Elizabeth Taylor’s life & loves, as retold in Bulgari jewelry

SINGAPORE — “Elizabeth Taylor was as passionate about collecting husbands as much as she was in jewelry,” narrated Amanda Triossi. “She was also pretty passionate about Bulgari. She said that one of the greatest assets of filming Cleopatra in Rome was the proximity to (the) Bulgari (shop). She never mentioned that it was where she secured the first USD$1 million contract in the film industry. It just shows you her priorities.”

Light chuckling resounded throughout the Bulgari store at Takashimaya at the recent Eternal Jewels Heritage Event, as the Bulgari Historical Archives curator showcased the eight spectacular Bulgari pieces the late actress once owned, which they had purchased back at an auction at Christie’s in New York in 2011.

‘The only italian word liz knows is bulgari’

The major pieces in the collection were given by Richard Burton, Elizabeth’s fifth and sixth husband (she married him twice).  In 2002, she put a small seven-carat ring up at a private sale to raise money for her AIDS foundation. To the future buyer of the piece, she wrote, “As far as I remember, this is the first jewel I received from Richard. Please wear it with love.”

While the note indicated her personal and emotional involvement in her jewels, she didn’t consider the ring an engagement gift. “Maybe it wasn’t grand enough,” suggested Triossi. Instead, she regarded the pendant element Bulgari created in 1958, with a step-cut Colombian emerald of 23.44 carats that Burton gave to her for their engagement in 1962, as a brooch. She wore it as the centerpiece to Burton’s wedding present: a magnificent platinum and emerald necklace, mounted with 16 step-cut octagonal Colombian emeralds — an outstanding 60.50 carats! — each surrounded by brilliant-cut and pear-shaped diamonds, on their wedding day in 1964.

Taylor wore this set throughout much of her life: when she received the Oscar for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; when she was introduced to  Queen Elizabeth II; at a masquerade ball in Venice; and in her swimming pool when she was photographed by Helmut Newton for his book, along with her parrot. 

For her 40th birthday in 1972, she received a sautoir (long necklace) mounted with a very fine Burmese cabochon sapphire of 52.72 carats. Created in 1969, it was one of the very first of its kind and also the only one mounted in platinum, instead of yellow gold.” This had a matching 25-carat Trombino ring in sapphires and diamonds — both gifts, of course, from Burton, who famously declared, “The only word Liz knows in Italian is Bulgari.” 

The role of the second world war

Apart from the Elizabeth Taylor collection, the first retrospective exhibition held in Southeast Asia, which ran from July 5 to 16, showcased over 60 pieces that highlighted the development of Bulgari’s design over the years. A mélange of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and brooches dated from the 1910s (when platinum and diamonds were used) up until the 1990s (when jewelry was designed for opulence and color) were on display for VIP clients and media.

In its earlier years, Bulgari did not have a distinct style, but rather looked to the trends in Paris for inspiration and design, which included art deco. The evolution of the materials had a lot to do with what was going on in the world. Platinum was the material of choice until the 1940s, the period of the Second World War. Since platinum had the ability to withstand a lot of heat, it was mostly used in the construction of bombs, and became requisitions for armaments. This then paved the way for the use of yellow gold in jewelry.

Bursts of colors

It was in the late 1950s/early 1960s when Bulgari began to experiment with colors. The brooch en tremblant had flower heads mounted on springs, allowing the flowers made out of colored diamonds in different shapes and shades to move with every movement of the wearer. “Anyone who was anybody during (the 20th century) owned a tremblant brooch,” shared Triossi. Naturally, so did Liz Taylor, a gift from husband No. 4, Eddie Fisher. 

The giardinetto (“little garden” in Italian), a brooch designed as a vase with bunches of flowers in various hues, was another innovation of that time. Up until then, traditional high jewelry relied on mixing just one color with diamonds.

Year of the snake

By the 1960s, Bulgari had forged and developed a very personal style that is carried out to this day.  “Serpents and dragons are motifs that have appeared in jewelry centuries back. The idea of having a dragon or a snake as a bracelet is no innovation.” So how did Bulgari innovate this? “By combining the serpent motif with the watch.”

