Mario Buccellati, founder of Buccellati, began his career in 1903 as apprentice to the goldsmiths Beltrami e Besnati. Having descended from a family of renowned goldsmiths and jewellers including eighteenth-century jeweller Contardo Buccellati, Mario's expertise and skills set him apart from his jewellery-making contemporaries. His jewels became recognizable by their distinct texture, engraved style and hallmark '15 MI', one of the oldest in Milan.

In 1919, Buccellati took over Beltrami and opened a string of boutiques in his own name in Rome, Florence and New York. During his life, he created jewels for the most important collecting families across Europe and papal figures. When Mario passed away in 1965, the business was inherited by his sons Gianmaria and Federico, and today the house continues its tradition of unmistakable design and quality under the management of Andrea Buccellati, Gianmaria's son.