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Bulgari Magnifica: A high jewellery collection that combines flawless craftsmanship with rare gems

The Italian luxury house flaunts the culmination of more than a century’s worth of savoir faire

Bulgari Magnifica: A high jewellery collection that combines flawless craftsmanship with rare gems

An exceptional tribute to empowered women across the ages. Photos: Bulgari

Each year, Bulgari reveals a new collection of extraordinary jewellery showcasing the Roman maison’s impeccable craftsmanship and artistry. These high jewellery creations have always been bold and stunning, but the 2021 Magnifica masterpieces up the ante as the brand’s most precious high jewellery collection ever, with 122 never-before-seen pieces.

Bulgari chose to unveil the Magnifica collection in the fashion and luxury capital of Milan over a two-day event, in tribute to the city’s courage during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic and to spread a message of joy and hope.

The collection comprises 350 high jewellery pieces that magnificently express Bulgari’s Roman DNA and 137 years of rare and precious gem expertise.

EXCEPTIONAL JEWELS

One of the signature pieces in the Magnifica collection is the Imperial Spinel necklace, which holds the fourth largest spinel in the world, weighing a whopping 131.21 carat.

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The central spinel jewel was sourced in Tajikistan and is described as a "treasure that can't be found twice in nature".


To put this legendary treasure into perspective, the three known spinels larger than this are all set into British and Russian imperial crowns. Bulgari’s artisans designed the Imperial Spinel necklace such that it conveys lightness and softness despite the great central stone, a brilliant gem sourced from Tajikistan. The intense, feminine and bold hue of the gem is surrounded by a cascade of diamonds and emerald beads for a classic Bulgari colour combination of green and hot pink tones. It’s an elegant piece truly deserving of its regal name.

Another precious rarity fit for royalty is the Mediterranean Queen necklace, inspired by a Bulgari necklace made in 1969, with gold and diamond construction evoking sea waves and bearing five oval cushion-cut Paraiba tourmalines totalling 500 carat.

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The Paraiba tourmaline was only found in the late 80s in a mine in Paraiba, Brazil.


Among the rarest gems in the world, only one Paraiba tourmaline is found for every 10,000 diamonds. Together with the necklace’s sinuous curves set with emeralds and diamonds, the luminous aqua green gems conjure the crystal-clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea surrounding Italy’s Sardinia Island. This masterpiece took 2,400 hours to craft, requiring an intensive individual approach to every nuance of the tourmalines.

Not only were the gems selected based on rarity, the precious stones in the Magnifica collection are also of exceptional quality, like those on the Hypnotic Emerald necklace. A stunning 93.83 carat cabochon-cut Colombian emerald rests in the jaws of a svelte snake that forms this necklace, which took 1,800 hours to complete. A Bulgari icon, the serpent is brought to life with a body of pave-set diamonds, diamond baguettes and emerald cabochons that encircle the mesmerising emerald.

In a show of savoir faire and innovation, the Roman jeweller created the Ruby Metamorphosis, a versatile piece that can be worn in at least nine different ways. While the ultra-precious 10.02-carat cushion-cut central Mozambique ruby it features is antique, the piece reflects a modern approach to high jewellery that is both glamorous and wearable.

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The versatile and convertible piece can be styled in at least nine different ways.


The convertible work of art took 2,500 hours to complete, and is composed of detachable pieces, including a soft, sparkling tassel mixing baguette diamonds and cabochon rubies, a diamond choker, a brooch and a chain.

SPIRIT OF MAGNIFICA

More than just a collection of outstanding creations, Bulgari’s Magnifica is also an ode to the magnificence of the brand’s confident and courageous female muses.

The Baroque Spiral necklace was inspired by 17th century Italian Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, who challenged the social norms and oppression of her time with dramatic and feminist works. She was one of the first successful women painters and the necklace reflects her rebellious, indomitable spirit through the Baroque spiral motif – a design element expressing creative freedom.

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The necklace's juxtaposition of coloured jewels takes inspiration from "chiaroscuro", a treatment of strong contrast of light and dark colours that Gentileschi employed in her paintings.


Gentileschi was also particularly interested in the complex geometry of the spiral motif, which has been masterfully set at different levels and inclinations with cabochon rubies, emeralds, sapphires and diamonds to achieve a 3D effect on this high jewellery piece.

Similarly, the Diamond’s Passion necklace is a strong and graceful piece that pays homage to ancient Roman feminist Hortensia. Hortensia was known for her legendary speech against the taxation of women for wars that they had no control over.

Her brave heart inspired the construction of this platinum necklace, which took 2,000 hours to make, and is enriched with a cascade of diamonds totalling 64 carat. The piece was made with articulated petals intricately layered to create an effect of bold volume yet carrying lightness and elegance – just like its muse.

Discover more of Bulgari’s Magnifica High Jewellery collection.

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