EGYPT BECKONS

Flaunting an audacious display of coloured gemstones befitting the Queen of the Nile, the Serpenti Misteriosi Cleopatra is Bvlgari’s new opulent interpretation of its iconic serpent. Part of a new chapter of the jeweller’s Colour Treasures series, the one-of-a-kind high jewellery quartz watch boasts a mesmerising new skin that reveals a diamond-set dial beneath a see-through rubellite. Bvlgari raises the bar in both design and exquisite craftsmanship with this flexible manchette as each of its threedimensional scales is unique in shape and size to ensure the conical-shaped jewel is supple and wears comfortably. Nine striking faceted hexagonal rainbow-hued gemstones – two pairs of amethysts and citrines, an aquamarine, rubellite, chrome tourmaline, tanzanite and peridot totalling over 50 carats – are surrounded by 4,000 snow-set diamonds, a testament to the maison’s savoir faire. Gem-setting alone took over 470 hours with each of the six-sided stones custom cut to fit the rose gold cuff, a process that sacrificed up to two-thirds of their volume to achieve the perfect clarity, brilliance and colour saturation. The full pavé-diamond dial is visible behind a faceted hexagonal transparent rubellite of over 5 carats that originally weighed almost 10 carats.