From December 7th, 2025 to January 5th, 2026, Shanghai becomes the stage for The Prince of Goldsmiths: Buccellati Rediscovering the Classics, an immersive jewellery exhibition on view at the Shanghai Exhibition Center. Bringing together history, craftsmanship and contemporary scenography, the exhibition celebrates Buccellati as one of the most poetic and enduring names in Italian high jewellery.
An inspirational jewellery exhibition with a heritage focus
Conceived as a travelling retrospective that follows its acclaimed debut in Venice, the Shanghai edition places Buccellati’s artistic legacy at the centre of the city’s luxury and cultural landscape. Curated by Alba Cappellieri, the exhibition presents 250 creations, including jewellery and silver objects, tracing more than a century of savoir-faire rooted in Renaissance-inspired techniques and refined through four generations of the Buccellati family.
Rather than following a strict chronology, the exhibition unfolds as a narrative journey. Visitors move through four carefully designed rooms that reveal the maison’s identity, values and creative obsessions, blending classical architectural references with digital installations developed by Balich Wonder Studio.
Buccellati and the language of craftsmanship
One of the exhibition’s key sections explores Buccellati’s approach to goldsmithing through architecture. Here, jewellery is presented as structure: engraved surfaces echo façades, while geometric motifs and rhythmic proportions recall classical buildings. This dialogue between form and ornament underscores the maison’s belief that jewellery can be both wearable and architectural.
Another room focuses on Buccellati’s enduring relationship with nature. Floral motifs, butterflies and organic textures appear across high jewellery pieces, brought to life through signature techniques such as lace-like engraving, tulle, enchaining and fine chiselling. These works reveal how softness and precision coexist in Buccellati’s visual language.
Highlights: three key artistic narratives
The exhibition opens with a poetic tribute to the lineage of the maison: the Buccellati Generations section features four butterfly creations, each designed by a different generation, which symbolise transformation and continuity while capturing the enduring Buccellati style. The An Italian Family Story chapter evokes the family’s private study through archival photographs and artefacts, offering insight into the values, craftsmanship, and human bonds that have shaped the company over time.
The Manmade Wonders chapter, across three rooms, showcases silver and jewellery pieces inspired by ceremony, classical harmony, and archaeology. Historic cosmetic cases and handbags are displayed alongside contemporary designs, and silver works reinterpret ancient Roman forms with a modern sensibility.
Both retrospective and forward-looking, this jewellery exhibition invites visitors to encounter Buccellati’s creations as works of art—objects that bridge past and present, tradition and innovation, Italy and Shanghai.
Courtesy of BUCCELLATI
