Picchiotti: High jewellery novelties unveiled at Baselworld

Baselworld fair is always full of discoveries, and this year’s discoveries began for me on the 21st of March with the visit to Picchiotti. The name of this Italian family has become synonymous with quality and craftsmanship, as well as gorgeous coloured gemstones that are set in jewels created in house, under the personal supervision of Mr. Giuseppe Picchiotti himself.

The high jewellery pieces presented by the family brand at Baselworld 2018 are a continuation of their line of classic designs which appeal to the consumer, the connoisseur and the collector alike. These timeless pieces are intended to be passed on as heirlooms for future generations, and this familial connection is clearly important to the Picchiotti family. A novel ‘Family Tree’ has been literally manifested for the exhibition; draped in the brand’s latest jewellery pieces, as well as pictures of the family and the booth’s visitors, proudly displayed at the table while I viewed the latest creations.

It is important to me that my jewellery endure, says Giuseppe Picchiotti, designer and founder of the esteemed brand. I want my pieces to be worn for many generations to come. So, what better place to look for inspiration than antiquity? I enjoy the challenge of balancing the past and the present to create jewellery that will sparkle well into the future.

The hero piece of the brand’s high jewellery collection unveiled at Baselworld 2018 is arguably the exceptionally clean oval cut Zambian emerald ring. Deigned in bombé style, it features 19 carat gem with a double halo arrangement of pear-shaped diamonds accenting it. This central gemstone boasts excellent clarity, with extraordinarily few inclusions for an emerald of this size.

Mr Picchiotti asserts: “We have had this emerald in our collection for 5-6 years waiting for the right time to use it, to set it in the perfect piece. Sometimes we wait 10-15 years for a remarkable gemstone to find it’s home in a fine jewellery creation.”

Another of the new creations which is a testament to the brand’s focus on design is a tapered baguette cut diamond ring with a central Colombian emerald of 4.97 carats. The diamonds in this ring had to be re-cut one by one, until each one of them was the correct shape to be set seamlessly side by side. With the white gold setting only visible to the north and south of each diamond, the piece is labour and time intensive; taking 45 hours for the goldsmith to create the setting, 40 hours to set the diamonds, plus the time lost in cutting. Giuseppe also estimates that between 35% and 40% of the diamond weight was lost in the diamond cutting process, but the beauty of the final result is more than worth it.

One of the most impressive pieces from the line of classic jewels was finished only a week before the fair; a tennis bracelet with perfectly matched unheated Mozambique rubies and diamonds that was created using XpandableTM technique. With a patent pending on the design mechanism, Picchiotti now offer almost 280 rings and 50 bracelets in different gemstone, design and diamond variations within the XpandableTM line.

Picchiotti also treated me to a viewing of their ‘Essentially Colour’ collection, which utilises bold design and a stunning variety of pastel coloured gemstones outside of the brand’s usual dedication to sapphire, ruby and emerald. I will introduce you to these pieces shortly before Couture Las Vegas, so that you may plan to visit them in person this summer and experience the vibrant beauty of ‘Essentially Colour’ rings and pendant first hand!