You have to appreciate the unapologetic decadence—and passion for precious objects of all kinds—that would inspire a high jewelry design house to task its workshop of master goldsmiths and specialists with creating three glorious, gem-laden evening bags. Hello, Buccellati, and thank you for inviting us all to such an elegant, escapist affair!
Unveiled as part of Buccellati’s Paris Haute Couture Week presentation, the evening bags include a green matelassé velvet clutch with a clasp set with a cabochon rubellite tourmaline (pictured at top) and a black velvet clutch with a diamond-and-rubellite closure that dangles a pendant inspired by the Milan-based design house’s Opera collection. Finally, there is what might be the ultimate novelty: a spherical bag in black stretch velvet decorated with a double row of diamonds and a yellow gold circular handle.
Frame evening bag in black velvet with yellow and white gold set with diamonds and rubellite
Spherical evening bag in stretch black velvet with yellow and white gold set with diamonds
There were no compromises in the creation of the three evening bags, from the draping of the fabric to the meticulous goldwork.
Sumptuous, spare-no-detail evening bags actually hold a prominent place in the brand’s history. Founder Mario Buccellati first introduced evening bags in the 1920s, and they promptly caught the eye of the well-dressed women who attended operas at La Scala, which was located next to the jeweler’s atelier at the time. The bags were crafted of velvet and the finest silks from the Far East by expert seamstresses, and their closures and other structural elements transformed the basic functionality of a small handbag into a glittering, jewel-like must-have accessory among the city’s fashionable elite.
In the 1950s, Mr. Buccellati refined his approach to evening bag design, using the tastes of the American public as a guide. These creations were sleek, streamlined, rectangular clutch bags; decades later, Mario’s son Gianmaria Buccellati embraced a more geometric style, sometimes abandoning the use of fabric in favor of engraved gold and silver—more “evening cases” rather than actual bags.
From the Buccellati archives, clockwise from top left:
beige embroidered fabric purse with diamonds, pearls, and silver chain and clasp (1920s); black silk purse with rubies and cabochon emeralds (1920s);
handbag engraved with pink gold flowers and yellow gold leaves, clasp tipped with gray and white pearls (2001)
It’s not hard to imagine opera star and legendary jewelry collector Maria Callas wielding one of these Buccellati beauties in between performances at La Scala. where she rose to worldwide acclaim and starred in more than two dozen productions between 1950 and 1961. Callas made opera “about the story and the drama and the narrative,” the American soprano Lisette Oropesa told The New York Times in 2024. “It wasn’t just about the beauty of the voice: She used her voice to tell a story.”
That’s also how many women see and wear pieces in their jewelry collections—and consider their next acquisition. And having the kind of gioia della vita to put one of these smoldering evening bags at the top of your wish list is enviable on many levels.
Callas’ portrayal of Violetta in La Traviata was particularly epic, and the English translation of lyrics from Violetta’s famous aria “Sempre Libera” seems worth inserting here: “As each day dawns, as each day dies, gaily I turn to the new delights that make my spirit soar.”
Those are words any jewelry lover can take to heart.
Top: Handbag in velvet with yellow and white gold set with rubellite and diamond accents, all prices on request