Buccellati Holding Italia is an Italian jewelry and watch company, formed by the merger of two previously existing companies, Mario Buccellati and Gianmaria Buccellati, father and son goldsmiths. Italian goldsmith Mario Buccellati opened his business in 1919 in Milan. Over the years, he expanded with outlets in Rome, Florence, Palm Beach, and New York. After his death in 1965, his business was continued by four of his five sons under several brand names, including China’s Gansu Gangtai Holding Company. In 2019, the Companie Financiere Richemont acquired all of Buccellati assets from Gangtai.

At an April 24^th, 2017 auction in Rockland, Maine, owner and auctioneer Bruce Gamage predicted “The silver is going to speak, because there’s a lot of rare Buccellati in the sale,”

The best piece of jewelry in the sale came with a shaky Buccellati attribution. An allegorical bird called a martlet is sometimes represented in English heraldry as swallow-like bird, usually shown with wings folded, and without feet or legs, or with loosely formed feather in place of the legs. The supposed inability of the martlet to land is said to symbolize the constant quest for knowledge, adventure and improvement. The image has found its way into numerous commercial applications, and the 18-karat gold and silver diamond-covered Buccatelli-attributed brooch sold here may have represented just such an avian creature. It was entirely covered with rough-cut diamonds, with rubies representing the eye and collar, and with a large pearl drop attached. The prevailing opinion was that it was a nineteenth century work, pre-dating the Buccatellis. But the high-flying bird found a new nest for $4887.50 (including buyer’s premium). For help in appraising your silver, whether, it be sterling silver, nickel silver, or silver plate, check the link below.

https://siscoantiquesappraisals.com/appraisal/

©Maine Antique Digest

A brooch attributed to Buccellati sold for $4887.50.

At the same Gamage auction, a set of six hand hammered Buccellati goblets in sterling silver sold for $2415. Two photos courtesy Maine Antique Digest.

At another auction in 2021, a pair of candlesticks in the form of three-dimensional dolphins, by Mario Buccellati, sold for about $4500.