Florentine Flair
Carolina Bucci on honing her craft and bringing her creations to the Central Coast
Carolina Bucci on honing her craft and bringing her creations to the Central Coast
Pavé EveryDay bracelets and necklace
“We have a room fragrance that I created, inspired by the smell of my parents’ garden in Florence in the warm breeze. Walking around in Montecito and Santa Barbara, I caught a whiff of it and I thought, ‘I even have this,’” says fourth-generation fine jeweler Carolina Bucci. She selected Montecito for the first stateside flagship of her fine jewelry house, which is known for its playfully modern pieces made by hand. Her designs include earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and even single beads in white or yellow 18k gold. The pieces are hammered with a diamond-tipped tool to achieve a signature Florentine finish that allows metals to shine like faceted stones. Her work has a lighthearted, relaxed quality that mirrors the feel of coastal California.
“The whole vibe, the way that you wear it, there’s a relaxed approach to it,” Bucci says of her jewelry, pointing to her customizable Downtown necklace with its colorful spheres carved from semiprecious stones, enamel, or gold, and threaded on a Lurex cord with 18k gold tips. “To prove to my father and my industry that fine jewelry could be fun, I started questioning everything.” She applies the expertise and high level of craftsmanship she learned as part of a jewelry-making family who always wore gold designs, but she uses the process to make pieces that are more relaxed and effortless. “As a teenager, I wanted to wear fun stuff, but I wasn’t allowed—I had real pieces.” As an adult, she makes and wears lively pieces that have real heft but remain casual enough for a day on the town.
Her Lucky bracelets were inspired by the knotted friendship variety, but she elevates them with 18k gold charms and silk thread. “I taught the industry you don’t always need a clasp. When making a double knot, you can make a wish,” she says. FORTE beads inspired by camp bracelets allow for endless combinations, and 18k EveryDay necklaces have a patina—a Patinato finish—designed to look lightly worn and loved. “Through the years, it evolves. Every collection is inspired by a moment, a time, everything I create is something I dream of, something I want to wear,” Bucci says. 1024F Coast Village Rd., Montecito, 805-869-2222; carolinabucci.com
Photos Carolina Bucci