MODERN-DAY DIVA

Bulgari’s latest Divas’ Dream jewellery collection is testament to the timelessness of bijouterie, heritage and Italian femininity, writes PIN LEE

FOR MORE THAN 130 years, Bulgari has been creating jewellery whose aesthetic is pervaded by its Roman origins. Glorious, brightly coloured jewellery that has been adorning women around the world for more than a century, Bulgari's collections are often surrounded by an aura exalted by the actors and celebrities who have worn them and have become as enduring as the great cinema classics.

This year, the brand continues to honour the beauty of Rome with a tribute to women or rather, divas, by launching its exquisite new line of jewels – the Divas' Dream collection.

Bulgari's love affair with divas harks back to the halcyon days of La Dolce Vita or the golden age of stylish sophistication in Italy during the ‘50s and ‘60s. Those were the years when the Roman film industry flourished at Cinecittà Studios. Bulgari's creations starred in many films and adorned many celebrities on red carpets around the world. One of Bulgari's many famous customers was the late Elizabeth Taylor, famed not just for her acting prowess, but also for her diamond addiction. Taylor was a besotted fan of Bulgari jewels. Actor Richard Burton, whose torrid affair with her began during the filming of Cleopatra in Rome, frequently accompanied her to the brand's flagship shop on the Via Condotti. He often quipped that the only Italian word Taylor knew was “Bulgari”.

Other silver-screen legends who wore Bulgari bijouterie during the Dolce Vita years included Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman and Sophia Loren. The latest 21st-century divas to embody the allure and glamour of Bulgari include former French First Lady

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and celebrated actor

Shu Qi; both have fronted the brand's jewellery advertising campaigns.