The Most Stunning Pieces of Bulgari's Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
Capturing the very essence of the Mediterranean is Bulgari’s latest High Jewellery collection
Envisioning a journey across the Mediterranean Sea — this was the single starting point of Bulgari’s latest High Jewellery collection. And there is good reason for this creative stimulus: The group’s founder, Sotirio Bulgari, left his home village of Kalarites in Greece and travelled across a group of Mediterranean countries before ultimately settling down in Rome and founding Bulgari in 1884.
On the Mediterranean being the inspiration for the new collection, Bulgari Jewellery Creative Director, Lucia Silvestri says: “This High Jewelry collection is an homage to the Mediterranean beauty and essence in all its forms. For me, being in the Mediterranean region is an awakening of all senses, and a real inspirational experience. The architecture, the nature, the people, I am eyeing beauty everywhere. [It] is an inspiring melting pot, where many different cultures and societies have mingled and enriched each other over centuries.”
With three distinct themes, the collection aims to touch on the different facets of the Mediterranean. The first range, Southern Radiance, is Bulgari’s nod to the natural wonders and lively coasts of Southern Italy — a 15.13 carat cushion sapphire anchors the Mediterranean Muse necklace, which also features aquamarines and diamonds that are placed to evoke the movement of sea waves. Another Radiance piece, the Southern Sapphire platinum necklace, required a staggering 1,650 hours to finish — on the masterpiece, a 66.88 carat Ceylon sapphire is encircled by diamonds and sapphires.
As the Eternal City of Rome is a forever emblem for Bulgari, it’s no surprise that the second range is themed Roman Splendour. Paying tribute both to Rome’s architecture and an archival piece from the 1970s, the exuberant Esedra sautoir stars a 68.88 carat emerald set in a hexagonal pendant, which also boasts amethysts and turquoises. Bulgari continues to show off its expertise in emeralds on the Acanthus Emerald necklace — seven of the ultra-precious green stones, in the same intensity and totaling 33.59 carats, were cut into drops and set among diamonds and 60 buff-top emeralds.
Finally, celebrating the cultures in three different continents — Europe, Asia and Africa — is the diverse and encompassing East Meets West range. A 13.34 carat antique cushion Colombian emerald, pavé diamonds, and beads of pink tourmaline, sapphire and emeralds flourish on the Oriental Buds necklace, which took some 2,300 hours to complete. There’s a secret watch — also influenced by Indian Mughal architecture — to match too.
“With Mediterranea, Bulgari unveils its new High Jewellery and High-End Watches collections by embarking on an epic and immersive journey that starts from Rome, the eternal city and permanent source of creative inspiration for Bulgari, to Venice, the major crossroad of Mediterranean influences where the Roman Byzantine Empire fused with the Roman Western Empire to give birth to inclusive and unrivalled arts and architecture. With great honour, we celebrate the vision of founder Sotirio Bulgari with magnificent creations that represent the pinnacle of Bulgari identity made of audacious creativity and exceptional craftsmanship,” says Jean-Christophe Babin, Bulgari CEO.
