3 minute read
Accessible Luxury
Marco Bicego’s jewelry is the very definition of modern luxury: it embraces the values of old-world craftsmanship and blends them with the principles of everyday, modern style
36” Jaipur Color necklace in 18k hand-engraved gold with mixed semi-precious colored stones.
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IfIf you grow up, as Marco Bicego did, surrounded by precious gems and metals, there is a natural substance to the desire to create beautiful jewelry. Bicego learned the craft of jewelry making at the side of his father, Guiseppe, who had a manufacturing studio in their hometown of Trissino, in Italy’s jewelry-making Veneto region. Since launching his own brand, only nine years ago, Bicego’s signature style – plenty of color and meticulously worked gold surfaces – has become internationally recognized.
Bicego’s appreciation for the beauty of finished gold surfaces lies at the heart of his collection. While many jewelry makers are letting small gemstones or minerals replace gold surfaces, due to the rising cost of gold, Bicego refuses to abandon his trademarkstyle.
The presence of glorious gold surfaces in his collections makes him especially unique today. “Gold is our primary raw material at Marco Bicego,” he says. “The entire line is crafted from 18k yellow and white gold. We will always design using gold, as it is intrinsic to our brand DNA and my personal goldsmithing heritage.” That heritage dictates that each piece is hand-tooled and hand-chiseled, with at least ten specialists working on every piece.
Colored stones are also an important part of the Bicego style. “In many of my collections, I work with semi-precious stones, including the Paradise and Jaipur collections. Usually they feature an assortment of citrines, amethyst, tourmalines and peridot. This year I’m also incorporating sapphires, emeralds and lapis as the evolution of color is very important to Marco Bicego.”
Wearability is also essential. “Our jewelry is meant to be worn every day – not saved in the jewelry box for that special occasion. I love seeing how my clients interpret the Marco Bicego style, and how they layer pieces.” For example, he wanted the gold Jaipur bangle, introduced last year and now a classic, to be wearable and relaxed, so he designed the gold to be flexible. “A woman can wear it all day without knowing it is even on her wrist,” he says, adding, “our flexible bangles can be easily stacked and still comfortable – the more the better.”
When asked if he believes gold jewelry is an investment, Bicego replies yes but that, above all, it is an investment in personal style. “All fine jewelry is an investment, but I strive to create pieces that women can use every day and wear from the beach to a cocktail party. It’s what I like to call ‘everyday luxury’ – minimalist and clean-lined design. Our customers definitely see gold as an investment, but it’s also important to remember the element of craftsmanship. We create in Italy, and our artisans are trained in a way that blends old-world Italian hand craftsmanship with tradition, passion and imagination.”
Ultimately, Bicego says, “we encourage our customers to buy what they love and what they feel great in.” The collection travels easily from day into night; it’s collectible, stackable and versatile, and many of the collections can be mixed and matched with others. “Our customers know that if they purchase something from our Siviglia collection, for example, they could come back in a few months or next season and work a new piece from the Jaipur collection into their wardrobes,” says Bicego. Customers therefore tend to become collectors, with each new collection representing an opportunity to build a wardrobe of quality, stylish jewelry.
Jaipur Color concentric earrings in 18k hand-engraved gold with mixed semiprecious colored stones.
Marco Bicego
