Mario Buccellati, “The Prince of Goldsmiths,” was unquestionably a driven man—his passion for jewelry a powerful one. Born in 1881, he apprenticed with the celebrated jewelry firm Beltrami e Besnati while not yet in his teens. By 1920 he had already assumed control of the company, renaming it after himself. Jeweler to the royal families of England, Italy, Egypt, and Belgium, as well as the Vatican, Buccellati’s designs were renowned for their synthesis of naturalism and Art Deco styling.
Throughout his career, Buccellati used his success to expand his commercial reach. Not only a jeweler of royal patronage, he was a jeweler to the rich and famous on both sides of the Atlantic. Over the years, he operated shops in Rome, Florence, and on New York’s Fifth Avenue—never failing to maintain the exceptional standards that had made him a success. Buccellati’s sons took over the business, following their father’s death in 1965. And today the family manages Buccellati shops worldwide with the same passionate drive as the man who founded them.