Carrera y Carrera
Spanish luxury jewelry brand recognized for sculptural, handcrafted designs and an international history dating back to a Madrid workshop established in 1885.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Carrera y Carrera was a Spanish luxury jewelry company associated with highly sculptural, handcrafted pieces and an artistic approach to fine jewelry. Its documented origins reach back to 1885, when Saturio Esteban Carrera opened a small jewelry workshop in Madrid’s Barrio de las Letras after moving there from Alcalá de Henares. The family tradition continued through his son, José Esteban Carrera, who studied lapidary work in Paris in 1920, and through the next generation of family jewelers. The Carrera family’s modern brand identity was established in the 1970s by great-grandsons Manuel Carrera and Juan José Carrera. Rather than presenting jewelry solely as conventional adornment, the house became associated with three-dimensional forms, figurative motifs, hand-finished surfaces, and designs intended to function as small-scale works of art. This artistic positioning helped distinguish the company within the Spanish and international luxury-jewelry sector. A major early milestone was the 1960 commission to create the wedding tiara for Queen Fabiola of Belgium for her marriage to King Baudouin. The commission contributed to the company’s international recognition and linked the brand with royal and ceremonial jewelry. The company later participated in other prominent cultural and institutional projects. In 1989, Queen Sofía of Spain served as patron of the presentation at Madrid’s Royal Palace of “The Ark of Discovery of the Fifth Centennial,” a sculptural work later exhibited at Madrid City Hall. Carrera y Carrera expanded beyond Spain during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The company entered the United States in 1979 and Russia in 1994. New facilities opened in San Agustín del Guadalix in 1992, and the company later maintained subsidiaries or operations in New York City, Tokyo, Moscow, and the United Arab Emirates. Its first boutique in China opened in 2013. These steps reflected an effort to build an international luxury distribution network while retaining the brand’s Spanish artistic identity. The company’s ownership and management changed several times. Lladró took control between 2002 and 2006, after which Manuel Carrera again created collections for the house. Miriam, Princess of Turnovo, joined the design team in 2000. The brand also developed visibility through public figures, including models Eugenia Silva, Almudena Fernández, and Alejandra Alonso, and through celebrity wear reported for entertainers and actors such as Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Demi Moore, Lady Gaga, Olivia Wilde, Olivia Palermo, and Christina Hendricks. Carrera y Carrera maintained links with Spanish and Russian film-award institutions. Since 2010, the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences has presented a Carrera y Carrera ring as the Maja de Goya distinction for the most elegant actress at the Goya Awards ceremony. The brand also designed the Golden Eagle Award associated with Russia’s National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. In 2000, Manuel Carrera received a medal from the Russian Academy of Arts. The company entered judicial liquidation in 2019 and closed. Because the available reference material does not establish a continuing operating owner, current commercial activity, or a successor brand structure, Carrera y Carrera is treated here as defunct rather than active.
History
Carrera y Carrera’s history combines a multigenerational Madrid jewelry tradition with the development of a modern Spanish luxury brand. The lineage begins in 1885, when Saturio Esteban Carrera moved from Alcalá de Henares to Madrid and established a small workshop in the Barrio de las Letras. The business remained a family occupation. Saturio’s son, José Esteban Carrera, continued the tradition after studying lapidary work in Paris in 1920, and the craft was subsequently carried forward by José, Saturio, Pedro, and Andrés Carrera. The family’s international profile grew substantially through ceremonial commissions. In 1960, the company made the wedding tiara for Queen Fabiola of Belgium for her marriage to King Baudouin. This commission helped place the firm among recognizable luxury jewelry houses and reinforced its association with royal, formal, and historically significant objects. The contemporary Carrera y Carrera brand was created in the 1970s by Manuel Carrera and Juan José Carrera, great-grandsons of Saturio Esteban Carrera. The company’s identity centered on artistic and sculptural jewelry rather than purely minimalist or commercially standardized pieces. Its designs were presented as handcrafted objects with modeled volume, figurative imagery, and an emphasis on the maker’s intervention. International expansion followed. Carrera y Carrera entered the United States in 1979 and Russia in 1994. In 1989, Queen Sofía of Spain was patron of the presentation at the Royal Palace in Madrid of “The Ark of Discovery of the Fifth Centennial,” a sculptural work later displayed at Madrid City Hall. New company facilities opened in San Agustín del Guadalix in 1992, establishing the site that later served as the company’s headquarters. The brand continued to develop its artistic and institutional relationships. Miriam, Princess of Turnovo, joined the design team in 2000, the same year Manuel Carrera received a medal from the Russian Academy of Arts. Between 2002 and 2006, the ceramics company Lladró took control of Carrera y Carrera. After that period, Manuel Carrera again created collections for the brand, indicating that the founder’s design role remained important despite changes in ownership. Carrera y Carrera’s international network later included subsidiaries or operations in New York City, Tokyo, Moscow, and the United Arab Emirates. In 2013, it opened its first boutique in China. The company also benefited from visibility through models and public figures who represented or wore its jewelry. Named models included Eugenia Silva, Almudena Fernández, and Alejandra Alonso. The brand’s designs were also associated in published descriptions with celebrities including Jennifer Lopez, Katy Perry, Demi Moore, Lady Gaga, Olivia Wilde, Olivia Palermo, and Christina Hendricks. Film awards became another important area of brand visibility. From 2010, the Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences awarded a Carrera y Carrera ring as the Maja de Goya distinction for the most elegant actress at the Goya Awards. Reported recipients included Goya Toledo, Lydia Bosch, Blanca Suárez, and Maribel Verdú. Carrera y Carrera also designed the Golden Eagle Award for Russia’s National Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The company’s recorded commercial history ended in 2019, when it entered judicial liquidation and closed. The available reference material does not identify a continuing owner, successor operator, or confirmed revival. Accordingly, the brand is documented as a defunct Spanish jewelry company with a long craft lineage, prominent royal and institutional commissions, and a particularly strong association with sculptural art jewelry.
