Bulgari’s Color Journeys - Chapter Two: The Spinel

Bringing color, unfettered joy and inspiring beauty to the world, gems are one of the most wondrous gifts of nature, and as such they have become the very soul and the signature of Bulgari style.
Known for its passion for vibrant and rich nuances, since its inception the Roman Jeweller and Master of Color has travelled the world looking for the most spectacular gemstones. Now, inviting everyone on a new journey of color, Bulgari takes us to the mysterious heart of Tajikistan, the country from which some of the most marvellous spinels come.

After a first adventure in Brazil and Mozambique in 2020 to uncover the unique qualities of the Paraiba Tourmaline, Bulgari writes the second chapter of its exciting Color Journeys series with a showstopping High Jewelry collection dedicated to the splendor and effervescent spirit of the magnificent spinel.

Travelling to Rome to get in the hands of Bulgari’s Jewelry Creative Director and gem hunter Lucia Silvestri, and then, in those of Bulgari’s skilled artisans, the fascinating stone starts another exciting journey: the one to become a magnificent High Jewelry creation.

THE PATH TO GLORY

With its wide array of colors - from deep crimson to pastel blues, as well as pink, purple and grey - spinel has long been a misidentified gemstone, often mistaken for the ruby. Many famous “rubies” are actually spinels, including the Black Prince’s ruby, a smooth red spinel which is set on the front of one of the earliest British Crown Jewels. Indeed, when featuring a rich and lively color, a spinel can be every bit as beautiful as a ruby and often the difference between the two gemstones can be detected only by a trained gemmologist.

Initially, its fame has been strictly intertwined with the history of the daring explorer Marco Polo, who brought it to Europe from one of his exciting journeys through Asia at the end of the 13^th century. The Italian adventurer was the first to tell the tale of the “balas rubies”, writing in his diary about precious gems with a unique shade of red, incorporating pink and purple hues. The name has its origin in Badakhshan, a province in Northern Afghanistan famous for its rubies and spinel mines, and which is today known as the state of Tajikistan.

Only three hundred years later this seductive gemstone began to appear under its real name, but it is only in recent times that its precious beauty has begun to receive the attention and appreciation it truly deserves.

With its vibrant, saturated hues, spinel needs no coaxing from heat or irradiation to bring out its fiery colors, and almost all spinels are untreated. Extremely durable, it is also one of the hardest gemstones in nature.

Always cherished and used by Bulgari - especially in the ranges of pinks, lilacs and reds - to achieve its signature chromatic masterpieces, the spinel also took pride of place in one of its absolute outstanding pieces, where the fourth largest spinel in the world is the focal point of the Imperial Spinel Necklace, a magnificent High Jewelry creation. Found in Tajikistan and weighing unbelievable 131.21 carats – outclassed only by the spinels set into Russian and British Imperial crowns - the extraordinary gem shows an intense and feminine hue, surrounded by a cascade of diamonds and emerald beads, in a perfect balance of volumes and colors.

And now, once more finding its way into the Roman Jeweller’s most showstopping designs, the story of the spinel continues with the Color Journeys collection.

THE SPINEL COLOR JOURNEYS HIGH JEWELLERY COLLECTION

Exuding unfettered vivacity and infused with creative freedom and deeply rooted savoir-faire, the capsule collection includes about 20 one-of-a-kind creations, while more pieces centred on this magnificent stone will be unveiled at Bulgari’s Brand Event in June. On the same occasion, the Roman Jeweller will introduce a one-of-a-kind Serpenti bag and two High-End watches, all featuring exquisite interpretations of the alluring spinel.

With its intensively individual and uncompromising approach to gem color, shape and light, Bulgari only choses spinels which flaunt the perfect nuance, an elegant and appealing cut and the highest transparency: three features that are very hard to find together in the same stone. These high-quality gems are then combined by Bulgari in a very independent way, with Roman flair and sensuality, and a cultivated eye for chromatic compositions.

A new and exciting combination, namely with the Paraiba tourmaline, takes center stage in two vibrant necklaces with matching earrings and ring. Overflowing with color and light, both pieces contrast the purple and pink tones of spinels with the aqua-green soul of Paraiba, interspersed by sparkling diamonds. The color mix is brought to shine through a lively and dynamic structure, where each single gem is carefully mounted by Bulgari’s master artisans considering the right setting and the perfect inclination to magnify its qualities.

Bulgari also loves to match pink-hued spinels with the regal green of emeralds, as the two gems exalt each other’s color. This combination runs through the whole collection and finds different interpretations with a balance of smooth and faceted cuts, spectacular plays of light and an unmatched sense of proportions and volumes.

A magnificent set of 10 extremely rare marquise cut rubies from Tanzania, totalizing about 30.00 carats, is instead set into the geometric contours of a sophisticated platinum necklace. The exceptional point of color makes these gems precious as rubies, while the timeless contrast with scintillating diamonds further enhances their fiery hue.

Like a collection within the collection, four stunning cocktail rings write a story of their own. All topped by oval buff-top spinels, ranging from 15.00 to 20.00 carats and featuring the exact same color point, quality and clarity, the eye-catching rings differ from each other in individual color combinations that include amethysts, aquamarines, pink tourmaline, black onyx and mother-of-pearl. With their accurate cuts, perfect settings and striking color juxtapositions, these little masterpieces bring together Bulgari’s highest creative and artisanal qualities in an incredibly small space.