Italy’s House of Hearts: Discovering Recarlo at Swiss Gallery on Bond Street

As I walked along Bond Street, London towards Swiss Gallery on 45A Old Bond Street, I found myself retracing a journey I had made countless times before. At the end of my jewellery retail career, I worked at a luxury jeweller at this very address, making my return feel like a full-circle moment. Bond Street has evolved considerably since then, and Swiss Gallery is part of that transformation. This intimate boutique brings together independent watchmakers and a thoughtfully curated selection of jewellery houses, with Recarlo being one of them. 

It didn’t take much to persuade me to make the trip to London. "Katerina, we have something exclusive to show you in the boutique!" was all I needed to hear. I have travelled considerable distances to discover new jewellery houses and independent retailers, so a quick Eurostar journey felt almost like popping next door. And, of course, I was eager to discover exactly what Recarlo had in store for me.

Inside Swiss Gallery

Founded in 2019 by third-generation jewellery and watch entrepreneur Nadeem Sarwar, Swiss Gallery represents a new generation of Bond Street boutiques. Its collection of independent watchmakers like Ulysse Nadin, Parmigiani Fleurier and Daniel Roth, and Italian fine jewellery houses, has been assembled by Nadeem with a collector’s eye, bringing together exceptional names whose stories are every bit as compelling as their creations. It’s the kind of boutique that encourages you to slow down, look closely and discover brands you may not yet know.

"I was raised learning that people are the most important element in any business, that small is beautiful, and that quality shines through above all else. We believe in putting the rarest brands in front of our clients who know they can rely on us for individuality," shares the Swiss Gallery chairman.

Discovering Recarlo

It was Recarlo, however, that had brought me here. Founded in Valenza in 1967 by Carlo Re and now run by his sons Giorgio and Paolo Re, together with General Manager Giuseppe Pinto, the family-owned house has spent almost six decades creating diamond jewellery from the heart of Italy’s most celebrated jewellery-making town. Having spent years visiting jewellery ateliers, I have come to recognise the hallmarks of Italian design. Recarlo possesses them all, including an instinct for elegance and an appreciation of comfort and wearability.

In a world where synthetic diamonds have found their place, Recarlo stays true to its philosophy of using only natural diamonds from countries that comply with the Kimberley Process. The brand is also certified by the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), guaranteeing that its diamonds come from conflict-free zones and actively supporting the protection of the whole production chain. 

It wasn’t until I had explored several collections that I recognised the one thing above all else that gives Recarlo its unique identity: the heart shape. Throughout Recarlo’s collections, it is continually reinterpreted – a signature motif that finds expression in everything from contemporary everyday creations to exceptional High Jewellery.

The Timeless Elegance of the Contrarié Collection

The Contrarié collection offers the purest interpretation of Recarlo’s fascination with the heart shape. Introduced in 2017, its sweeping silhouettes are set with graduated heart-cut diamonds that trace uninterrupted curves around the body. Open torque necklaces curve elegantly around the neckline, bangles wrap fluidly around the wrist and rings spiral around the finger, each culminating in a flourish of beautifully matched heart-shaped diamonds. These are exactly the kind of jewels that can be worn as a suite without ever feeling overly coordinated. Each piece may share the same design language, yet every silhouette has its own identity.

One of my favourite discoveries came as I turned the Contrarié jewels over in my hand. The 18K ‘artic’ gold galleries that hold the diamonds are formed from tiny hearts, visible only to the wearer. It’s details like these that reveal the care invested in every Recarlo jewel.

The Playfulness of the More Collection

The versatility of Recarlo’s jewellery becomes even more apparent in the More collection, which seduced me for an entirely different reason. Every jewel is left intentionally open, with polished curves reaching towards one another without ever quite meeting. Sometimes the open ends are tipped with heart-shaped diamonds, elsewhere with vivid coloured gemstones or delicate rows of pavé, each variation giving the same silhouette an entirely different personality.

As an introduction to the collection, I was presented with a beautiful royal blue oval couvette containing 16 different rings, set with round and heart-shaped diamonds from the More collection combined with pink tourmaline, yellow and blue sapphire rings from the Chrome collection. Within minutes I was happily experimenting, stacking the rings in twos and threes, mixing metals, gemstones and diamond cuts. Every new combination revealed a different mood, making it impossible to settle on just one favourite.

The Allure of the Oriental Night Parure

Just as I was getting carried away building my ever-growing stack of More rings, Jaseem gently interrupted me with one final reveal. The Oriental Night parure transports Recarlo’s signature heart-cut diamond into the world of High Jewellery, pairing it with deep blue sapphires.

The necklace is the centrepiece of the suite, bringing together 101 graduated heart-cut diamonds totalling 32.76 carats. Parallel rows of blue sapphires run along the upper and lower edges of the design, creating a frame around the diamonds and giving the necklace a beautiful, graphic quality.

Italian Craftsmanship at Its Finest

The effect appears effortless, but the craftsmanship behind it is anything but. Creating a perfectly calibrated arrangement of heart-shaped diamonds is no small feat. Every stone must share the same proportions, with each curve, cleft and point measured and re-measured so that the transition from one diamond to the next is imperceptible. Trying on Oriental Night confirmed my impression of Recarlo. These are jewels are designed for women who love jewellery and love wearing jewellery when they please.

Before my visit, I knew Recarlo primarily as the Italian house synonymous with heart-shaped diamonds. What I hadn’t appreciated before visiting Swiss Gallery was the remarkable coherence of its jewellery. Whether expressed through the sculptural curves of Contrarié, the playful versatility of More or the exceptional craftsmanship of Oriental Night, every collection belongs naturally alongside the next. Something tells me I won’t be waiting too long before crossing paths with Recarlo again.