The exotic environs of Krabi present the perfect backdrop for the wildly sensual 2016 Bulgari high jewellery collection.
The exotic environs of Krabi present the perfect backdrop for the wildly sensual 2016 Bulgari high jewellery collection.
If Bangkok is Thailand's wild, rebellious teenager, Krabi is the pampered love child that got sent to a Swiss finishing school. It is where sin is not a boisterous shudder, but a carefully nurtured ache that stays well past the glory moment of the witching hour.
Magic usually summons the perfect matrix of time and space to reveal itself; haute joaillerie brand Bulgari seems to have spun its enchanting allegory based on similar logic, thus choosing the Edenesque charm of Krabi to unveil their High Jewellery collection for 2016. Creative director for jewellery, Lucia Silvestri, explains the draw of the Orient.
"I remember my first time in Thailand, about 25 years ago, like it was yesterday; it was incredible, like a film script. I was travelling with Paolo Bulgari, president of Bulgari, on my first trip to Bangkok, to check out a new supplier," she recounts.
"The supplier's office had a balcony, which had a large, adult tiger that kept pacing up and down; the walls of his office had aquariums with piranhas, a gun on his desk and a floor-to-ceiling safe full of sapphires. It was unforgettable".
Poetry in design: Almost taking cue, Bulgari's creative arsenal presents an interesting mix of exotica; an artful orgy of colour with daring contrasts, generous proportions, and audacious designs. The classic Bulgari imprimatur is a love that dares to speak its name as proudly as it wears its bold aesthetic.
The brand's latest high jewellery creations present poetic cascades of large cabochons in delicious colours that look almost good enough to eat, seductive necklaces coiled with the famous Bulgari serpent; a motif that translates into open-mouthed watches, rings with attitude and ancient Roman coins cosseted in gold weaves that make a magnificent statement.
Mediterranean blues, glory pinks of Roman sunsets, and ancient golds of history mark the three current collections, titled Italian Extravaganza, Mediterranean Eden, and Roman Heritage.
Mediterranean eden: Bulgari's dalliance with nature has never been limited to its use as muse but rather as an ongoing engagement that defines its design narrative. Mediterranean Eden is an ode to nature that deifies everything from the delicate fibrils of a flower to the seductive allure of the snake. The result: sculptural pieces that capture the drama, energy and of course the iridescence of nature.
The hypnotic eyes are the focus of the Serpenti Seduttori necklace in white gold, with brilliant sapphires, rubies and diamond baguettes, as also of the Serpenti Seduttori cuff-bracelet watches. These have been reimagined in geometrical shapes to feature a translucent cabochon central gem adorning the serpent's head. As much jewellery as timepiece, the Serpenti Seduttori tips open its jaws to reveal the watch dial inside.
The collection also holds out special love for the flower. Fiore di Bulgari celebrates the simple essence of the single flower assembling the preciousness of gemstone petals into the bouquet of spectacular design.
Meticulously set blue gemstone pave create the delicate curves of the flower petals, while an exquisite moonstone dangles at the other end of the necklace, like a careless petal finding its way in the wind. Dripping with precious tanzanite, sapphires and diamonds, the necklace shines not just with the lustre of the stones but the uniqueness of the composition.
Roman heritage: All roads lead to Rome, or at least in this case, especially since the 130 year-old brand was born here. Brand designers pay homage to Rome's fabulous architecture, travertine roads and ancient coins.
The jewels are rounded with the cabochon gem cut of ancient domes, criss-crossed with the golden patterns of travertine streets, or coloured with the hues of the gemstone-orange sun. Ancient Roman coins are honoured as bejwelled diktats of history to recall ancient legends.
From the eternity of Rome's architecture was born the Parentesi design; the interlocking metal components of its modular jewels, with their shape being inspired by the travertine stones that used to pave the roads.
Italian extravaganza: The quintessential 'La Dolce Vita' or the vibrance of Italian life is captured in all its joyful and charismatic exuberance in this collection. The jewels are as feminine as they are spirited and rich in colour.
Celebrating the soul of Rome with daring styles, sophisticated gem combinations, and voluptuous proportions. A classic example is the Divas' Dream Bellezza necklace in aquamarine, sapphires and diamonds that recalls the ancient beautification rituals of the Caracalla Baths.
With a prominent aquamarine dripping like a perfect raindrop, this necklace invokes wet dreams, if not anything else. Art, craft, or simply the most sensual rendering of passion, Bulgari jewellery is as distinctive as it is unconventional. Sin, by any other name, would be this beautiful.