- 2019
Judicial liquidation and closure
[1]The company entered judicial liquidation and closed.
- 2013
First boutique opened in China
[1]Carrera y Carrera opened its first boutique in China.
- 2010
Maja de Goya award partnership begins
[1]The Spanish Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences began presenting a Carrera y Carrera ring to the most elegant actress at the Goya Awards.
- 2002
Lladró takes control of the company
[1]Lladró took control of Carrera y Carrera during the 2002–2006 period.
- 2000
Miriam, Princess of Turnovo, joins the design team
[1]Miriam, Princess of Turnovo, joined the company’s design team.
- 2000
Manuel Carrera receives Russian Academy of Arts medal
[1]Manuel Carrera received a medal from the Russian Academy of Arts.
- 1994
Expansion into Russia
[1]The company expanded into the Russian market.
- 1992
New facilities opened in San Agustín del Guadalix
[1]The company opened new facilities in San Agustín del Guadalix near Madrid.
- 1989
Presentation of The Ark of Discovery of the Fifth Centennial
[1]Queen Sofía of Spain was patron of the presentation of the sculptural piece at Madrid’s Royal Palace; the work was later exhibited at Madrid City Hall.
- 1979
Expansion into the United States
[1]Carrera y Carrera expanded into the United States.
Products and positioning
High-end artistic jewelry emphasizing handcrafted production, sculptural modeling, figurative themes, Spanish heritage, and ceremonial or collectible value.
Fine jewelry
Sculptural fine jewelry
Carrera y Carrera was associated with artistic, three-dimensional jewelry characterized by modeled forms, handcrafted finishing, and figurative or sculptural themes. The approach positioned individual pieces as collectible design objects as well as luxury accessories.
Fine jewelry
Rings
Rings formed an important part of the house’s product range and included artistic designs used for ceremonial recognition. The brand’s ring associated with the Maja de Goya distinction became one of its best-known institutional pieces.
Fine jewelry
Necklaces and pendants
The company produced necklaces and pendant-based jewelry within its broader sculptural design language. Available descriptions associate these pieces with handcrafted construction, figurative motifs, and an emphasis on artistic form.
Royal and award jewelry · 1960
Ceremonial jewelry
Carrera y Carrera created prominent ceremonial objects, including the wedding tiara made for Queen Fabiola of Belgium in 1960. Its later work for film-award institutions extended this ceremonial role beyond royal commissions.
Marketing campaigns
- 2010Maja de Goya award partnership
Spain
Carrera y Carrera became associated with the Maja de Goya distinction presented during the Goya Awards ceremony. The award consisted of a Carrera y Carrera ring given to the actress judged the most elegant.
Outcome. The partnership connected the jewelry house with Spain’s leading film-awards event; reported recipients included Goya Toledo, Lydia Bosch, Blanca Suárez, and Maribel Verdú.
Brand decisions
2019
Judicial liquidationOtherBackground
After a history of ownership changes and international operations, the company entered a formal insolvency-related process.
Action taken
Carrera y Carrera entered judicial liquidation and closed.
Aftermath
The brand is treated as defunct in this dossier. No verified successor operator or continuing owner is identified in the reference material.
2013
Retail expansion in ChinaStrategyBackground
The company sought to extend its international boutique network beyond its established markets.
Action taken
Carrera y Carrera opened its first boutique in China.
Aftermath
The available source confirms the opening but does not provide subsequent operating or financial results.
2002
Lladró control periodM&ABackground
Carrera y Carrera underwent ownership changes during the early 2000s.
Action taken
Lladró took control of the company during the period from 2002 to 2006.
Aftermath
Manuel Carrera later resumed creating collections for the house, while the company continued its luxury-jewelry activity before eventually entering liquidation.
1994
Expansion into RussiaStrategyBackground
The company pursued additional international markets after entering the United States.
Action taken
Carrera y Carrera expanded into Russia and later maintained a presence in Moscow.
Aftermath
The Russian market became an important setting for the brand’s artistic recognition, including Manuel Carrera’s 2000 Russian Academy of Arts medal and the Golden Eagle Award design.
1979
International expansion into the United StatesStrategyBackground
After developing its Spanish identity and recognition through ceremonial jewelry, the company began extending its commercial presence abroad.
Action taken
Carrera y Carrera expanded into the United States.
Aftermath
The move was followed by further expansion into Russia, Asia, and the Middle East.
Sources1 sources
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