Bazaar Arabia Delves Into Bvlgari’s High Jewellery Feast Of Polychroma Colours

From a 241-carat Colombian emerald to handbags crowned with gem-set serpents, polychroma, Bvlgari’s 600-piece ode to Ancient Greek and Roman inspiration, distils the essence of a maison long celebrated for its mastery of colour

Long hailed as the master of colour, it was inevitable that Bvlgari would one day unveil a collection dedicated entirely to its expertise and passion. And Bvlgari, being Bvlgari, guided by the unapologetic motto mai troppo (“never too much”), would do so with its typical extravagance: 600 creations in all, including 250 new designs and 60 “millionaire” pieces valued at over $1 million each.

Polychroma, the name of the collection coming from the Greek poly (many) and chroma (colours), is, as creative director Lucia Silvestri enthuses, “the perfect synthesis of who we are.” She speaks amid a deep-purple bougainvillaea at the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace, the former convent-turned-luxury hotel that served as a backdrop for season two of The White Lotus. Here, however, unlike in the series, there are no murders nor vows of monastic poverty, only days and nights devoted to the maison’s most ardent collectors, eager to part with millions for jewels that so charmingly and irresistibly blend hedonistic pleasure with timeless worth.

Lucia, a self-confessed devotee of coloured gemstones, scours the world for stones that speak to her. When they do, she greets them with a cheerful “Buongiorno,” [good morning] before moving them to her fabled “gem table,” where she experiments freely until, as if by magic, each one finds its rightful place.

But Polychroma’s nod to a multitude of colours is also a fitting metaphor for the world of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire that built and blended a dazzling plurality of peoples and cultures, and remain a perennial source of inspiration for Bvlgari. More than mere muses, these worlds are woven into the maison’s DNA. Bvlgari was founded by Sotirio Bulgari, a Greek silversmith who opened his first jewellery boutique in Rome. In this light, the choice of Taormina, once part of Magna Graecia, takes on full significance. A Greek-founded city later absorbed by Rome, Taormina is steeped in cultural syncretism, a polychromy in its own right, with the added benefit of sweeping Mediterranean vistas and an enchanting riot of flowers.

That same plurality is embedded in the collection, which spans high jewellery, timepieces, haute handbags, and fragrances, each offering its own unique ode to colour.

According to Lucia, one of Polychroma’s defining “emblems” is Polychromatic Bloom, a rose-gold necklace of audacious colours and proportions. At its centre glows a 106.36-carat rubellite, from which diamond-set petals unfurl towards a vivid peridot on one side and a deep tanzanite on the other, each weighing over 55 carats. Their smooth cabochon cuts seem to hold and release colour like liquid light.

The necklace belongs to the Gallery of Wonders, a capsule of five ultra-high jewellery creations showcasing gems of exceptional rarity and size within an already dizzyingly elevated collection. Among them is Bvlgari Celestial Mosaic, ablaze with a 131.21-carat spinel from Tajikistan, the world’s fourth-largest and unmatched in quality. Its vivid hues play against emeralds, onyx, diamonds, and rare turquoise tourmalines, arranged in botanical and geometric patterns inspired by the 8th-century Tree of Life mosaic of Jericho. “The inspiration comes from a rich tapestry of cultural influences,” says Lucia. “With each piece, we explore the limitless possibilities of colour… working with these gifts of nature fills me with wonder every day.”

Stopping viewers in their tracks are a 241.06-carat Colombian emerald – the largest Bvlgari has ever set – glowing in the Magnus Emerald sautoir, and a 123.35- carat Sri Lankan sugarloaf sapphire in intense royal blue at the heart of Bvlgari Cosmic Vault. The velvet-blue gem recalls the legendary 66-carat sapphire made for Elizabeth Taylor.

The selection also includes Essence of Yellow, a reinterpretation of Bvlgari’s 1928 Trombino ring, starring a 45-carat fancy vivid yellow diamond so rare it appears once in eight million stones, cut in a bold Asscher style to magnify both its colour and architectural purity.

