Bulgari Celebrates 140 Years With a 200-Carat Diamond Necklace

To mark its one hundred and fortieth anniversary, Bulgari has created its most costly piece of jewellery: a 200-carat diamond necklace priced at 40 million euros.

Jean-Christophe Babin, the home’s chief government, stated the necklace, the Serpenti Aeterna, represented the achievement of a big purpose: When he took the reins in 2013, the home’s custom of excessive jewellery had misplaced its luster so he determined to “push ahead the very best of our experience and our most stunning gems, to create the jewellery of the century.”

The $42.9 million necklace — worn by Priyanka Chopra Jonas, one of many home’s movie star ambassadors — was the star of the 500-piece Aeterna assortment of jewellery, watches, fragrance and equipment offered in Could throughout a non-public celebration on the Baths of Diocletian in Rome. (Bulgari, which was based and nonetheless has its headquarters within the Italian capital, stated the Latin phrase aeterna, or everlasting, was chosen as the gathering’s title to echo Rome’s nickname, Everlasting Metropolis.)

In 2022, the home started contemplating the way it ought to rejoice its milestone. “I used to be pondering of manufacturing a bit that includes coloured gems,” something the house has been known for since the 1960s, stated Lucia Silvestri, its jewellery inventive and gems shopping for director. However she noticed a tough diamond of greater than 200 carats throughout a visit to Hong Kong that 12 months and, she stated throughout a latest interview, “I began to dream.”

Ms. Silvestri felt that the diamond, mined in Lesotho, couldn’t be set intact. “It might be too huge and look too heavy,” she stated. “It wouldn’t look swish.”

The gem was reduce into seven stones, which she described as “completely pear-shaped diamonds, every D-Flawless, not too huge, very elegant.” Within the gem business, a diamond have to be of outstanding coloration and readability to be ranked D-Flawless.

The seven drops — which complete 140 carats to match the variety of anniversary years — have been hooked up to a platinum choker set with 698 diamond baguettes. A serpent’s head, the house’s signature motif, fashioned the necklace’s clasp.

Bulgari stated it took 2,800 hours, from the preliminary design work by means of manufacturing, to create the piece. The necklace has been bought, however the model wouldn’t establish the client.

Ms. Silvestri stated that she generally had a consumer in thoughts when she created excessive jewellery designs, however not when it got here to the Serpenti Aeterna. “Actually, we didn’t give it some thought,” she famous. “I simply wished to take advantage of stunning piece of my life.”