The London-based Italian jewellery designer has just launched her most spellbinding timepiece with Swiss watch manufacturer, Audemars Piguet. Crafted from finely-hammered yellow gold and a mirrored dial, the Carolina Bucci Royal Oak timepiece sparkles – just like the modern women of the 21st-century. Here, discover five things to know about the 42-year old spearheading age-old Florentine techniques into the 21st-century.
#1: The jewellery designer stumbled upon the world of Audemars Piguet, after stalking a woman (and her watch) through New York City’s Bergdorf Goodman.“My husband buys me watches for special occasions, but for my 35th-birthday I was struggling to find one that I wanted. One day in New York, I spotted a lady across the street wearing something on her wrist, and I chased her through a very busy street AND a couple of floors up to find out what watch it was! As it turned out, it was an Audemars Piguet timepiece that wasn’t in production anymore – but my husband managed to find a pre-loved version, which is when I really fell in love with it again.”
#2: She is a fourth-generation of Florentine jewellers, whose great-grandfather once specialized in crafting bespoke chain bracelets for exquisite watches.
“My great-grandfather started the business in 1885, who started repairing timepieces and create bespoke chains for pocket watches. Eventually, the jewellery side of our family business took over, and today with Audemars Piguet, I feel like there’s a nice circle that I have closed.”
#3: Her age-old Florentine technique turns precious gold into dazzling works of art.
“The Florentine finish, especially in white gold, looks like it’s covered in diamonds – and yet, there’s not a single diamond on it. It’s applied by hand, and because of that, no two pieces are the exact same. It’s perfectly imperfect.”
#4: She believes that jewellery shouldn’t only be worn for special occasions.
“I wear diamonds during the day, during the night… those boundaries have been completely broken today. There’s no “right” time to wear diamonds and exquisite jewellery, and I think that perfectly describes the current time.”
#5: Carolina’s favourite precious metal? Yellow gold.
“Yellow gold is my favourite gold. There’s something about it that strikes my attention – perhaps the way it shines or how it always works with everything that I wear. So for my third collaboration after working with white and rose gold, I thought why not with yellow gold this time?”
