Brilliantly Bulgari: Presenting the New Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Roman jeweller has honed its aesthetic to such an extent that its latest High Jewellery collection can only be described as ‘peak Bulgari’! Juicy cabochon gemstones, curvaceous shapes, and ostentatious volumes make the Mediterranea collection a fitting homage to its eponymous land-locked waterway. Let’s dive into the hero pieces from the Bulgari Mediterranea collection, including two necklaces set with a 66.88-carat Ceylon sapphire and a 68.88-carat emerald, to name a few.
Hands up, who looks forward to the Bulgari High Jewellery Collection launch each summer? We would have to agree that it is one of the highlights of our editorial calendar, but maybe not for the reasons you might think. We’re rarely shocked or surprised by what Bulgari presents. In recent years, it has been so consistently and confidently on-brand that we know its creations will always excel. They are the voluptuous 1950s Hollywood goddess of the High Jewellery universe, typically set with eye-popping gemstone cabochons, beads and faceted gems in tutti frutti shades. But we look forward to the launch because of its escapism… pieces land just as the weather is beginning to turn from cold to warm, and so its richly hued necklaces are transportive to European beaches and cocktails in the sun.
Roman Splendor multi-coloured gemstone necklace from the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
You can imagine our delight, then, when Bulgari announced its latest collection was to be called Mediterranea. What better way to be catapulted to Mediterranean shores?! The brand was influenced by its own roots in Rome, Byzantine culture in Venice, and the influence of the Silk Road on transporting art and culture across the world. As a result, the collection serves as a pathway or map, leading high jewellery aficionados from Rome to Venice while incorporating “audacious creativity,” which is a fitting phrase for the pieces on offer. According to the brand: “Cross-pollination, eclecticism, and syncretism become the keywords of a line-up that is a captivating blend of Mediterranean inspirations connecting Eastern and Western cultures, Byzantine and Roman vibes, as well as references to the spices of North Africa and Southern Italian Baroque sumptuousness.”
A model wears a necklace from the East Meets West 'universe' in the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
A trio of East Meets West cocktail rings in the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
A model wears Roman Splendor necklaces from the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
A model wears an emerald necklace from the East Meets West chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
A model wears a choker from the Southern Radiance set in the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
Mediterranean Muse torchon necklace with a 15.13-carat cushion sapphire, surrounded by aquamarines and sapphire beads from the Southern Radiance chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
Designing the Mediterranean Muse necklace for the Southern Radiance chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Mediterranean Muse necklace within the Southern Radiance chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection is set with a 15.13 carat cushion-cut sapphire
Southern Sapphire necklace with a 66.88 carat Ceylon sapphire from the Southern Radiance chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
Designing the Southern Sapphire necklace for the Southern Radiance chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The 66.88 carat Celyon sapphire cabochon at the heart of the Southern Sapphire necklace in the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Roman Esedra sautoir necklace with a 68.88 carat emerald, amethysts, emeralds, and turquoises, all in yellow gold from the Roman Splendor chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Muse of Rome necklace with a 218.53 carat emerald from the Roman Splendor chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Acanthus Emerald necklace with seven emeralds totalling 33.59 carats, plus 60 buff-top emeralds, mounted with 68 step-cut and 58 brilliant-cut and pavé-set diamonds from the Roman Splendor chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
A model wears the Oriental Buds necklace with a 13.34 carat antique cushion-cut emerald from Colombia, surrounded by Byzantine-inspired patterns of diamonds, pink tourmalines, sapphire and emerald beads from the East Meets West chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
Designing the Oriental Buds necklace with a 13.34 carat antique cushion-cut emerald in the East Meets West chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Oriental Buds necklace with a 13.34 carat antique cushion-cut emerald from Colombia, surrounded by Byzantine-inspired patterns of diamonds, pink tourmalines, sapphire and emerald beads from the East Meets West chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Oriental Fantasy necklace with nine Mandarin garnets of more than 90 carats, paired with citrines, mother of pearl and black onyx from the East Meets West chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
Designing the Oriental Fantasy necklace with Mandarin garnets, citrines, mother of pearl and black onyx from the East Meets West chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Oriental Fantasy necklace in the East Meets West chapter of the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection features nine Mandarin garnets of more than 90 carats
A model wears the Mediterranean Sapphire Serpenti necklace with nine sapphires from Sri Lanka totalling 40.81 carats, platinum and diamond scales, and a tassel pendant with 80 oval-shaped sapphires for 116 carats from the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
The Mediterranean Sapphire Serpenti necklace with nine sapphires from Sri Lanka totalling 40.81 carats, platinum and diamond scales, and a tassel pendant with 80 oval-shaped sapphires for 116 carats from the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
Designing new Serpenti necklaces with sapphires, emeralds and chrysoprase for the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
Further Serpenti necklaces with rubies, yellow diamonds and colourless diamonds in the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery Collection
WORDS
Sarah Jordan Starting her career as a journalist, Sarah discovered the world of fine jewellery in 2014 when she began working as a magazine editor for a jewellery retail magazine in London. Since going freelance, Sarah has specialised in content writing, editing and branded storytelling for a range of businesses, including De Beers Jewellery, Sotheby’s, the Natural Diamond Council and Gem-A (Gemmological Association of Great Britain). She is also the founder of her own specialist copywriting business, The William Agency. Sarah has completed courses at both De Beers Group Institute of Diamonds and the Gemological Institute of America (GIA), and is well-versed in the language of high jewellery and the history of jewellery design movements. She has known Katerina for many years and shares her vision of helping even more women fall in love with fine jewellery… one gemstone at a time!
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