Gold Star: Brands That Make Gold the Protagonist of Their Collections

Gold has always been a symbol of luxury, just ask Cleopatra and the Ancient Egyptian pharaohs who draped (and buried) themselves in it from head to toe. While plenty of fine jewellery brands love to set their collections with precious stones, some take a different approach, putting gold centre stage and letting its natural beauty shine through.

Let us take you on a gloriously golden journey, where brands like CADAR, Pamela Zamore, Ilias Lalaounis, Vendorafa, Vhernier, Buccellati, and Annamaria Cammilli show us that gold is more than just metal; it’s an art form.

CADAR: The Dance of Gold

At CADAR, gold is the primary material in its designs, with designer Michal Kadar bringing a fashion-forward perspective to jewellery design. “My approach to gold craftsmanship is rooted in my fashion design background,” Kadar explains. “It allows me to treat gold like fabric, transforming it into a fluid, dynamic material.” This technique gives rise to pieces that feel as if they are alive and spirited, reflecting light and movement effortlessly. Kadar’s unique concept, the Golden Movement, is defined by jewellery that captures light with its sharp angles, allowing it to dance across the surface. This gives each piece a dynamic, almost fluid appearance as if it’s alive and shimmering with every move. Each piece, according to Kadar, has its own personality, bringing joy and brightness to the wearer.

Pamela Zamore: Signature Stripes

Pamela Zamore is a Boston-based jewellery designer who transitioned from a career in interior design to crafting and designing jewellery. Her work is heavily influenced by her love for architecture, antique jewels, and the decorative arts. Such a background is evident in her designs, which are known for their intricate textures and attention to detail. Zamore’s collections often blend modern sculpture with vintage-inspired aesthetics.

Zamore’s designs stand out because they embrace the beauty of 18k gold. She crafts her pieces with striking striped patterns, combining sandblasted channels and polished ridges to create miniature sculptures that feel luxurious against the skin. “I am drawn to the elemental simplicity of 18k gold as a designer,” she says. “As I work with texture, form, and finish, the richness of the gold is illuminated across my collections.” This approach ensures that each piece not only captures the depth of gold but also complements the natural curves of the human body. 

Ilias Lalaounis: Soulful Jewels

Ilias Lalaounis is a name synonymous with the revival of ancient Greek goldsmithing techniques and a deep respect for historical artistry. Founded by Ilias Lalaounis in 1969, the brand quickly gained international acclaim for breathing new life into ancient designs, drawing inspiration from various eras such as the Classical, Byzantine, and even prehistoric periods, all of which predominantly used gold as their primary material. “Every piece of jewellery has a story to tell, it is jewellery with a soul,’ observes Maria Lalaouni Boutari, daughter of the brand’s founder, and now its Creative Director. “We like to work with gold, the purest of metals, in a respectful way, drawing inspiration from our ancestors and all the exquisite jewellery they created.”

The brand uses age-old techniques like granulation, filigree, and hand-hammering, which transform gold into textured, dimensional, sculptural pieces of art. You can really see how the textures and patterns come to life in his pieces, like the wide, cable-style bangles with their unique mosaic-like hammered texture, framed by rows of pavé diamonds on either side. Lalaounis’s designs often incorporate motifs from mythology, nature, and ancient art, creating a bridge between the past and the present. Each piece tells a story, connecting the wearer to Greece’s rich cultural tapestry.

Vendorafa: Handcrafted Legacy

Vendorafa uses similar techniques, drawing inspiration from Mediterranean and Byzantine influences. Founded in Valenza, Italy’s capital of goldsmithery, Vendorafa embodies the essence of traditional craftsmanship through its pricked and hammered gold designs. The brand embraces the concept of transformation, exploring the different properties of gold to create unique art forms. 

Transforming the gold form into wearable art is the foundation for the brand and a guiding principle that continues to guide us in Vendorafa’s legacy, explains Massimo Gismondi, Vendorafa’s CEO and Creative Director. 

“The idea of exploring and exploiting the different properties of the precious metal and the concept of possibilities in alchemy is what drives our brand’s passion. From design inception to casting and design using the age-old techniques that have come before us, there is an important continuity.” 

Vendorafa stands out for its bold, textured surfaces and sculptural forms, crafted using ancient hammering techniques that give each piece a distinctive heritage feel. The chunky, geometric designs reflect their ability to keep up with contemporary trends while remaining deeply rooted in goldsmithing traditions.

