Few maisons capture the romance of Italian artistry quite like Buccellati. Since its founding in 1919 by Mario Buccellati in Milan, the house has stood apart with its signature blend of classical grandeur and intricate craftsmanship—think Renaissance opulence refined through the lens of modern Milanese elegance.
And amongst its many stunning jewellery collections, the Opera collection is a standout: a wearable emblem of identity, heritage, and artistry.
When the Opera collection first debuted in 2015, it marked a turning point for the house—it was the first time that Buccellati distilled its brand symbol into a complete jewellery line. Designed to be recognisable, collectible, versatile—in a word, iconic—it fused tradition with a graphic, contemporary spirit, ushering in a new chapter of timeless design.
At the heart of the collection lies Buccellati’s emblem: a stylised floral motif inspired by Renaissance and Baroque architectural rosettes—often seen in rose windows in Italian cathedrals or floral arabesques carved into palatial facades. The four-petaled rosette is more than an ornamental flourish; it subtly echoes cross-like shapes found in Gothic and Renaissance architecture—a visual lexicon that has long inspired Buccellati’s goldsmiths.
But Opera is not one collection—it’s a family of expressions. Each sub-line offers its own interpretation of the emblem, allowing wearers to choose their own tempo of luxury.
Opera Tulle is perhaps the most quintessentially Buccellati. It showcases the house’s trademark tulle technique, a delicate goldsmithing method that creates a fine, lace-like texture by piercing precious metal with a hand-sawn pattern. It’s a technique with roots in Renaissance embroidery and Venetian lace, reimagined in gold. In Opera Tulle, the emblem floats over a filigree background that feels impossibly light. It’s meticulous, feminine, and quietly intricate—the kind of craftsmanship you only notice up close, which is exactly the point.
Opera Gold strips things back without losing any of the flair. Here, as the collection’s name suggests, the emblem is sculpted in pure yellow, white, or rose gold, accentuating the crispness of the design itself. The house’s famous rigato engraving technique—parallel lines etched into the surface to mimic silk moiré—adds a tactile dimension.
Opera Full Pavé, by contrast, turns up the drama. Each blossom motif is set entirely with diamonds—sometimes accented with motherof-pearl or coloured stones for contrast—pushing the emblem into the realm of high jewellery. Yet even at its most opulent, there’s restraint. The pavé work is executed with the same finesse as a Buccellati engraving: never overdone, never loud, always refined.
What ties the trilogy together is Buccellati’s obsession with detail. Whether it’s the openwork lightness of Tulle, the discipline in Gold, or the precision of Full Pavé, each piece speaks to the house’s belief that jewellery is an art form.
Nearly a decade on, as the house continues to evolve under the stewardship of the Buccellati family and Richemont, the Opera collection remains both a calling card and a cornerstone. It is the jewellery equivalent of a palazzo: regal, rooted, and radiating a quiet magnificence that never goes out of style.
PHOTOGRAPHY SHERMAN SEE-THO
ART DIRECTION MARISA XIN
This story first appeared in the May 2025 issue of GRAZIA Singapore.
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