However, Polychroma is not only about larger-than-life gems commanding the spotlight. It also celebrates a very small innovation, hidden from view, which pushes creativity to new heights. Enter Piccolissimo, Bvlgari’s tiniest mechanical movement, a feat of micro-engineering measuring just 12.30mm across, 2.50mm thick, and weighing a mere 1.30 grams, now making a dramatic difference in the Maison’s watchmaking.

“Each new development builds on the previous one to constantly push the boundaries of what is possible. The Piccolissimo movement offers the opportunity to explore new colour palettes and revisit the composition of iconic watches. This miniature movement allows us to create jewellery watches of exceptional quality. As these creations are often inspired by our archives, they maintain a strong link with our heritage,” says Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Executive Director of Watchmaking Design at Bvlgari.

Among the collection’s showstoppers is Nuvole Preziose (“Precious Clouds”), a pendant watch crowned with a 6.88-carat yellow sapphire blazing like a sun. Its golden rays, echoing Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s celestial altarpiece at Rome’s Santa Maria della Vittoria, burst beyond the strict geometry of an octagonal frame, itself a tribute to both the ceiling of the Basilica Maxentius and Octo, Bvlgari’s iconic watch silhouette. An off-centre dial nestles beside a delicate butterfly, surrounded by diamond clouds that detach to be worn as earrings.

As the sun dips below the horizon and night unfurls, Notte Stellata Diva (“Starred Night Diva”) takes the stage, a lyrical tableau of fireflies, their gem-set bodies “en tremblant,” flitting across a nocturnal sky of blue sapphires and diamonds, all beneath a domed crystal that pays homage to Bvlgari’s beloved cabochon cut.

Another Bvlgari classic style, the Tubogas chain –inspired by the sleek coils of industrial piping – gets an ultra-glamorous makeover Tubogas e Colori (“Tubogas and Colours”), as if splashed with a cascade of precious stones in various cuts and shapes, playfully and chaotically scattered. The gem-waterfall also includes an asymmetrical hexagon framing the time.

Still on the theme of play and colour, Gioco di Forme e Colori (“Game of Shapes and Colours”) takes the form of a radiant sunburst brooch with a 12.34-carat tanzanite at its centre from which beams of yellow and white gold extend, each holding a scatter of gemstones in varied cuts and shapes. The brooch conceals a watch, held by a chain of gem-set links that jut playfully left and right in joyful asymmetry.

Just as Buonamassa Stigliani translates Bvlgari’s signature jewels into feats of horology, Accessories Creative Director Mary Katrantzou reimagines them in the form of fashion accessories, pieces that seamlessly join the maison’s Polychroma high jewellery universe, with details that detach and transform into pendants. An elongated trapezoidal clutch in exotic black skin gleams with a golden clasp framing a genuine ancient coin, a nod to Bvlgari’s treasured Monete style. Meanwhile, two top-handle handbags, one in the pastel mint, the other in a soft cherry blossom pink, are crowned with gem-set serpent heads, echoing the house’s iconic Serpenti.

Sinuous serpents coil sensually around the stoppers of three Murano glass flacons, each enshrining a scent composed by master perfumer Alberto Morillas. Every bottle is crowned with a detachable high-jewellery brooch: Bvlgari Polychroma Vitae, ablaze with 23.1 carats of diamonds, emeralds, and onyx; Bvlgari Polychroma Fortunae, a kaleidoscope of 18.66 carats in diamonds, tanzanite, green tourmaline, amethyst, rubellite, corallium rubrum, and onyx; and Bvlgari Polychroma Astrae, shimmering with 24.9 carats of diamonds, tanzanite, turquoise, citrine, and mother-of-pearl. With such a profusion of colour, craftsmanship, and cultural references entwined, Lucia is right to say Polychroma distils the very essence of Bvlgari.

Lead Image Credits: This collection includes not only jewellery and watches, but also gemstone-set perfume bottles

Images: Supplied

From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia October 2025 Issue.