For the Bulgari Mediterranea High Jewellery 2023 collection, Lucia Silvestri wanted to get out of her comfort zone when it came to the choices of stones, colours, shapes, and designs. She took inspiration from worldwide to create a universal collection that will appeal to women from all walks of life. Silvestri joined the House of Bulgari when she was just 18 years old and has worked extremely closely with Gianni Bulgari for decades. She credits him for much of her knowledge and success; his vision inspires this collection. We find out more.
LUCIA SILVESTRI
Tell us about the three verticals of this collection and some of the unusual stones you have worked with in these high jewellery pieces.
When I was very young, one of the first lessons Mr Bulgari taught me was not to be shy with colours. Every time I start a new collection, I remember this sentence, and with the Mediterranea High Jewellery collection, I had the opportunity to move out of my comfort zone when it came to colours and stones. I thought about Africa, for example, the colours, the spices, the landscape and beauty of this region.
What is your favourite piece from this collection?
This is one of my favourite necklaces, and I met the client who bought it yesterday. When I designed this necklace, I started with the gems. When I saw the three Mandarin Garnets, I felt they had a fire inside them, they also made me think of the sun, and I felt they had to be combined with something very light. This is the first time we have used Citrine in high jewellery, which is out of our comfort zone, but they matched perfectly for this necklace. This necklace combines the cultures of Morocco and Venice, the architecture, and motifs that you can find in both locations. I was inspired by the spices and the desert when I created this piece. The Mandarin Garnet is a stone I wanted to work with for a while, but ten years ago, no one wanted to buy this stone. We at Bulgari started buying and using it in high jewellery, and now everyone wants it! I actually regret that I didn’t start using it sooner. The final touch came in the form of Onyx. For me, this necklace is spectacular, even from the back.
MUSE OF ROME
What is another special piece you can tell us about?
It’s difficult to say, but, this piece, Muse of Rome, is special to me because I followed the stone’s journey. When I first saw this emerald, it was not completely cut, it was just polished a little. The owner called me and asked for my suggestion for the cut. They had seen it as a faceted stone, but I told them this stone was too sweet to be faceted; there was something inside it that I felt could only be seen if it was cut into a sugarloaf. So, the cutter and the owner followed my suggestions, and I followed the cutting step-by-step. In the end, we have this beautiful sugarloaf with rounded corners, which makes all the difference. It’s over 200 carats, and it was a challenge to set such a huge gem in a contemporary way. You can wear this necklace in a modern way, and the eye is immediately drawn to this gem. It is very versatile because you can wear it in several ways. I love the fact that the artisan followed my suggestion about the idea of this necklace, but especially because I’m very close to this emerald; it makes it very special for me.
What has been the best comment you have received about this collection so far?
The best comment came from Mr Bulgari; he said: “Very good job!” I’m still crying about this! This was the best recognition I could have, and I told him he was my teacher.
What is a lesson you learnt from him that you cherish?
I remember he told me: “Don’t buy a stone if you don’t know how you can use it.” So, from the beginning, when I was just 18 years old, I started to develop my creativity based on that point. He told me not to buy stones just because they are beautiful but to buy them because I could imagine them on a ring, necklace, etc., before I even made that purchase. I learned so many things from him, but this will remain in my mind forever.
What message would you send to your clients and friends in the Middle East?
I think women in the Middle East are Bulgari women. I can’t wait to share my creativity, the new colours and how I have gotten out of my comfort zone. We have explored so many cultures this year, so I expect to receive their feedback on the collection.
