The Italian fine jewelry craftsman debuts his Marrakech Onde collection and shares the story behind his most famous style
In Partnership With MARCO BICEGO
“My entrepreneurial and design journey started with coils,” says designer Marco Bicego, who founded his fine jewelry brand in 2000 in Northern Italy. “Over the years we have reinterpreted it, and successful collections were born, such as Goa, Cairo and Masai. But above all, Marrakech. This is what has made my brand recognizable.”
MARCO BICEGO Marrakech Supreme 18-karat yellow gold bangle, $2,630, Masai 18-karat yellow gold wide bangle with diamond station bracelet, $5,5540, Masai 18-karat yellow gold two-strand crossover diamond bracelet, $3,630, Masai 18-karat yellow gold single station diamond bracelet, $2,440, and Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold link bracelet with diamond stations, $2,600.
In a nod to his company’s 20-year history and the continued timelessness of his most famous style, Bicego decided to reimagine the coil that began it all. The resulting collection, called Marrakech Onde, comprises contemporary interpretations of the classic link, such as long and collar-length necklaces, drop earrings, pendants and other stunning, graceful designs.
MARCO BICEGO Marrakech Supreme 18-karat yellow gold long necklace, $11,260, Marrakech Supreme 18-karat yellow gold and diamond three-strand bangle, $9,500, and Marrakech 18-karat yellow gold small hoop earrings, $1,070.
“The story of the Marrakech collection started at a particular moment in my life,” Bicego says. “I was still working in my father’s company when I saw a chain discarded because of a defect. At this time, an idea sparked.”
The designer used the opportunity to develop his brand’s signature corda di chitarra technique, in which a delicate 18-karat gold strand is wrapped around an 18-karat gold center, and then the gold spiral is hand-twisted to create the beautiful Marrakech wave — with no two being identical. “The chain became a new concept of beauty,” he explains. “Irregular, deliberately imperfect and unique.”
MARCO BICEGO Marrakech Supreme 18-karat yellow gold 3.7 mm single-strand necklace, $4,490, Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold link necklace with diamond stations, $5,510, and Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold link necklace with three diamond pave stations, $5,840.
Marrakech Onde celebrates the brand’s incomparable foundation of knowledge, craftsmanship and brand identity, introducing pieces designed to be worn together in an infinite number of combinations, and that will also complement existing Marrakech styles. Among his favorites in the new collection, Bicego says, are the concentric earrings, which he calls a “thousand and one night” jewel, and a classic chain he reinvented to be lighter and embellished with small diamond pave.
MARCO BICEGO Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold and diamond triple drop hook earrings, $1,430, Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold and diamond large concentric earrings, $4,510, and Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold and diamond double drop earrings, $1,670.
“Technique and design are a combination that reinvents itself day after day,” Bicego says. Still, his mission remains to design jewelry for everyday luxury, making timeless creations that will never go out of style, and the signature coil remains the perfect embodiment of that 20-year-long commitment. “The coil has become a symbol of my company,” he continues. “A sort of red thread that leads back home.”
Feature image: MARCO BICEGO Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold and diamond large concentric earrings, $4,510, Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold and diamond five-strand bracelet, $16,370, Marrakech Onde 18-karat yellow gold long-link necklace, $8,260, and Marrackech Onde 18-karat yellow and white gold and diamond five-strand ring, $2,050.
Sept. 16, 2020
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