by Sara Fingerman
On May 12th 2012, Saks Fifth Avenue Huntington welcomed Italian Jewelry Designer, Marco Bicego for an exclusive brunch and “meet and greet”. Bicego was full of energy, kindness and pride as his fans marveled in the beauty of his elegant pieces of jewelry. I personally tried on an 18-karat gold multi-colored Sapphire Station necklace and automatically fell in love, since it felt and looked wonderful. Here are excerpts from my exclusive interview with Marco Bicego:
“I’ve been working with jewelry since a young age, spending summers each year at my father’s goldsmithing factory where I would watch the artisans at work and try my hand at making pieces of my own. My collection debuted in 2000 at the Vicenza Oro fair. My aim has always been to express my personal vision of life, my passions and my curiosity, through jewelry design.”
“My jewelry tends to be universal and recognizable, yet it is always discreet and can be worn on many occasions and by women all over the world. However, I do feel there is a difference in how each market wears jewelry. American women have perfected the art of layering key pieces such as necklaces and bangles. European women love my bold statement pieces and are creative in the way they wear them, such as taking a necklace and wrapping it around their wrist a couple times to make a bracelet. ”
“Almost all of our collections are hand crafted from 18kt yellow gold - which leaves hundreds of tiny lines on the surface and creates a tactile finish which remains practically unalterable through time. In many of my new collections, you will see a lot of use of color in sapphires and semi-precious stones. ”
“All of my pieces embody what I like to what I like to call ‘everyday luxury’ - minimalist and clean-lined design that can be worn from the beach to the ballroom. Marco Bicego jewelry is timeless and can be worn on any occasion. I love a great necklace or two layered. It can transform an outfit and take it from day to night with one simple piece. I love that a long necklace can be worn a variety of different ways and can be styled based on the client who is wearing it. I always tell women to try on jewelry – there is a very emotional connection when putting a piece next to the skin. Usually, regardless of price, a consumer connects on a personal level to a piece. I would tell her to pick something she loves and can see herself wearing everyday – I believe jewelry is meant to be worn, not stored away for a special occasion. ”
• Sara Fingerman - Contributing Editor
sara@gemmagazineli.com, 631-672-4575