Gleaming emeralds, supreme craftsmanship and a fresh iteration of the Maison’s signature Serpentine: Vogue Scandinavia discovers Bulgari’s exquisite new Garden of Wonders collection
“Bulgari has always been like family”, Bulgari’s Jewellery Director Mauro di Roberto tells me in the brand’s Paris-based High Jewellery showroom. “The culture of the company is part of my comfort zone, with colleagues who are like family to me.”
We’re here to discover the Garden of Wonders collection. The sparkling line-up comprises an impressive array of 140 exclusive pieces, with each piece taking upward of 1,300 hours of craftsmanship - some clocking 3,000. No less than 30 of the collection’s pieces are dedicated to the emerald, which di Roberto explains are one of the industry’s “most precious and most beautiful stones”, and only becoming more and more popular. For di Roberto, the luminous green of the precious stone symbolises hope and happiness.
Photo: Bulgari.
Photo: Bulgari.
Photo: Bulgari.
Despite the multitude of emeralds in the collection, di Roberto states that he doesn’t have a personal preference when it comes to precious stones. “I love stones with the right intensity of colour”, he says. “We’re a company with a history of mixing and matching colours. It is somewhat of a contemporary art.” Bulgari’s distinctive approach to Garden of Wonders’ colourful palette of gems makes it possible for the Bulgari woman to “buy the rainbow”. One such example from the collection is The Eden enchantment necklace, inspired by a Bulgari necklace from the 1930s. Featuring a double festoon structure offset perfectly by the thick, diamond-set chain on the back, it required 1,300 hours of meticulous work to complete.
Bulgari’s instantly recognisable Serpenti moniker has also been reimagined across the Garden of Wonders collection, including a line-up of timepieces that coil around the wrist. “We were able to be wonderfully creative with the shapes,” di Roberto comments, remarking that the Serpenti style itself “symbolises infinity and offers infinite kinds of creativity.”
Photo: Bulgari.
The necklace depicted transforms into three separate pieces. Photo: Bulgari.
But it really is all about shape for di Roberto. “I very much love the shape and fall in love with a particular cut. That’s what really entices me in a way.” Like the smooth and curvaceous cabochon cut, a signature of the Bulgari style. “It is quite sensual”, says di Roberto. According to the Jewellery Director, the best way to truly understand the craftmanship is to close your eyes and feel the stone that is “almost fluid”. *
It is the first time Bulgari enlivens Paraiba Tourmalines – one of the rarest and most desirable gems in the world with “the colours of the Mediterranean” according to di Roberto – with emeralds and spinels combining to create an unorthodox colour explosion. Under direct light, the effect of the turquoise, green, and pink stones is pure drama. “When wearing this piece, you will stand out", notes di Roberto. “Man or woman, the person requires a certain charisma and a willingness to be noticed.”
Photo: Bulgari .
Photo: Bulgari.
New to the maison for the Garden of Wonders collection are ambassadors Zendaya and Anne Hathaway, both embodying the independent and successful Bulgari woman. They’re women who take action and invest in themselves, a trait that di Roberto applauds, saying, “to receive a gift is always a pleasure, but to be a self-purchaser because you want something is the biggest freedom".
The Garden of Wonders collection is available via private appointment.