Behind the scenes at the Bulgari design studio in Rome

Sketches of ring designs at the Bulgari design studio in Rome

(Image credit: press)

last updated 21 October 2022

Italy's design boom in the early 1960s didn't just bring us cool cars, movie stars - and nicer looking kitchens. That era also marked out the starting point for a new chapter in European jewellery design. And famed Italian jeweller Bulgari, whose flagship store in Rome has dominated the Spanish Steps corner of the Via Condotti since 1905, started it.

The main change was the Roman house's attitude to stones. Rather than stick to the traditional, mostly Parisian, style of tasteful colour combinations, such as emeralds and sapphires with diamonds, Bulgari embraced new, bolder mixes, producing parures of violet, turquoise and green - thereby introducing a notion of using gemstones not so much for their intrinsic value as for their chromatic effect.

A recent trip to the jeweller's workshops and design studio in Rome revealed that today, gemologists and buyers at its Roman design centre are just as enthralled by the potential of the stones Bulgari spends the whole year sourcing. 'When we see a stone that we like, we just look at it and listen,' says one of the in-house buyers working under the direction of Bulgari High Jewellery senior director Giampaolo Della Croce. 'You have to put all things out of your mind for that moment - your experience, the Bulgari history - and just open your eyes and your mind.'

'Stones and creativity go hand in hand,' says Della Croce. Hence, the Bulgari in-house creative team doesn't just tour the world visiting gem merchants and fairs. 'We look for inspiration everywhere, whether at a Brooklyn flea market or an art fair.' he reveals.

The clashing colours and soft, round-cut stones that dominate the Bulgari aesthetic bring an undoubted joyfulness to high jewellery. So it was good to see that the Roman sense of humour infiltrates the making process too - a tiny model toy of cartoon character Shrek is used for casting tests. 'It's the ears,' says one of the workshop assistants, 'you know, the way they stick out. They are quite hard to get right. He's perfect for us.'

A wax cast of Bulgari's fabled Serpenti bracelet

Polisher's workshop — Pin-boards in a polisher's workshop at the Bulgari design studio

New earring designs — Gemologists mark out choices for new earring designs

A casting tree of prong settings for a gem-set necklace

Shrek toys — A Shrek toy is favoured by casting technicians for tests because his stick-out ears are tricky to get right

Designer's sketch of a flat 'Rose' bracelet

The Bulgari flagship boutique has dominated the Spanish Steps corner of the Via Condotti in Rome since 1905

The client consultancy area in the Bulgari boutique, Rome

Round-cut stones — The clashing colours and soft, round-cut stones that dominate the Bulgari aesthetic bring an undoubted joyfulness to high jewellery. Pictured here, a Bulgari necklace of gold, emeralds, rubellites, sapphires and diamonds

Bulgari ring of gold, spinels, emeralds, rubies and diamonds

Bulgari bracelet of gold, peridots, diamonds and mandarin garnet

Bulgari necklace of white gold with turquoises, sapphires, emeralds and 45 round and brilliant cut diamonds

Blue And Emerald Ring — Bulgari ring of platinum, sapphires, emeralds and baguette diamonds

Star Bracelet — Bulgari bracelet of gold with mixed coloured gemstones and round brilliant cut diamonds

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Caragh McKay is a contributing editor at Wallpaper* and was watches & jewellery director at the magazine between 2011 and 2019. Caragh’s current remit is cross-cultural and her recent stories include the curious tale of how Muhammad Ali met his poetic match in Robert Burns and how a Martin Scorsese Martin film revived a forgotten Osage art.