Mr Picchiotti, what are your most successful collections?

Giuseppe Picchiotti: Many people know us because of our ‘Classics’ collection, which remains the pillar of our company. But we have also very successfully developed our ‘Xpandable’ collection, which has brought us an incredible amount of business.

What role do coloured gemstones play in your designs?

The traditional use of emeralds, rubies and sapphires is a very important part of our business. They were actually the key feature of Picchiotti. Using those gemstones now in our Xpandable line has also been extremely fruitful for us.

Your primary sales market is the USA. Do you have any shops of your own there or elsewhere?

No, zero! We were not born to be retailers. We were born to be manufacturers. For us, it is important to design, to produce the models and the finishing, and to set the stones. This is our world.

What have been your personal impressions of the new Baselworld?

Generally we are happy. The results were good and the number of visitors was excellent, but I think there is still a lot of work to do for a successful future for Baselworld.

You outfitted fashion models with your jewellery for the new fashion show. How did you like the event?

I think the catwalk was quite an attraction. It was good to be there and to show our jewellery to a large audience. The fashion show has been one of the new steps for which we are very grateful.