How Rome has shaped Bvlgari’s identity
In tribute to Rome and its romantic history, luxury jeweller Bvlgari has drawn influence and inspiration from the Eternal City’s monuments and architectural treasures.
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When Bvlgari was first founded by talented Greek silversmith Sotirios Voulgaris, who moved from the Epirus region of Greece to the Italian city of Rome and set up shop on Via Sistina in 1884, he had no idea that the breathtaking silver ornaments and beautiful jewels he was responsible for would transform his enterprise into a thriving international brand worn by many of the world’s biggest stars.
Now a leader in innovation and craftsmanship within a booming industry, Bvlgari has a reputation for Italian excellence thanks to the house’s ability to rewrite the rules of jewellery time and again.
Boasting distinctive styles inspired by its rich and romantic Roman roots, each of the brand’s collections feature vibrant and exotic colour combinations, designs influenced by architecture, and iconic motifs that have transcended time, strengthening Bvlgari’s legacy.
In the mid-1950s, Bvlgari began to introduce its signature chromatic combinations of both precious and coloured stones that avid fans of the Italian brand have come to know and love. It was also then that the cabochon method, which served to highlight a gemstone’s hue — initially inspired by the domelike cupolas on countless Roman buildings — became synonymous with the luxury jewellery label.
Over the course of the next decade, Bvlgari began to make even bigger waves amid the magnificence of the Dolce Vita era, and it was during this time that the brand’s store on Via Condotti became a well-known haunt for stars, celebrities, socialites, and artists. With the world’s attention focused on the label’s allure, Bvlgari attracted only the most elite clientele. Servicing noteworthy names such as Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly and Anita Ekberg, the maison made headlines every time its jewels were worn both on and off the screen.
Featured on Ingrid Bergman in The Visit, Gina Lollobrigida in Never So Few, Sharon Stone in Casino, and Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible, Bvlgari’s showstopping creations have starred in more than 40 blockbuster films. Unsurprisingly, they have also been worn by the likes of celebrities such as Charlize Theron, Lady Gaga, Alicia Keys, Laura Harrier and Dua Lipa on the most memorable red carpets in history. In fact, it was Elizabeth Taylor’s outstanding jewellery collection, featuring a number of exquisite Bvlgari jewels, that served to inspire many of these looks.
During her stint in Rome, filming the 1963 film Cleopatra, Taylor proved herself a fan of the maison when she began purchasing a number of the brand’s most iconic creations. On her visits to the store on Via Condotti, Taylor has previously recalled that “undeniably one of the biggest advantages to filming Cleopatra in Rome was Bvlgari’s shop”. When British auction house Christie’s held a sale of Taylor’s private collection of jewels in 2011, which was widely known as one of the most valuable sales of jewellery in auction history, Bvlgari reclaimed nine of her beloved pieces, which now make up the Bvlgari Heritage Collection.
To this day, Bvlgari continues to create each of its collections in tribute to its Roman roots. The jeweller’s celebrated core collections all draw influence from the rich history and aesthetically pleasing architecture of the Eternal City.
From Bvlgari’s infamous logo featuring classical Latin inscriptions to the cut of its cobblestone-like gemstones, Rome has shaped the brand’s identity, and in turn, the brand has given back to the beloved city with contributions to the restoration of a number of iconic monuments and archaeological areas, including the Spanish Steps, the Baths of Caracalla and the sacred area in Largo di Torre Argentina.
Whether you’re after an opulent piece from the brand’s snake motif-dotted Serpenti collection, famously inspired by the ancient Italian myth that suggests snakes symbolise wisdom, rebirth and vitality, or count yourself as a fan of the B.zero1 range, celebrated for its reinterpretation of the circularity of the Colosseum, it’s impossible to deny the inherent cultural thread of Rome visible in each and every style.
The Divas’ Dream collection, worn by Charlie’s Angels actress Naomi Scott in the new Mai Troppo campaign, is inspired by the unrestrained spirit and undeniable glamour of Rome, while its designs mirror the eye-catching hues reflected on the floor of the Baths of Caracalla. The Monete collection features gorgeous mounted antique coins engraved with the names of Roman emperors, while the luxury Octo range of impeccably designed timepieces draws on the geometry of the vaults within the Basilica of Maxentius.
To explore the ways in which the city of Rome has shaped the brand over the years, discover Bvlgari’s celebrated core collections here.
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