Bulgari Unveils Magnifica Collection in Milan

Roman jewelry house Bulgari presented in Milan its collection of High Jewelry and high-end watches. This is not just another collection but the most important one of this Maison, reaching new frontiers of visionary creativity and mastery.

The CEO of Bulgari, Jean-Christophe Babin, chose Milan to give his message of hope and optimism in an effort to relaunch the Italian economy after the Covid pandemic disaster. Many celebrities came to Milan for this incredible event including Chiara Ferragni, Bulgari’s global Ambassador; Serenay Sarikaya, the Turkish brand’s ambassador; Eva Herzigova, Lily Aldridge, Ester Exposito, Tina Kunakey, Alessandro Borghi, Jaime Llorente, Vittoria Puccini, Anna Cleveland and many others.

Magnifica means “magnificent” and indeed the collection features the rarest gems in the world and it is the most precious high jewelry collection that Bvlgari ever created.  Italian expertise made this dream come true: hundreds of thousands of hours of patient craftsmanship, an ultimate tribute to beauty and Italian maestria, brought to life a 350 pieces extraordinary collection in the hundreds-of-millions of euros range. Bulgari was born in 1884. With 60 magnificent pieces and 122 unveiled creations, Magnifica pays tribute to 137 years of expertise in creating jewelry that displays the rarest of stones.

The presentation in Milan debuted with a concert at the Alla Scala theatre on 3rd June at 19:00. The performance included the most famous romanzas of Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Vincenzo Bellini under the conductorship of Pietro Mianiti, Chief Conductor of the Academy of the Teatro Alla Scala and Professor of Viola and conductor at the Conservatory of Music “Giuseppe Verdi” in Milan.

The program was varied for the lucky guests: a dinner at Cracco restaurant and at Don Lisander Restaurant, an international press lunch, a dinner and a defilé at Bulgari hotel with a private concert performed by the famous Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli directed by Beatrice Venezi, one of the youngest Italian conductor. The concert paid tribute to the recently deceased Maestro, Ennio Morricone. Both lunch and dinner at the Bulgari Hotel were cheered by tableaux vivants with models wearing apricot and magenta gowns and Magnifica collection pieces. Another important event was held at La Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II which will be broadcast on the 21st June worldwide.

But let’s talk about some of these incredible, rare and marvelous pieces: First, the Imperial Spinel Necklace features a marvelous spinel from Tajikistan, the world’s fourth-ranked by carat and the only one available for purchase, weighing about 131 carats, surrounded by a cascade of diamonds and emeralds. The combination of colors and the design is audacious and a of unparalleled beauty. 

Imperial spinel necklace

Another spectacular piece is a stunning necklace, “Mediterranean Queen” that with its complex construction reminds us of the sea’s waves. As Mr. Giampaolo Della Croce, High Jewelry Senior Marketing Director, explained: “These Paraiba tourmalines are rare and come from Mozambique. Their particular color and the importance of the five stones make this necklace a real masterpiece. The stones are cushion-cut and weigh about 500 carats. A real challenge!”

Mediterranean Queen Necklace

 

Mr. Della Croce shows the Mediterranean Queen

 

Another mesmerizing piece is the Hypnotic Emerald Necklace featuring an intricate design. This stunning collier is the iconic Bulgari Serpent that guards in its jaws a Colombian cabochon-cut emerald of about 93,83 carats.

Hypnotic Emerald Necklace

Lucia Silvestri, creative Director for Jewelry, knew how to capture the ésprit of the Maison’s famed creativity, translating her inspiration into colorful and original designs. The collection was a big challenge – both for the use of oversize stones and for the accuracy of the work. Indeed, this collection is a tribute to courageous and heroic women throughout history, such as the great painter Artemisia Gentileschi, orator Hortensia in Ancient Rome, the Maharani of Indore, Chinese writer Eileen Chang, the architect Zaha Hadid and many other women who fought for human rights. I had the chance to interview Mr. Boris Barboni, Managing Director for Italy & Turkey and Worldwide Cross Markets Strategy at Bulgari. I asked him to explain to me the genesis of the Magnifica collection: “This Collection was imagined by Lucia Silvestri and her team at the beginning of 2020.  There was a great desire to make a surprising collection dedicated to magnificent women and magnificent stones. In the past, jewelry was an environment exclusively for men. Lucia and her team wanted to give a deep message: the importance of women, the choice of rare stones, the inspiration given by the legacy of ancient Rome and the love for nature and its beauty”.

I asked Boris about the management policy of Bulgari with respect to sustainability and ethical practices in jewelry: “Bulgari has adopted policies and systems that guarantee the respect of ethics, human rights and the environment. As a member of the Responsible Jewelry Council, Bulgari uses the RJC certification system. But Bulgari has always been very sensible to the ethical theme: in 1991 we debuted the Naturalia Collection which took its inspiration from the animal and vegetable world. For the occasion the film Anima Mundi was produced with the proceeds given to the WWF (World Wildlife Fund).”

Some pieces of this incomparable collection:

Sapphire Petal Necklace courtesy Bulgari

 

Mr. Della Croce shows the Mediterranean Queen

 

Snake sapphire and diamond cuff

I particularly appreciated this necklace with chrysoprases,  sapphires, diamonds  that aims to represents the shoots of water of the Roman fountains. It seems to me to listen to “Fontane di Roma”, the famous symphonic poem written by Ottorino Respighi.

Courtesy of Bulgari

 

Courtesy of Bulgari

 

Bulgari boutique in Milan Via Montenapoleone

As an additional support to Italy and particularly to Milan, the collection was on exhibit in Bulgari’s boutique in Via Montenapoleone until 10th June 2021 to allow the public to discover this incredible collection.

I conclude this article with these verses dedicated to strong and heroic women:

“….Like a rainbow lightning she appears,
Bold as the Everest she knows no fear,
Voice as the calm water everyone should hear,
daughter of the Heavens as she stands so brightly clear

(Joshua Ejares)

 

Enjoy even more @ www.bulgari.com

Article edit by Laura Astrologo Porché

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