Bulgari Unveils In Rome The Aeterna Jewelry Collection
More than 500 exclusive high jewelry creations and watches, as well as high-end bags and perfumes, were unveiled in Rome last week to celebrate the timeless elegance that has characterized the preciousness of the Roman house for more than a century.
Gold and diamonds, sapphires and emeralds, platinum and turquoise set in necklaces, earrings, and rings paraded to the notes of Giacomo Puccini's Nessun Dorma.
But the attraction of the event was undoubtedly the Aeterna Collection created especially to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the Italian jewellery brand.
Photo: The necklace Serpenti Aeterna by Bulgari (Source: Screenshot Youtube)
Conceived as an ode to the past, present, and future of the esteemed jewelry house, the Aeterna Collection was created by Lucia Silvestri, the brand's jewelry creative director, and Bulgari's executive creative director of products, Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, together with a team of true master craftsmen.
Comprising 150 pieces, Aeterna was unveiled to the public at a fashion show held at the Baths of Diocletian in the Italian capital, where renowned models Isabella Rossellini and Carla Bruni took to the stage.
Actresses Anne Hathaway and Priyanka Chopra also attended the event. The Indian star wore the stunning 140-carat Serpenti Aeterna necklace, made to celebrate the brand's milestone.
Over 2,800 Hours Of Work To Create Serpenti Aeterna
Lucia Silvestri reported that Serpenti is "the most precious necklace I have ever created".
It took over 2,800 hours of work to achieve such a work of art, with the necklace being created around a rough diamond of over 200.00 carats, cut to create seven flawless diamond drops, class D, i.e. the highest degree of purity, for a total of 140 carats, one for each year in Bulgari's history.
Serpenti Aeterna also includes 698 baguette diamonds weighing 61.81 carats.
"We have worked tirelessly to create what we believe is the most extraordinary high jewelry collection of all time which, through its combination of boundless creativity and high-class craftsmanship, celebrates Bulgari's ability to constantly reinvent itself", added Silvestri.
As Aeterna means "eternal" in Latin, the organizers chose Rome, the Eternal City, which has served as the inspiration for some of the jeweler's most iconic designs.
Creative director Lucia Silvestri added: "It was fundamental for me to make something special, something as timeless as Bulgari and as eternal as Rome".
The Bulgari Way
The show ended with the appearance of Isabella Rossellini wearing the Augustus Aeternus Emerald Monete Sautoir necklace. This is an ancient bronze coin minted between 14 and 37 AD, bearing the image of Emperor Augustus, set amidst a hoard of 149 emerald beads.
The Aeterna contains necklaces with diamonds and colored gemstones.
"We wanted to create something unique in the Bulgari way, continuing to challenge ourselves and surprise everyone with the decision to give diamonds the starring role while including them in the Serpenti family. A necklace that symbolizes eternity, as eternal as Bulgari is and as eternal as Rome, the city where it all began, and the brand's ability to keep reinventing itself", explained Silvestri.
Bulgari Group CEO Jean-Christophe Babin believes that Serpenti Aeterna represents "the pinnacle of excellence".
"It combines the most extraordinary newly worked diamonds with Serpenti, the most desirable symbol of jewelry and watches in recent decades, brought by Cleopatra to Rome in 46 BC and reborn in 1948 thanks to the visionary Bulgari family with the secret jewelry watches", Babin said.
The celebration in Rome was also attended by Liu Yifei, Shu Qi, Hikari Mori, and Alessandro Gassman, each adorned with pieces from the glittering collection.
Classical and contemporary dance, in the form of a poetic duet by choreographer and dancer Sadeck Berrabah and artist Eleonora Abbagnato, sealed the evening at the Bulgari, celebrating the house's ability to blend past, present, and future in timeless works, while Elisa provided background music for the gala dinner.
Finally, an immersive installation created by Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis was donated to the city of Rome under the patronage of the Bulgari Foundation.
It is called Vista Aeterna and will enrich the already mythological landscape of Piazza della Spagna with its twelve travertine pillars, adorned with colored mirrors that capture and reflect sunlight, in a tribute to the brightness of the Eternal City and its rich architectural heritage. All the charm of a Haute Horlogerie Aeterna, unfolding in an unforgettable show-event.
