Mario Buccellati Diamond Rigato Bracelet

Created in the mid-to-late 20th century, this Mario Buccellati hinged cuff bracelet with "Rigato" work is composed of 18K gold and approximately 12.00 carats of diamonds. The slightly tapering, broad cuff is highlighted by florets of round brilliant-cut diamonds on a gold ground chased and engraved in "Rigato" patterning accented at intervals by rosettes. A vintage design no longer produced, with pleasing weight, softness and patina, this textured cuff is a sophisticated evocation of patterned Point de Venise worn over watered silk, reflecting the firm's devotion to ancient Greek goldwork, Renaissance craftsmanship, and Italian style.

Dimensions: 2.00" width, 7.00" partial circumference
Materials: 173 round diamonds (approximate total weight 12.00 carats); 18K Gold
Gram Weight: 89.7
Signed: BUCCELLATI ITALY 18K. 24796, registration mark for Mario Buccellati Milan

Since the opening of the Milan boutique in 1919, Mario Buccellati's work drew the admiration of artists and intellectuals, including Gabriele D'Annunzio, the early 20th century Italian poet, politician, daredevil and war hero. It was D'Annunzio who coined the name “The Prince of Goldsmiths’” to describe Mario, the description reflecting what he considered to be the the artisan-designer's peerless excellence and originality. The Buccellati workshop was organized so that one artisan created a jewel from beginning to end, a practice which, according to the firm's monograph, "followed the same customs practiced in the workshops of the sumptuary arts during the Renaissance." Sophisticated clients, from the Pope to royal families of Europe, have commissioned work from the firm over the decades. This cuff bears the registration mark (after 1968) of the original workshop in Milan, and the construction of the hinges suggests an early model.