The Italian Jeweler

HISTORY

Bulgari is an Italian brand. Specialized in jewelry, it also sells perfumes and watches.

The history of Bulgari begins in 1884 with Sotiros Voulgaris, a Greek goldsmith.
In 1877, he left for Italy and arrived in Rome in 1881.

In 1884, he opened his first boutique in the Via Sistina district and italianized his name into Bulgari.The store was called “Old Curiosity Shop”. The aim was to attract Anglo-Saxon customers.
From 1910, he decided to only sell jewelry.

When he died in 1934, his sons Costantino and Giorgio took over the family business.
They dynamised it and expanded the store after the war.

In the 1970s, the brand expanded by opening several stores around the world: Paris, Geneva, Monte Carlo and a Showroom at the Hotel Pierre in New York.

The success of the products allowed Bulgari to enter the Italian stock market in 1995. In 2001, Bulgari collaborated with Mariott International and opened two hotels: the Bulgari Hotel Milan in 2004 and in 2006, the Bulgari Hotel Bali.

In 2011, LVMH bought the brand from the family.
In 2015, the brand was elected 3rd jeweler in the world, after Cartier and Tiffany.

EXTENDED RANGE

In 1972, Bulgari launched its « Star Banner » (Bannière Etoilée) collection.
Nancy Regan, the first lady, bought a ring from this collection. It was auctioned at Christie’s in 2016 for $ 319,000.

In 1990, the first perfume of the brand “Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert” was launched. It is one of the first European perfumes with Asian notes.

Finally, in 1997, Bulgari began to be sold its first glasses and scarves.

STYLE

The Bulgari style is very colorful. The jeweler uses many colored stones, especially during the Art Deco period, as well as yellow and gray gold.
The 70s were a very creative period for the brand. The use of cabochon-cut stones has become a classic in Bulgari jewelry.

The Fireworks collection is a reflection of this creativity. Inspired by the East, it's in that collection that we find the first snakes, which became the emblem of the brand.

Today we find the Serpenti pattern in bracelets, necklaces but especially in watches.

SERPENTI WATCHES

It's the most iconic model of the house.
The first models were made in Tubogas mesh, then in ceramic. In 2018, the watch was also made with a leather strap that goes twice around the wrist. In 2019, Bulgari presented at Basel Worl the new version of the Serpenti with a steel or gold bracelet, made of scales.

FAMOUS CUSTOMERS

At the end of the Second World War, the brand attracted famous customers, mostly American : Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Romy Schneider, Sophia Loren or Diana Veerland, editor at Haper’s Bazar then Vogue.

If you are interested in Bulgari jewels, don’t hesitate to discover what les Pierres de Julie have to offer in the store…

We are also available for any free expertise of your Bulgari jewelry, for that you can send an email with your photos to contact@lespierresdejulie.com.

Whether you're interested in buying a piece of jewellery or a stone, a free jewelry appraisal or jewelry resale, Pierres de Julie welcomes you to its Parisian boutique in the Village Suisse, a stone's throw from the Ecole Militaire and the Esplanade des Invalides.