MILAN — Jeweler Gianmaria Buccellati died Saturday after a long illness. He was born in 1929.
An exhibition at Turin’s Reggia Di Venaria opened last week to celebrate his career in the jewelry business.
Buccellati was one of five children of Mario Buccellati, who established the prestigious jewelry brand in 1919 in Milan, opening his first store on Largo Santa Margherita, a few steps from the city’s Duomo cathedral.
Gianmaria Buccellati was the first of his siblings to join the family’s company, which in the Fifties expanded to the U.S, opening stores in New York and Miami.
After serving in the business for several years, he established his own brand, Gianmaria Buccellati, in 1971, reaching international success. Among the initiatives he promoted over his long career was the founding in 1973 of the Italian Gemological Institute (IGI) with a group of colleagues and he served in the role of president of the institution for 25 years.
Related Articles
Marking the international success of his label, in 1979 Gianmaria Buccellati inaugurated a store on Paris’ Place Vendome, followed by others in major cities, including London.
You May Also Like
Along with developing his upscale, collection of one-of-a-kind pieces, in 2001 Gianmaria Buccellati launched his first watch collection at Geneva’s international watchmaking trade show SIHH. Standout pieces included a timepiece with a gold band covered with layers of silk or leather for an understated luxury look.
In 2008, he was celebrated with an exhibition, held at the state Museum of Moscow in the Kremlin. The same year, the jeweler established the “Gianmaria Buccellati Foundation,” which manages his private collection of ornamental cups and jewelry pieces, as well as some of his father’s creations and sketches.
With the financial support of Simest, which invested 3 million euros, or $3.9 million at average exchange rate, to acquire 49 percent of Mario Buccellati, in 2011, the Mario Buccellati and Gianmaria Buccellati companies were reunited under the Buccellati Holding Italia name. Gianmaria Buccellati was named chairman, while his son Andrea was appointed president and creative director of the new company.
To accelerate the international expansion of the brand, Buccellati Holding Italia sold an 80 percent majority stake to Milan-based private equity Clessidra SGR. The operation was valued at 80 million euros, or $102.6 milion.
Gianmaria Buccellati is survived by his wife Rosa Maria and children Andrea, Gino and Maria Cristina.