Gianmaria Buccellati Sapphire and Diamond Textured Gold and Silver Earrings

View Similar Items

Vintage Gianmaria Buccellati Pearl Diamond Yellow Gold Earrings

Gold-Plated Silver Sapphire, Diamond Earrings

Arman Suciyan Diamonds Sapphire Silver and White Gold Earrings

Designer Sapphire and Diamond Tassel Earring in Gold and Silver

Buccellati Heart Shaped Sapphire and Diamond Dangle Earrings, C. 1970

Silver, Diamonds and Sapphires Pendant Earrings

Bohemian Sapphire, Diamond, and Silver Earrings

Diamond and Sapphires Gold Earrings

Pearl Diamond Ruby Sapphire Emeralds Rose Gold and Silver Earrings

Diamond Blue Sapphire Gold Silver Ball Drop Earrings

Diamonds, Emeralds, Red Coral, Sapphires, Rubies, Rose Gold and Silver Earrings

1 of 9

Gianmaria Buccellati Sapphire and Diamond Textured Gold and Silver Earrings

About the Item

A timeless hand-engraved earring signed "Gianmaria Buccellati" featuring 2 oval brilliant sapphires of an estimated 12 carat total weight, flanked by an estimated 2.35cts of round brilliant diamonds set in silver that was layered on top of the 18k honeycombed base. Both earring sections are ringed by a variation of Buccellati's famed leaf motif and exhibit the delicate hand-detailing and honeycomb pattern that has become a Buccellati hallmark. The gold bezel settings holding the sapphires have been hand-engraved, as have the sides of the earrings. In classic Buccellati style, the entire surface – front and back – has been hand-textured or polished to a high finish. Construction on these earrings was complex and time-consuming, even by Buccellati standards. Gianmaria first had to go through the entire process of crafting a hand-honeycombed 18k earring. See photos of the reverse side; just the gold honeycomb by itself would have produced a high-end item without any additional embellishment. Secondly, he applied a layer of silver on top of the gold in a throwback to the early Edwardian style that has inspired so many Buccellati designs. The silver would have been intentionally patinated to produce a unique and consistent appeal with the diamond settings molded by hand. Lastly, Buccellati selectively added two additional 18k layers as the finishing touch – the leaf motif that rings the perimeter on the front, and the elevated polished gold section that follows the contours of the earrings on the back. Signed Gianmaria Buccellati, Hallmarked. Gianmaria Buccellati was the son of founder Mario Buccellati, and was responsible for opening Buccellati's flagship store in Paris and truly cementing the family business into the household name it has become today. The honeycombed technique, popularized in the early 1900s during the Edwardian era, actually required a jeweler to cut out each individual honeycomb with a scalpel or similarly precise sharp instrument. This was an exacting, time-consuming process from the era when individual jewelers would work for weeks or even months to perfect a single item - a process that few jewelers other than Buccellati continued to practice much past 1915. This particular pair of earrings takes the Edwardian theme one step further by utilizing the silver-over-gold style that was prominent in the earliest years of the 1900s.

Creator:
Gianmaria Buccellati
Metal:
Silver,18k Gold,Gold
Stone:
Diamond,Sapphire
Stone Cut:
Oval Cut
Dimensions:
Width: 1.2 in (30.48 mm)Length: 2.3 in (58.42 mm)
Style:
Edwardian
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1990
Condition:
Seller Location:
Dallas, TX
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU1948210122272