Richemont adds to jewellery portfolio with Vhernier buy

Swiss luxury giant Richemont announced on Tuesday that it has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of Vhernier S.p.A., the Italian jewellery house, in a private transaction.

Forty-year-old Vhernier is headquartered in Milan and was acquired by the Traglio family in 2001.

It’s known for its “distinctive modern aesthetic, inspired by the curves of the human body and the essential forms of modern sculpture to create bold sculptural and ergonomic shapes, as well as for the unusual combination of traditional precious metals and gems with unconventional materials such as titanium, bronze and ebony”.

It’s therefore a very different offer from the new owner’s existing luxury jewellers such as Cartier and Van Cleef & Arpels.

All of its jewellery is handcrafted in Valenza, where the brand was founded, and is sold through a highly selective network of monobrand boutiques and upscale multibrand stores, predominantly in Europe and the US.

Along with the jewellery offer comes the De Vecchi Milano 1935 home decor brand that’s all about Italian heritage silverware.

Richemont chairman Johann Rupert said the business “brings a distinguished and distinctive design that beautifully blends modern, sleek and elegant shapes with unconventional materials, magnified by exceptional craftsmanship. This unique aesthetic perfectly complements our existing collection of renowned jewellery Maisons.

“We are delighted to welcome Vhernier’s talented team into the Richemont family. We very much look forward to working together to realise the full potential of this exceptional Maison within the thriving branded jewellery market.”

And Carlo Traglio, Chairman, and Maurizio Traglio, CEO of Vhernier, added: “We are pleased for Maison Vhernier to join Richemont, the undisputed leader in design jewellery. We firmly believe that our distinctive jewellery Maison will flourish under Richemont’s stewardship, expertise and careful nurturing.”