Just what the world needed this year!
All the elements of Bulgari’s potent style are present in the new Barocko high jewellery collection including the iconic Serpenti in this illustration by Ignasi that evokes the opulence of the Italian Baroque era.
In mid-July, Bulgari unveiled its Baroko High Jewellery Collection and it’s safe to say that this collection, with its breadth and scope, is exactly what the world needed this year. There is a staggering sumptuousness to this collection which speaks the language of exuberance and sensuality. Each piece in this collection is irrepressibly stunning and unique in its own way.
The Baroko High Jewellery Collection finds Rome front and centre in all its pieces. The City is the muse, her architecture and avenues, her Baroque past and Renaissance history, building blocks of the collection’s design aesthetic. At once dramatic and sophisticated, this collection also offers many surprises, of form, concept and colour.
The art of jewellery drawings is fully expressed in this sketch of the Barocko Peacock necklace made up of a luscious mix of tanzanite and aquamarine drops, emeralds, sapphires, turquoise, chrysoprase and diamonds.
The Baroko High Jewellery Collection has been divided into three smaller collections: Meraviglia (Wonder), Luce (Light) and Colore (Colour), each capsule collection has a distinct look and personality, which is an absolutely faithful reflection of its name. What, however, cannot be emphasized enough, is the fabulous translation in this collection, of high Baroque Art into contemporary High Jewellery.
The thing that strikes me about this collection is the vivid use of colour. Colours that are bold, vivid, confident and make an unforgettable impression. This splash of colour comes from the rarest and most precious gemstones which have been crafted into each of these ones of a kind piece. The result is a jewellery collection of extravagant allure and spectacular beauty. There are deep red rubies, vibrant emeralds and pristine corn-flower blue sapphires, the classic coloured gemstones favoured by the House of Bulgari. We also see mulberry-toned rubellites, sublime purple amethysts and of course Paraiba tourmalines with their heavenly glowing blue-green colour, playing a prominent role. Each gemstone weaves its own spell.
The Lady Arabesque necklace from Bulgari captures the Italian spirit of ‘mai troppo’ or never too much. Extravagant baroque arabesque forms swirl around a rich mix of coloured sapphires, Paraiba tourmalines and diamonds.
Yet there are necklaces and earrings set entirely with brilliant white diamonds in this collection. Pear-shaped and marquise-cut, pavé-set and drops, these pieces create an enchantment all their own. Ice-white sparkles make me rethink what constitutes colour, and I find myself musing about white being a colour too!
In true Bulgari style, the Festa bib necklace is a celebration of craftsmanship with 51 rubellite beads, 42 amethyst beads and 92 round diamonds set into a shimmering cascade of magnificent colour.
There is undeniable maximalism at work here, but Bulgari is known for making strong statements with its jewellery pieces, yet the opulence is tempered with elegance and sophistication. The design elements continue to surprise and create a sense of wonder. There are arabesques and curlicues but there are also angles and complex geometric shapes that speak volumes for this breathtaking spectacle of jewellery design. The play of light and shadows in the openwork setting of the pieces mesmerize and creates a sense of wonder. Ultimately, it is the exquisite craftsmanship that sets this collection on a level all its own. I can only imagine and wonder at the hours and hours spent by skilled craftsmen to produce each piece of this collection. The focus and dedication required to produce jewellery of this calibre awe me.
The Barocko Peacock necklace made up of a luscious mix of tanzanite and aquamarine drops, emeralds, sapphires, turquoise, chrysoprase and diamonds. Progress photo.
This past year, when the world has been turned on its head, there have been few instances to rejoice. Nevertheless, Bulgari’s Baroko High Jewellery Collection is a symphony of colours, shapes and forms that sends out ripples of positivity and joy. While this collection found its inspiration in the past, it seems to be a harbinger of happier times to come.
Bulgari jewels that pay homage to the greatest names of the Baroque era such as Bernini, Borromini or Caravaggio that most of us only know through dry textbooks or long-forgotten museum visits.
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