Welcome to our list of the Top 10 Most Iconic Bvlgari Pieces!
Bulgari was founded in Rome in 1884 by Sotirio Bulgari. Bvlgari is no doubt a well-known brand of luxury items, from fashion to watches to jewelry. And when it comes to the latter, this Rome-based brand combines elegance and extravagance very well. Even today, Bvlgari’s pieces still flaunt the house’s signature features including large gemstones for centerpieces, bold shapes, and the use of cabochon stones (a tradition that dates back to the 1960’s Italian glamour).
The Bulgari signature is often spelt with a V rather than a U, which is a reference to the classical Italian alphabet. Bvlgari has amazing pieces that are symbols of the house and here I’ll show you the 10 most iconic ones.
So, without further ado here are the Top 10 Most Iconic Bvlgari Pieces:
1. Bvlgari Serpenti Watch
Empowered by fascinating myths, since ancient times the snake, an emblem of wisdom, rebirth and vitality, and an ornament and talisman, is a constant presence in jewelry. Bvlgari was one of the first twentieth-century jewelers to turn this millenary motif into a watch timepiece. In the very stylized models of the late 1940s, the supple body was of polished yellow gold, either in the flexible Tubogas bands or in gold mesh. Then, the serpent Tubogas versions explored every possible shape of case and dial while materials ranged from gold to steel. In the 1960s, the serpents’ numerous separate elements simulated the reptile’s scales while the watchcase was concealed in its head. In the 1970s, the Tubogas technique provided the BVLGARI snake watches with a cutting-edge look.
Whether in a realistic or geometrically abstract manner, the snake winds along BVLGARI’S history as an embodiment of its hallmarks: love for color, juxtaposing materials, unmistakable wearability and state-of-the art goldsmith techniques.
2. Bvlgari Trombino Ring
The Trombino (translated as ‘little trumpet’) is one of Bulgari’s most successful and long-lasting designs. The first model appeared in the early 1930s and was instantly popular because it allowed the gemstone to stand proud. The shank of the Trombino ring was a broad band of pavé-set diamonds graduated to a horizontal line of baguette-cut diamonds.
One of the most famous Trombino rings was bought by Elizabeth Taylor in 1971. It consists of a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire that weighs more than 25 carats, and was sold for $866,500 at a Christie’s auction in 2011.
3. Bvlgari Serpenti Bag
The Serpenti bag is another one of Bulgari’s classic pieces. Made from the absolute best materials and craftsmanship they are made in Florence and new versions of the bag are presented twice a year at Milan Fashion Week. Marked by an urban lifestyle and a trendy wearability, the new “Serpenti Forever” crossbody bag brings a cool touch to the Serpenti universe. The iconic snake head closure hypnotizes with black and white agate enamel and seductive eyes in green malachite.
The bigger and more colorful models are perfect for everyday wear!
4. Bvlgari Parentesi
In the 1980s Bulgari guessed that the time had come to make jewelry that suited the lifestyle of modern women in the world of business who needed jewels that could be worn from morning until night. The answer was modular jewelry, where each single element – providing high quality design and manufacture – could be produced in series, finished by hand and then connected to one another. The first shot of Bulgari modular jewelry was the Parentesi collection: Rome was a source of inspiration and the Parentesi sign came from a detail of the Eternal City pavements, the travertine junctions used to link the stone blocks.
Wearable, decorative, bold and suitable for many occasions, the Parentesi has been one of the most extensively copied designs of its time.
5. Bvlgari Tubogas
The BVLGARI Tubogas is a flexible band with rounded contours produced without soldering and requiring hours of specialist work. Sleek and flexible, the Tubogas motif was inspired by the shape of the gas carrier pipes in use from the 1920s onwards. This technique, developed during the second half of the nineteenth century, was revived by Bulgari in the 1970s, becoming one of the firm’s trademarks.
The tubogas is a hallmark of Bulgari, often being presented with the iconic serpent.
6. Elizabeth Taylor’s Cleopatra Mirror
When she was filming Cleopatra outside Rome in 1962, Elizabeth Taylor found Bulgari impossible to resist. One of the most famous jewels from the period was the magnificent emerald and diamond necklace that Richard Burton bought for Elizabeth Taylor as a wedding present in 1964. But even more famous was the hand mirror her previous husband gave her a few years before. This Bulgari gold hand mirror from 1962 is decorated with a turquoise Egyptian-inspired raptor.
She didn’t use this mirror in the movie, but it was given to her around the same time as the premiere of the blockbuster Cleopatra, hence its name.
7. Bvlgari Monete
The ‘Monete’ jewelry range of coin-set necklaces, bracelets and earrings is instantly recognizable, and one of the few designs that has not been imitated by other manufacturers. It remains one of Bulgari’s most enduring and popular lines. The idea of mounting coins in jewelry is not new — there are plenty of examples from ancient Rome of a fashion that continued into the Byzantine era. While Bulgari did encase a few coins in boxes during the late 1930s, it was not until the 1980s that the firm started producing a large number of coin-set necklaces, bracelets and occasionally earrings.
This is one of the most iconic Bulgari collections, they are unique pieces that you won’t find anywhere else.
8. Bvlgari B.Zero1 Collection
Inspired by the architecture of Rome’s Colosseum, the most famous amphitheater in the world, this collection is executed with an innovative and unconventional approach to jewelry design. There are models with pave diamonds, made in black ceramics and of course in gold. Bulgari says this collection is a symbol of individuality and character, dedicated to those who are always looking for new inspirations.
For me Bulgari is the epitome of Italian glamour, and this collection gives just that.
9. Bvlgari Bvlgari
In 1977, the huge success of the BVLGARI ROMA model led to the launch of the BVLGARI BVLGARI timepiece, one of the most iconic designs in the history of horology. Even if not advertised, the buzz spread rapidly and attracted more and more clients to the Bulgari Condotti store. The engraved BVLGARI BVLGARI logo was integrated into the timepiece design: this became its notoriety. The inspiration came from ancient Roman coins, where the effigy of the emperor was surrounded by inscriptions of power and prestige. The iconic collection began to offer also jewelries, with new playful interpretations epitomizing the everyday glamour of the collection.
Bulgari says it is a new wave of must-have jewels designed for a generation that does not play by the rules.
10. Bvlgari Fiorever
For over 100 years, Bvlgari has celebrated the natural beauty of the vibrant flower sign with bold creativity. With a name that marries the words forever and fiore, Italian for flower, this collection is inspired by the Maison’s favorite muse, Rome. Splendid flowers bloom in varieties of bright hues, or sparkle in the luminous dew of diamonds. There are broches, earrings, necklaces and more.
Skillful stylization, with saturated colors and bold shapes, intensifies the joyful energy of the iconic Bulgari flowers.