Stylized serpents marked the ’60s, and over the years, developed into more naturalistic and lifelike serpents. At the time, Bulgari was not manufacturing the movements of the watches, but was sourcing the best mechanisms from the best watchmakers like Jaeger-LeCoultre, Piaget, Movado and Vacheron Constantin.

Over 50 years since the first Serpenti was created, it remains one of Bulgari’s most popular collections today.  Philippine country manager Mario Katigbak shared that the Serpenti necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings in white gold have been doing extremely well. “Especially since it’s the Year of the Snake,” he added.

Turning point in history

In 1963, a French journalist wrote, “You can recognize a Bulgari jewel just as you can recognize a Chanel suit.” To the Italians, it was a very interesting and strong statement, considering this came from a Frenchman — to which they had looked for inspirations previously. “We can safely say that by the ’60s, Bulgari had created a very distinctive individual style that was no longer following the trends dictated by Parisian jewelers.”

It was a big turning point in Italian design in general — the rise of the “Made in Italy” phenomenon and the emergence of Italian designers like Emilio Pucci, Valentino Garavani, and the like. It was after the war, and Italy was experiencing a period of prosperity and economic boom, developing creative designs that were gaining international recognition.

Bulgari also developed what has become its forte today: the mixing of colors regardless of their individual intrinsic values. A gold bib necklace created in 1965 features emeralds, amethysts, turquoise, and diamonds, which Revlon founder Charles Revson bought for his wife, Lyn. “Bulgari is not worried about mixing emeralds with amethysts; obviously emeralds are much more valuable,” shared Triossi. “It is like a painter using the gemstones as if they are colors on a palette. Ultimately what counts is the effect.”

The cabochon and yellow gold are often found in their designs up to the present day. “Bulgari doesn’t like sharp, angular shapes, so the rounded, soft lines of the cabochon suit the feeling, desire and sense of volume.”

Ancient coins

History was also preserved in the form of mounting ancient coins in jewelry. A necklace created in 1978 features the imperial Roman coins of the infamous Emperor Nero in gold, silver and bronze, dating to 62 AD — current coins of the time. The use of coins was re interpreted in 2012 with the Monete collection.

In the 1980s, Bulgari’s designs adhered to the fashions of the time. Since clothes were mostly squared and tailored, the short necklace came about. A gold neckpiece was fashioned in 1991, featuring the colors of purple (amethyst), yellow (citrine), green (fine Colombian emeralds), pink (tourmalines) and blue (sapphires). “It is much easier to design something safer — but to mix all these colors together and manage to do something bold, strong and definitely very elegant and tasteful — you have to be pretty clever.”

Back to the future

One of the successes of Bulgari’s heritage is the link between the past and the future.  “A successful designer has to maintain an identity but at the same time have the ability to move forward and evolve,” shared Triossi. “If you evolve and lose your identity, nobody will recognize you. But if you’re rehashing the past you’re just being boring and repetitive. Contemporary high jewelry is not a copy of the vintage. But you can see how the use of color, volume, and yellow gold are reinterpreted time and time again.”

“Next year Bulgari celebrates 130 years,” said Mauro di Roberto, Bulgari Jewellery Business Unit managing director, over lunch at Crystal Jade in Takashimaya, which they had decorated in the brand’s colors, right down to the choice of flowers and the colored stones. “The next few years, we will see newness, but we are always looking back on what we have done. Mr. Bulgari has said you cannot move forward without looking at the past.”

This September, Bulgari will be launching the Diva collection in Manila. Inspired by Elizabeth Taylor, the collection features a combination of rare colored gems, but this time it will be stamped by this era’s modern day diva — Carla Bruni.

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Bulgari is located at Greenbelt 4, Rustan’s Makati and Tower, and Resorts World Manila.

You can reach me at inbetweendeadlines@gmail.com or tweet me at http://www.twitter.com/cheryltiu.