The Aeterna City, according to Bvlgari
The revered Italian luxury jeweller celebrates its 140th anniversary with spectacular high jewellery.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS Bvlgari has never been afraid of: Being bold, colourful, opulent and most of all, true to its Italian roots, are just some of them.
If any proof is needed, just look at its latest high jewellery collection, Aeterna (meaning eternal), launched to mark the Roman luxury jeweller’s 140th anniversary.
In this most extraordinary high-end collection ever created by Bvlgari, one is struck by its technical expertise in crafting sumptuous jewellery, as well as its artful use of gemstones. On display are the house’s masterful control of materials, self-assurance in using colour, and utter flair in creating timeless jewellery from icons of the past.
Appropriately, the collection is inspired by Bvlgari’s home, the Eternal City. As it celebrates extraordinary gems as well as the brand’s constant reinvention, there is plenty of awe-inspiring jewellery to savour. At the same time, the foundational strengths that make for strong craftsmanship are evident; from intricate settings and well-articulated, hidden links to construction that allow light – whether reflected on materials or penetrated through gemstones – to be harnessed to the maximum degree.
“I am very proud and happy to see that 140 years after my grandfather created his small workshop, Bvlgari today sparkles over the planet, creating and crafting the most desirable masterpieces of high jewellery and jewellery watches of our times,” says Paolo Bulgari, president of the Bvlgari Group.
Indeed, many of these coveted pieces hail from its treasure trove of magnificent necklaces – each one lavish and uniquely Bvlgari, yet distinctive works of art all of their own.
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Serpenti Aeterna
The piece de resistance of the collection, the Serpenti Aeterna necklace is the most precious high jewellery piece Bvlgari has ever crafted. Costing over 40 million euros (S$58.6 million), a rough diamond of over 200 carats was cut to create seven D flawless diamond pear drops totalling 140 carats – one for each year of the brand’s history.
Perfectly harmonised, they hang from a sinuous, baguette-diamond-filled platinum wave structure carefully refined by hand; its sections joined by a complex system of concealed prongs and links. The necklace ends at the back with a clasp in the shape of a snake head, completing a historic Bvlgari jewel that reflects its rich heritage and innovative spirit.
Sapphire Aeterna Waves
This is another necklace featuring undulating forms, whose central stone is a magnificent 38.93-carat cushion-cut cornflower sapphire from Sri Lanka. The sapphire is detachable, allowing it to be worn separately as a pendant. That leaves a gorgeous platinum necklace, set with a wave of buff-top sapphires, accompanied by baguette, round and marquise diamonds.
Monete Aeterna Augustus Emerald
Antiquity meets modernity in this extraordinary sautoir design that recalls Italian Renaissance aesthetics. At its heart is a rare, imperial bronze coin minted during the reign of Tiberius (14-37 AD), showing the profile of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, and a possible representation of the Ara Pacis monument. Framed by buff-top emeralds and pave-set diamonds, the coin is suspended below a necklace made with 149 identical emerald beads, creating a truly precious celebration of Rome’s eternal beauty and Bvlgari’s Roman legacy.
Aurea Chandra
Regal and opulent, this nod to Bvlgari’s iconic 1980s Chandra Line is a mesmerising work of art featuring five rows of alternating pink gold and pave-set diamond spheres that wrap around the neck. To achieve a sense of weightlessness despite its volume, the gold is carefully contoured, hollowed and sculptured. The choker’s hidden links that allow for graceful movements are another testament to its artisans’ skill and innovation. Topping it all off is the choker’s ethereal luminescence, thanks to light dancing across the surfaces of its golden spheres.
Serpenti Sapphire Echo
The snake – one of Bvlgari’s most enduring icons – captures the jeweller’s transformative essence in this necklace fashioned in white gold. Two snake heads with eyes made of emeralds emerge from a single body covered in diamonds and buff-top sapphires. Each of them holds a stunning, pear-cut, 37.34-carat Sri Lankan sapphire. The sapphires themselves have a backstory – they were taken from a pair of 1930s Bvlgari earrings previously owned by an Italian noblewoman client. Now reborn, the two heritage stones can also be detached and reattached to another pair of gem-studded snake heads to be worn as earrings.
Earth Song
This necklace shows off a quintessentially Bvlgari juxtaposition of gemstones, seen through a kaleidoscopic combination of brilliant hues. The necklace’s splendid and striking composition comes from mixing sizeable rubellites, amethysts, kunzites, topazes, tourmalines and diamonds in an array of cuts and colours. A lighter, bezel setting is used, with the back left open, so light can pour through the gems. The stones hang in three rows from a thick gourmette chain that is itself studded with diamonds. Extremely feminine and joyful, Earth Song shows off Bvlgari’s signature bold aesthetic while reminding us of the beauty that comes from the ground.
Serpenti Chiseled
With this necklace, Bvlgari has broken new ground. It combines the work of a goldsmith who is also a trained sculptor with cutting-edge digital technology. The result is a supple necklace bearing the majestic curvature of a snake, its body adorned with “scales” created using baguette and round diamonds. A central, pear-shaped rubellite weighing 77.78 carats in a vibrant strawberry-red hue is suspended from the snake’s mouth. The snake’s body then winds its way around nine pear amethysts and 20 cabochon pear rubellites, while black onyx inlays further enhance the creature’s twisting shape. This is one dramatic and seductive masterpiece.
Bvlgari Lotus Cabochon
Just when you think you can grasp the Bvlgari “style”, it surprises you with this vibrant creation with flamboyant colours and an intriguing pebble-like texture. Bearing the silhouette of a sartorial collar, this necklace shows off organic curves in the shape of a lotus flower – a symbol of eternal rebirth. Rubellite, turquoise, emerald and amethyst cabochons are set in geometric patterns on a carpet-like rose gold base – achieved using the jeweller’s “tappetino” technique (Italian for carpet weaving) – then outlined with diamonds.
This resplendent necklace proves, like other fine specimens, that Bvlgari will never be hemmed in by any creative limits. And that, is something to celebrate indeed.
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