The companies with a long history always tell a story. Mr. Marques, who represents the TOPÁZIO silverware brand from Portugal describes their story. 

Mr. Marques, TOPÁZIO was founded 140 years ago. Many companies, which deal with the production of silverware are already bankrupts during the last 100 years for example. In your opinion, what has helped Topázio to develop and to maintain itself during such a long period of time?

TOPÁZIO has a long history of manufacturing high quality luxury handcrafted products. Skilled workers, using techniques and know-how passed on from generation to generation, are at the very core of our production capabilities. We believe this is the reason for our continued success: quality of manufacturing and service to our clients.

TOPÁZIO is one of those companies that have a long history. This is very valuable for the customers. What services do you offer to the customers, in addition to sales?

We can manufacture our own collections, either using our extensive library of designs and patterns, and by developing new ones. We can create custom-made products, at special request from our clients. We can also develop and manufacture completely bespoke and unique pieces.
We also provide a complete cleaning and/or restauration service of silver and silver-plated products that can restore them to almost-new condition.

TOPÁZIO has a huge factory, which covers an area of about 8000 m2, is there a possibility to the customers to visit it and to see the production process?

We are always delighted when our clients decide to visit the factory and we welcome them whenever they do decide to come. Not only they have the chance to see our production, which still uses proven techniques from decades ago, but they have a chance to discuss custom-made or bespoke products, defining all the details of their designs and wishes. Also we are part of the Portuguese Filigree Route, and we regularly welcome tourist that wish to know how these products are manufactured.

Mr. Marques, could you tell us which countries are particularly fond of your brand? Where are you main customers?

Europe, the Middle East and the United States are our main markets. The company is currently expanding and growing in Asia, and we hope these markets will represent an important share in our export business.

Speaking about different markets, has silverware market changed in the last 20-50 years?

A lot! The consumers almost all over the world have changed their habits, their lifestyle, their use of tableware, their tastes… but the desire for luxury and quality remained, and even increased!! Any company that did not adapt to this evolution fount itself struggling to accompany, and some eventually closed…

TOPÁZIO, of course, refers to the premium brands, and people who value the quality and the history of the company definitely choose and have the products of your company. We would like to know what brands of silverware you personally possess of or would you prefer to have only the products from TOPÁZIO?

TOPÁZIO has a very complete range of products: from cutlery to decoration, tableware, accessories, gifts, celebration, etc. To be honest there is no need to have products from other brands, to complement anything missing in our own… and the quality is there, so I am very happy selecting from our own brand.

How long does it usually take to produce one product?

It depends of course on the product. A simple teething ring can take 15 days, an elaborate candelabra can take 8 weeks… We have had bespoke products taking as much as 3 months of production, that took dozens of steps and hundreds of man hours… the average is 4 to 6 weeks.

Does TOPÁZIO produce unique pieces, for example, a sculpture in a single copy?

A considerable part of our business is bespoke and custom-made products, either designed by our clients or by us, following their specifications. The technique applied in the production of any specific piece depends on the nature of the piece: it can be in a single copy, it can be various components assembled, we have to adapt the technique in order to get the best result possible for the client – and by result I mean quality, which is what the client is looking for. We have to bear in mind that we are dealing with silver, a noble material, and we are dealing with decoration, luxury… the design has to be perfect, the quality of manufacturing has to be perfect…

How often do your develop new product‘s design? Who does finally approve the design and the development of new products?

Every year we present new products, and they can be a permanent part of the collection or limited editions of certain items. The development is a team work from design, production, marketing, commercial… every collaborator in these departments provides input and comments, and it allows for a much better end result, which is a product that was designed and developed based on a variety of tastes, areas of expertise, information, research, and so we present a product that is much more oriented to the market and our clients.

Mr. Marques, could you give an advice to the customers of BREGNER Luxury & Lifestyle how correctly choose the silverware?

Sterling silver with a fineness of .925 is a noble material, so whenever possible chose sterling silver products. The value of having a sterling silver product is never lost, it always has its intrinsic value. Silver-plated items are a coat of silver, usually a few microns, applied on top of another metal alloy, usually brass. They are less expensive, and can be a very good, long-lasting product, as long as the factory that made it knows how to silver plate correctly…
It is relevant to always know how many microns of silver are applied on a silver plated piece, a good coat of silver will last longer with wear, and will keep the piece looking good for a very long time.
It is also important to follow cleaning and maintenance instructions, they were designed to make the products look wonderful for a very long time. As we usually say internally: the more you use your silver, the less you need to maintain it…

Mr. Marques, thank you for your time for our interview and for a great partnership with BREGNER Luxury & Lifestyle. We wish you and your colleagues a lot of success!

Thank you very much for the opportunity to show a bit more about TOPÁZIO, and I am sure BREGNER Luxury & Lifestyle and TOPÁZIO will make a wonderful partnership!