Precious Flowers by Margherita Burgener

What is the secret behind a family business?

In our case, the secret is teamwork. We are lucky to have a very diverse and unique group, in which everyone has specific expertise. Every Margherita Burgener jewel starts with a concept that becomes reality by taking the best part of each member of our team. We all contribute with our experience and personal style to the common goal of creating high quality jewels, by enhancing the splendor of the stones and the other materials we use.

How does your territory influence your work?

Our work is deeply rooted in the goldsmith tradition that made Valenza internationally renowned. We are proud to keep alive the traditions of our area through our work. Working in a city that has been producing jewelry for two centuries and where the biggest brands, both Italian and foreign, come to make their jewels, creates a fertile soil, from which we can obtain the best results. A long time ago, we decided not to mass-produce, but rather to craft our products based on their uniqueness, so we invested in our family’s style believing in its value.​

How did you start? Tell us about the history of your business.

The history of our company is unique. I fell in love with this wonderful job - that has at its core excellence in craftsmanship - when I started visiting the workshop owned by my husband’s family in Valenza, opened by his grandfather Carlo in 1966. Our adventure started in 2002, when we started producing the first Margherita Burgener jewels (the brand name is a mix of my then newborn daughter and my last name). The pieces are sophisticated and contemporary, for an expert clientele. The first pieces were auctioned by Phillips & de Pury in Geneva; then came Sotheby’s and Christie’s; then Artcurial; in 2013 the Poly Auction of Hong Kong and Bonhams and Adam’s. In 2011 we created a retail line, initially for the Tsum in Moscow and the DLT in Saint Petersburg, then for la Rinascente in Milan and other selected shops. As time passed, the international demand for one-of-a-kind pieces grew, generating constant search for new designs and experimental materials, such as titanium, which is currently a driving force of our creative process.​

What is the most fascinating stage for you in the creation of an object so unique and detailed?

Every step in creating a jewel is wonderful: choosing the stone, the first drawings, handcrafting the piece. A special moment happens when I hold a stone in my hands and I realize what it will become. It’s the stone itself that suggests it to me. It is a magical moment each time. Nowadays, I love creating custom-made jewels, as their demand keeps increasing. I love working on a piece for a specific woman, or on a pair of cufflinks for a man, or on a dress set (with cufflinks and buttons) for a special occasion. To me it is like sharing a unique and precious moment in a person’s life. It is truly gratifying, and it makes me happy.

How important is tradition to you?

Our adventure would not have been possible without the long jewelry-making tradition of our workshop. It is a real pleasure for us to replicate those same gestures that master goldsmiths have performed for centuries and, at the same time, to work on new designs with new materials, to create contemporary objects. In our job, it is paramount to be faithful to the tradition of the craft and to cherish our past, because that is what allows us to create contemporary jewels: by mixing tradition with experimentation of new techniques and new materials.