Bvlgari, the iconic Italian jewelry

Flagship of the French group LVMH since 2011, Bvlgari nevertheless remains an emblematic brand of Italian style celebrating femininity and the playful colors of the land of Dolce Vita. Let's discover its history rich in glamorous events

The beginnings in 1884: the art of goldsmithing and jewelry in silver 

Surprisingly, this mark so characteristic of an Italian style was in fact created by a talented Greek goldsmith. Young Sotiro Bulgari, who arrived in Rome at the age of 24, came from a family of goldsmiths from the town of Paramythia, in northern Greece. In 1873, he fled the Ottoman war with his father and arrived in Corfu. They opened a goldsmith shop together and created some jewelry in silver for a rich clientele, particularly for the famous Sissi who is on vacation in Corfu. Sotiro Bulgari left alone for Naples and settled permanently in Rome to open a shop in 1884, specializing in goldsmiths, antiques and jewelry silver. He is already inventing a style with models in silver forged, very popular with English or American customers visiting Rome. In 1908, thanks to his entrepreneurial spirit, Sotiro Bulgari is developing its brand abroad with seven boutiques in Europe and in various major Italian cities. It is inspired by the land of the sun and the architecture of Italian cities like the homage to the cobblestones of the streets of Rome that we find more recently in the collection Parentesi.

1910: the first diamond jewelry collections

The famous Bvlgari flagship boutique (deliberately written in Latin), located in Via Condotti in Rome, was originally known as a “cabinet of curiosities” offering both old pieces and creations. With the arrival of his two sons, Constantino and Giorgio, Sotiro Bulgari decides to move upmarket by offering jewelry, decorated with diamonds. In the 1920s, the first High Jewelry collection was created, in the trend Art Deco with geometric shapes. This is very inspired by the spirit of the French jewelry school and its techniques mixing diamonds and platinum.

The 50s: cinema and glamor

Tremendous opportunity for Bvlgari: the Cinecitta film studios are setting up in Rome and attracting Hollywood's biggest stars to the capital. The most emblematic personality remains Elizabeth Taylor who came to film the film Cleopatra in 1962, directed by her husband Joseph L. Mankiewicz. During the torrid scenes, she falls in love with actor Richard Burton who gives her numerous Bvlgari jewels to declare his love. He will tell this second-hand that “the only Italian word Elizabeth knows is Bvlgari”! During filming, the actress wears a wristwatch in the shape of a snake with emerald eyes on her wrist. The first piece, meanwhile named Serpenti, was born thanks to a cinema icon. This emblematic collection is now available in High Jewelry, watches and even leather goods.

The chromatic art of gemstone cabochons

It was in the mid-1950s that the Bvlgari house asserted its true style. Inspired by the Italian Dolce Vita and its architecture, punctuated by Roman domes, the brand is launching into the creation of pieces decorated with cabochons. With a real gift for chromatic combination, she plays with the association of numerous fine stones in bold colors such as amethyst, associated with turquoise or even green peridot cabochons, combined with pink tourmalines. This cabochon technique highlights the stone to reveal the magic of the small inclusions poetically called “gardens”. Italy has become a real tourist destination and many films depict the Italian joy of living, symbolized by the brightly colored stones.

Internationalization and the creation of artistic pieces

In the 1970s, Bvlgari continued its international development, particularly in the United States. Great personalities like Liza Minnelli or Nancy Reagan wear emblematic pieces, during big evenings such as the bicentenary of independence with the Bannière collection in American colors. In 1984, the 3rd generation of the family Bulgari takes the helm and brings a new vision to the brand with avant-garde inspirations and Pop Art. They multiply materials such as porcelain, wood or silk providing a very modern “second skin” appearance. One of the famous customers and artist Andy Warhol declared at the time that he often visited the Bvlgari boutique because “in my eyes it is the greatest contemporary art museum in the world”. 

Creating broadcast collections

The 90s brought out new creations of diffusion and modular jewelry responding to international market demand. Piiconic era, inspired by the Colosseum, the B.zero1 ring was created in 1999. Its first version is made of gold spirals reminiscent of the flexible bracelet technique Tubogas, used for collection Serpenti. Even more daring B.zero1 models have followed one another for 20 years, such as the white ceramic version in 2010. The artist Anish Kapoor revisits this model in mirror-effect steel or the architect Zaha Hadid creates a version with unstructured lines. A true best seller, the B.zero1 offers multiple versions meeting the different tastes of women and men. An iconic and unisex collection always in tune with the times.