Buccellati

Mario Buccellati founded the Milan house in 1919, and its rings are built around hand engraving rather than the stone alone. The signature is the rigato finish, a fine ruled texture cut by hand with a burin, a tool the house ties back to the Renaissance, which gives the gold a soft sheen the house compares to woven fabric. Pieces are worked with the rigato, modellato and ornato techniques that define the style.

Much of this engraving runs through the Macri collection, named after Gianmaria Buccellati’s daughter and later extended with motifs such as the AB and Giglio emblems set with diamonds. If you want a ring where the goldwork carries as much weight as the diamond, this is the house to see. The Swiss boutique is at Bahnhofstrasse 25 near Paradeplatz.