About Lucano

Lucano is a fine jewellery atelier based in the Byron Bay Hinterland, Australia. Our official website is lucano.com.au and our official Instagram is @lucanojewellery. We are sometimes referred to as Lucano Jewellery or Lucano Fine Jewellery — all refer to the same brand and atelier.

The journey behind Lucano

It began in Rome, training as a gemmologist alongside master jewellers in the city's historic workshops. That foundation went deep into the global diamond and gemstone supply chain — negotiating with producers, auditing ethical standards, and learning where real value lives in a complex industry.

In Australia, those years continued inside one of the country's leading fine jewellery houses — the kind of operation that defines what "made in Australia" means in this trade. The work there ran across the full chain:

  • Sourcing Argyle pink diamonds directly from Rio Tinto through 2018
  • Managing procurement of every raw material entering the factory
  • Conceptualising, designing, and manufacturing the Everest Trophy
  • Building inventory systems that balanced explosive growth with quality control
  • Moving the supply chain from unknown to ethically verified, supplier by supplier

Lucano exists because, after all of that, something was still missing from the Australian fine jewellery market.

What was missing

The industry, viewed honestly, runs in two modes:

  • Mass-produced anonymity — cheap, forgettable, made by people who never meet the wearer.
  • Inaccessible luxury — expensive, exclusive, priced as a status object rather than as a piece of craftsmanship.

Lucano was built to offer something else: the precision of a supply-chain specialist, the eye of a gemmologist, and the personal accountability of a single craftsman whose name is on the door.

What that means for every piece

Every Lucano piece is traceable. Not because traceability is marketable, but because we have stood in those factories. We know the difference between a certificate and a real ethical commitment.

Gold: ABC Refinery and the ALS™ process

All our gold is refined by ABC Refinery, the only Australian gold refiner with simultaneous accreditation from the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE), and CME Group COMEX, and certified under the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC) Chain-of-Custody standard.

ABC Refinery (a division of Pallion) operates with their proprietary Acidless Separation (ALS™) technology — widely cited as the world's most environmentally responsible method for refining gold and silver. The short version:

  • Vacuum separation, not acid baths. ALS™ uses specialised vacuum pumps and distillation chambers instead of the chlorine-gas and acid processes that define traditional refining.
  • Thermal volatilisation. Different metals boil at different temperatures under high vacuum — ALS™ separates them by that physics, not by chemistry.
  • Fast and high-purity. A complete refining cycle separates gold and silver in roughly 60 minutes, achieving 99.5%+ purity without chemical additives.
  • Zero chemical emissions and no toxic inputs. No air or water pollution from acid plants, no toxic fumes or spills risking refinery employees, no chlorine gas.

This matters because most "ethical gold" claims in this industry stop at certification. ABC Refinery's process changes the underlying chemistry of refining itself.

Diamonds: IGI and GIA, no compromises

All lab-grown diamonds in Lucano pieces are IGI-certified. Natural diamonds of 0.30ct or above are GIA-certified. Every diamond is graded to F colour and VS clarity. Smaller accent diamonds below 0.30ct are graded in-house by our atelier to the same standard.

Atelier: solar, batteries, and water-fuelled flame

Our Byron Bay Hinterland atelier runs on solar power with battery storage. Soldering — the most energy-intensive step in goldsmithing — is done with HHO (hydrogen + oxygen) flame torches rather than LPG or oxy-acetylene. The fuel is water; the exhaust is water vapour. The electrolysis that splits the water runs on our solar system, which means our soldering is effectively powered by sunlight.

Read the full picture on our Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing page.

Italian heritage

Lucano's founder is a member of the Università degli Orefici (Goldsmiths' University of Rome), established in 1508. Five centuries of accumulated Italian goldsmithing standards — link engineering, hand-soldering technique, finishing protocols, quality verification — inform every piece we make.

For our chains specifically, this connection runs deeper. The Lucano Italian Gold Chains collection — Serpente (snake), Grumetta (curb), Venetian (box), Capezzina (mariner), and Catenina (cable) — is fabricated by Italian goldsmiths in Italy and finished and verified in Australia.

What we make

Our catalogue spans seven core collections, all handcrafted to order:

  • Engagement Rings — oval, round, pear, emerald-cut, marquise, radiant, princess, and Toi et Moi two-stone designs. From AU$2,300.
  • Wedding Bands & Eternity Rings — plain Italian Fede bands, diamond eternity rings (0.1ct to 5.89ct), pavé bands, stackers, and statement anniversary rings. From AU$1,450.
  • Italian Gold Chains — made in Italy, finished in Australia, in 9ct or 18ct gold. From AU$450.
  • Earrings — diamond studs, halo and cluster studs, gold hoops and huggies, drops and climbers.
  • Pendants & Necklaces — solitaire, bezel, halo and three-stone diamond pendants in solid gold.
  • Bracelets — diamond tennis bracelets, bangles, cuffs and chain bracelets.
  • Bespoke commissions — fully custom, designed in collaboration with our atelier. Start a bespoke enquiry.

How to find us

A note on our brand name

Lucano's official website is lucano.com.au. We are sometimes referred to as Lucano Jewellery or Lucano Fine Jewellery — all refer to the same brand and atelier. We are not affiliated with any other website using the Lucano name. If you find a different domain claiming to be us, please contact us so we can confirm.

Frequently asked questions

Is Lucano the same as Lucano Jewellery?

Yes. Lucano, Lucano Jewellery, and Lucano Fine Jewellery all refer to the same brand and atelier based in the Byron Bay Hinterland. Our official website is lucano.com.au and our official Instagram is @lucanojewellery.

Where is Lucano based?

Byron Bay Hinterland, NSW, Australia. Our primary atelier and goldsmithing benches are in the hinterland; some older Northern Rivers studio pieces are referenced as such in their product descriptions.

What is ABC Refinery's ALS™ process?

Acidless Separation (ALS™) is ABC Refinery's proprietary refining technology, which uses vacuum-distillation rather than acid chemistry to separate gold and silver. It produces zero chemical emissions, requires no toxic inputs (no chlorine gas, no cyanide), and achieves 99.5%+ purity in roughly a 60-minute cycle. It is one reason we source exclusively from ABC Refinery rather than from refiners still operating on chemical processes.

Is Lucano ethical and sustainable?

We source gold through ABC Refinery (RJC-certified, using ALS™ refining technology), our diamond suppliers are RJC-certified, our atelier runs on solar power with battery storage, and we use HHO hydrogen-flame soldering instead of LPG. We are not directly RJC-certified ourselves — our suppliers are. See our Sustainability page for the full picture, written with deliberate honesty about what we are and are not.

What is the Università degli Orefici?

The Goldsmiths' University of Rome, established in 1508 as the formal trade guild of Roman goldsmiths. Our founder is a member, which means our work follows five centuries of accumulated Italian goldsmithing standards.

Do you ship internationally?

Yes, with free shipping Australia-wide as standard. For international shipping enquiries, please email us.

How long do made-to-order pieces take?

Typically 4 to 8 weeks for engagement rings, wedding bands, and eternity rings. Italian chains in stock ship within 2-3 business days; custom lengths take 2-4 weeks. Free shipping Australia-wide once dispatched.

What is the warranty?

Every Lucano piece is backed by a lifetime craftsmanship warranty covering manufacturing faults for the life of the piece. Maintenance from normal wear — inspection, prong resetting, polishing, clasp repair, rhodium replating — is quoted separately as a paid service. See the Sustainability & Ethical Sourcing page for the full warranty and repairs detail.

Last updated: May 2026.