Bvlgari 140th Anniversary Celebrated in Rome With New High Jewelry and Fragrances Collection

Written By: Deeptesh Ghosh

Deeptesh Ghosh

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May 21, 2024 3:10 PM

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Bvlgari has chosen Rome, its hometown and eternal muse, to unveil Aeterna, a new High-End Collection. The collection includes over 500 exquisite pieces, ranging from High Jewelry and High Jewelry Watches to High-End Bags and Very High-End Fragrances. This grand event also marks Bvlgari’s 140th anniversary, a significant milestone for the Roman Maison.

For this special occasion, Bvlgari hosted a sophisticated extravaganza at Rome’s Terme di Diocleziano, an extraordinary ancient architectural complex and beautiful open-air museum that is part of the Museo Nazionale Romano. These ancient baths, spanning 13 hectares and capable of accommodating up to 3,000 people, provided a breathtaking setting adorned with splendid sculptures and fascinating ruins.

International guests, including Bvlgari’s Brand Ambassadors Anne Hathaway, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Liu Yifei, Shu Qi, Hikari Mori, and Alessandro Gassman, experienced a journey into eternity. They witnessed the layered beauty of the Terme di Diocleziano, the timelessness of Bvlgari’s High Jewelry creations, and the state-of-the-art performances that transcended time.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas, a Bvlgari Brand Ambassador, celebrated the anniversary wearing the Serpenti Aeterna necklace, the most precious High Jewelry piece ever crafted by the Roman Maison. This stunning necklace features seven D flawless diamond drops totaling 140 carats, one for each year of the brand’s history, and 698 baguette diamonds weighing 61.81 carats. The necklace required over 2,800 hours to complete, showcasing a remarkable blend of creativity, expertise, and audacity, values that have always defined the brand’s vision.

The evening included a spectacular jewelry show in the Chiostro Ludovisi, an intimate space built over the Terme’s large outdoor pool. Styled by Carine Roitfeld, the show featured iconic models like Mariacarla Boscono, Blesnya Minher, Elisabetta Dessy, Isabella Rossellini, Carla Bruni, and Giacomo Cavalli. Before the show, guests enjoyed a poetic duet by choreographer and dancer Sadeck Berrabah and ballet dancer Eleonora Abbagnato, celebrating Bvlgari’s ability to fuse past, present, and future through art. This was followed by a mesmerizing choreography by Sadeck Berrabah and 80 dancers, embodying his signature artistic direction.

At the Chiostro di Michelangelo, Bvlgari hosted a gala dinner conceived by Italian Michelin-starred chef Massimiliano Alajmo, featuring a menu specifically designed for the event. The dinner was followed by a live performance by internationally acclaimed artist and songwriter Elisa.

As a tribute to Rome, Bvlgari presented “Vista Aeterna,” an immersive installation created by Dutch designer Sabine Marcelis. The installation, located at Piazza di Spagna from May 19th to June 15th, features twelve travertine-based pillars with reflective colored mirrors that rotate throughout the day, capturing and refracting sunlight to project warm, sun-inspired tones onto the surroundings. This artwork celebrates the luminosity of the eternal city and its architectural heritage.

Continuing its pioneering spirit and commitment to innovation in luxury, Bvlgari introduced the Bvlgari Digital Passport. This immutable digital record stores the unique characteristics and certificates of each High Jewelry creation on the Aura private blockchain, ensuring the highest standards of transparency and security.

BVLGARI AETERNA SHOWROOM

Bvlgari showcased the Aeterna collection in the Aula X of the Terme di Diocleziano, a timeless space highlighting the grandeur of the ancient Roman baths with a spectacular height of approximately 22 meters. The extraordinary Serpenti Aeterna necklace shone in the middle of Ara Aeterna, a dedicated space inside the showroom, with a video revealing the craftsmanship behind its creation presented in a customized theater.

Key creations from the Aeterna collection were displayed in settings inspired by Italian architect Lina Bo Bardi, alongside reinterpretations of architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi’s prints on custom-made tapestries by Rubelli. These prints included reproductions of the ancient floor plan of Terme di Diocleziano and the Forma Urbis Severiana, an ancient map of Rome. This collaboration between Bvlgari, the Istituto Centrale per la Grafica, and Rubelli celebrates Rome’s historical heritage and Italian art, craftsmanship, and technology.

The table d’artiste showcased magnificent High Jewelry creations in unique displays crafted from alabaster, emphasizing the unique light of Rome, a timeless source of inspiration for Bvlgari’s jewelry collections.