Bulgari
(1857 - 1932)
Sotirio Bulgari emigrated from Greece to Italy in 1881.He was a silversmith that specialized in the engraving of precious objects in silver. He settled in Naples, where he opened a small shop in the Piazza dei Martiri. His business
soon became a success. In 1884 he moved to Rome and started all over again.
Bulgari had two sons, Giorgio and Costantino, whom he taught the art of engraving. Years later they took over the business and turned from engraving, to the production of modern jewelry. During the 1930s, the Bulgari brothers moved the store to Via Condotti, to the same address where the main business of Bulgari is still standing today. In 1932, Sotirio Bulgari died.
The Bulgari brothers complimented each other; Giorgio became the creative genius of the house with an expert knowledge of stones and jewelry-making techniques; Costantino specialized in antique silver and art objects, building up a collection of snuff boxes, jade and Italian and English silver. He later published a book Argentieri, Gemmari e Orafi in Italia, the only existing directory of hallmarks of Italian silver of all periods.
In the 1920s, Bulgari introduced a new aesthetic into the art of jewelry. In place of the “French style” diamond surrounded by other precious stones, Bulgari used a colored stone, not set in prongs but in a hand-crafted gold bezel, in a frame of tapered baguette diamonds; the center was encased in a heavy gold chain; a design that reflected ancient Etruscan jewelry. The Bulgari brothers also introduced the use of antique coins and handmade gold chains in their jewelry, depicted the workmanship of ancient Roman jewelry and reinterpret it in new contemporary designs.
Bulgari started using colors such as violets, pinks and yellows, and color combinations such as yellow gold together with white, red, or other materials for example: white and burnished steel. The use of “pippoli” (small colored stones which embellish the central stone), is also frequent. They also produced cameos and intaglio inspired by Renaissance jewelry, introducing a new aesthetic in the jewelry of the times. From Renaissance techniques they revived the cabochon cut for precious stones, marking a reversal of the dominant tradition of the early 20th century.
Giorgio had three sons Paolo, Gianni and Nicola who took over the management in 1927. Under their management the Bulgari establishment took on an international image. In 1970 the first Bulgari shop was opened in New York. Soon after, Bulgari expanded to Geneva in 1974; Monte Carlo in 1977; Paris in 1979; Milan in 1986; Tokyo in 1987; and Hong Kong, Osaka, Singapore and London in 1988. In 1989, Bulgari opened a store in Munich and also opened its second store in New York’s Fifth Avenue and in 1990 opened a store in St. Moritz.
In 1981, Gianni Bulgari’s nephew, Francesco Trapani, joined the company and facilitated Bulgari’s tremendous international growth. Today, the Bulgari brothers now in charge complement each other the same way as the brothers in the preceding generations did. Nicola who spends a good deal of time in the United States, takes care of sales and is in charge of creating the best atmosphere in which to display and sell their fine jewelry. He traveled to Amsterdam to learn the diamond-cutting methods and learned the trade at the side of his father and uncle in Rome. His brother Paolo is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost jewelers, in terms of both technical skill and inspiration. In his capacity as artistic director of Bulgari, he works in close relationship with a team of talented and experienced designers, craftsmen and artists.
One of the main characteristics of the Bulgari jewelry is the influence of ancient Greek objects and models. The symmetry and proportions of Bulgari products are based more upon art and architecture than nature; a factor that distinguishes the Bulgari jewel from that of the French masters and is now recognized as “the Bulgari style.”Bulgari was the first to substitute the use of yellow gold in the setting of precious stones, and it was a pioneer in the use of cabochon semiprecious stones in fine jewelry to obtain particular chromatic effects.
Today Bulgari features jewelry as well as other products such as watches, pens, lighters, and a whole range of silverware.
