpreted by Gianmaria, inspired by the Roman treasure of Boscoreale, discovered in 1895 at the Villa della Pisanella, near Pompeii.

The Natural Wonders area celebrates nature as the brand’s longtime inspiration, with centerpieces, bowls, small containers and decorative elements with organic shapes.

The Wonders of the Earth and Wonders of the Sea sections hinge of Buccellati’s fascination for wildlife, populated by silver creatures from the woods and the sea, in addition to collaborations with Venini and Ginori 1735.

The Buccellati Craftsmanship highlights the brand’s know-how and includes the screening of the 2023 film “Mosaico” directed by Yuri Ancarani, which pays tribute to craft and to the brand’s namesake collection of high jewelry.

The exhibit ends with The Gallery of the Icons, which celebrates Buccellati’s high jewelry and its most renowned manufacturing techniques.

A space is marked by classical white columns, and the first four are dedicated to the main Buccellati techniques: Lace, tulle (or honeycomb), engraving and enchaining.

Musing on Gold, Jewelry and Secondhand

As per Richemont policies, Luchsinger did not provide financial figures for Buccellati, but said the brand “is growing” and that it is also “benefiting from its niche and special positioning and very recognizable jewelry and style.” Distribution is highly selective, with only 50 stores worldwide.

Asked about the increasing price of gold, the executive admitted it has also affected Buccellati, but contended “there’s so much written in the press about this that it helps the customer realize even more that jewelry is an investment.”

As reported, jewelry is seen as a winner by the latest Bain & Co. report with an expected expansion this year of 4 to 6 percent, perceived as an investment and a gift item, and as having a real intrinsic value.

Federica Levato, senior partner at Bain & Co. and leader of the firm’s EMEA [Europe, Middle East and Africa] Fashion & Luxury practice, said jewelers have also been “very good in connecting in an authentic way with the customers, stretching their value proposition remaining credible, both at haute joaillerie price points, but also catering to the aspirational customer base with a product with content. At the biggest jewelry brands, you can find very good gifts for an 18-year-old girl at 1,000 euros; you can hardly find a bag or even a sneaker at that price point or below. This explains also why leather and shoes are suffering, because these players have increased prices so much in the last three years and it is super difficult to go back.”

Luchsinger concurred. “Jewelry is performing well for every brand. My personal impression is also because the price of fashion and accessories perhaps went a little bit too high, and suddenly the customer realized that for the price of a handbag, they can afford one or even two pieces of jewelry.”

He conceded there is much competition in the segment, “because everybody sees the potential of jewelry and every fashion brand is into jewelry. Some are more legitimate than others, and some are offering elaborate fashion jewelry, like costume jewelry with real stones and real gold.”

He also believes “the value of jewelry on the secondary market is not as good as that by historical jewelry maisons, which will keep the value in time and are trusted by true connoisseur clients.”

Similarly, “you can have a very desirable handbag, which does have a value on the secondary market, but the condition has to be perfect. So each time you use your bag, you have to be very careful to protect it and avoid any damage that would make its value diminish, while a piece of jewelry, if you love it, you wear it and if there is a scratch on your bracelet, it doesn’t dent the value.”