Vhernier: Sculptural Splendour

Next up is the Italian jewellery brand Vhernier, founded in 1984. Its use of gold transforms its pieces into sculptural, ergonomic masterpieces that embrace the curves of the body. “The pure forms of modern sculpture are, for Vhernier, a constant source of inspiration for the bold and clean volumes,” says Isabella Traglio, the brand’s Head of Design. In other words, Vhernier draws from contemporary sculpture to inform its jewellery design, focusing on creating pieces that have a strong visual impact with a minimalist aesthetic. 

The brand’s rose and white gold pieces are its signature – and for good reason. Their impeccable smooth surfaces are achieved through expert mirror gold techniques that imbue the jewellery with a purity and sensuality somehow achieving a deeper purpose than what meets the eye. According to Traglio: “The hallmark rose and white gold shades are meticulously crafted to complement all skin tones. Moreover, even though it is used to sculpt large volumes, it maintains a certain understatement.” 

Buccellati: Lighter than Lace

Buccellati, founded in 1919 by Mario Buccellati in Milan, has established itself as a paragon of exquisite craftsmanship, particularly known for its intricate gold lacework. Creative Director (and grandson of the brand’s founder) Andrea Buccellati emphasises the brand’s unwavering commitment to quality and tradition, adding, “We never want to compromise on quality: we invest in artisans and the new generation.” Each piece of Buccellati jewellery is not just a product; it is a testament to the skill and dedication of artisans, often taking months, or even years, to complete, thus ensuring that every item is unique and timeless.

“Everything is handmade since 1919,” says Luca Buccellati, Special Sales/ VIP Director of Buccellati and another third-generation member of the family, echoing this sentiment, and highlighting the artistry and painstaking effort behind each piece. “You won’t find any plain gold at Buccellati. With Buccellati jewellery, there is never a surface untouched.” Furthermore, as Buccellati points out, the Buccellati Academy plays a crucial role in passing down these traditional skills to a new generation of artisans. “The training takes two to three years,” he adds. “You have to be so focused.” This dedication to nurturing talent not only preserves the brand’s legacy but also reinforces its status as a leader in the world of fine jewellery, with each piece telling a story.

Annamaria Cammilli: Sandblasted Sensation

Another Italian brand specialising in gold is Annamaria Cammilli. Established in Florence in 1983 by the eponymous designer, whose background as a painter and sculptor greatly influenced her work. Today, the brand is led by CEO and Creative Director Riccardo Renai, who continues to innovate while honouring the legacy of the founder.

Central to Annamaria Cammilli’s identity is the use of the lost wax casting technique, which Riccardo Renai describes as “the most ancient and romantic method to create jewellery”. This artisanal approach allows the team to model jewellery pieces by hand, creating intricate designs that highlight their three-dimensional quality. “Our creations are made with the lost wax casting technique,” Renai explains. “[They are] tiny works of art.” Each piece undergoes meticulous craftsmanship, showcasing a soft, velvety texture achieved through a special Aetherna finishing technique that enhances the interplay of light and shadow.

FerriFirenze: Precious Curves

One of the most challenging factors when working with gold is making such a dense metal appear lightweight and airy. One of the masters of this feat is Florence-based brand FerriFirenze, which draws upon all the elevated traditions of Italian goldsmithing to bring its romantic and ultra-feminine creations to life. When Katerina visited the brand’s home – the Villa Corsi Salviati – earlier this year, she was presented with the new Ninfea and Bamboo collections that exemplify the curvaceous, undulating and swirling golden shapes that set the brand apart. Each element is perfectly polished and ergonomically constructed to ensure complete comfort for the wearer. 

However, if we had to pinpoint one collection that exemplifies the FerriFirenze approach to gold, it would be the Vito offering. Here, we find pathways of 18k yellow gold elements that sit together in wave-like patterns, almost like a contemporary yellow brick road. Each golden element is tipped with a diamond to catch the light from different angles. And let’s not forget the Bubble collection, which combines hundreds of spheres of gold in graduating sizes to create height and dimension across rings, bracelets and pendants, all topped with bezel-set gems. It’s safe to say there are plenty of golden treasures to choose from! 

So that’s a wrap on our golden journey! From techniques that transform gold into a dynamic fabric to exquisite craftsmanship that honours historical artistry, each brand offers a unique perspective that takes gold to new levels. Whether that’s displayed through sculptural forms or intricate lacework, gold always captivates and enchants – and helps to explain why gold pieces, like diamonds, are forever.