In the heart of Taormina, where crumbling Greek theatres overlook sapphire seas and sun-drenched cliffs echo with centuries of history, Bvlgari unveiled its most chromatically audacious high jewellery collection to date: Polychroma.
A celebration of colour, culture, and craftsmanship, Polychroma is a luminous statement of the Roman Maison’s enduring artistry and exuberant soul. With over 250 one-of-a-kind pieces, among them a record-breaking 60 ‘millionaire’ creations, Polychroma redefines high jewellery as both emotional experience and visual symphony. Through its kaleidoscopic palette of spinels, emeralds, sapphires, and rubellites, Bvlgari once again reminds the world why it reigns as the master of colour.
The reveal was nothing short of theatrical. In Taormina, a town that itself feels carved from myth, Bvlgari staged its grand unveiling with the poetic precision of a Renaissance play. The journey began at the iconic San Domenico Palace, now a Four Seasons hotel and known for its cinematic cameo in The White Lotus season two. Amid cloistered corridors and frescoed ceilings, guests were treated to a private viewing of the collection. Sunlight filtered through historic windows, setting the gemstones ablaze, each one a prism of natural brilliance.
As dusk settled over Sicily, the scene transitioned to the ancient Greek Theatre of Taormina, a 3rd-century BC amphitheatre with panoramic views of Mount Etna and the Ionian Sea. Here, under an open sky, Bvlgari staged a striking three-act performance choreographed by Sir Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer of The Royal Ballet. Movement, light, and colour merged in a hypnotic tribute to classical drama reimagined through a contemporary lens. “The choice of Taormina was intuitive,” said Corinne Le Foll, Head of Bvlgari’s Jewellery Business Unit, in an exclusive conversation with Villa 88. “Its light, colours, and cultural blend between Italy and Greece reflect Bvlgari’s spirit perfectly. We never considered anywhere else.”
The name Polychroma, from the Greek poly (many) and chroma (colour), this collection is a love letter to joy, to daring expression, and to the Maison’s unapologetic devotion to colour. “There’s joy in every stone, every shade,” Le Foll shared. “When you walk through the collection, it’s impossible not to feel happy.”
That philosophy echoes through the work of Lucia Silvestri, Bvlgari’s Jewellery Executive Creative Director. Known for her instinctual relationship with gemstones, Silvestri begins each design not with a sketch, but with a stone. Emotion leads the way. “With Polychroma, we’ve taken our mastery of colour to its most poetic extreme,” she said. “Each stone is chosen not just for its rarity, but for its capacity to evoke emotion, memory, and beauty.” She added, “Working with these natural wonders fills me with awe every day. They are nature’s miracles, and our role is to honour them.”
Rome, the eternal city and birthplace of Bvlgari, is a spiritual throughline in Polychroma. “The light in Rome is unlike anywhere else,” said Le Foll. “It reflects centuries of architecture and history. That kind of layered beauty is deeply embedded in our designs.”
But Polychroma is far from parochial. With influences drawn from architecture, mythology, botany, astronomy, and global artistry, the collection reads as an atlas of inspiration. “It’s a mosaic of ideas,” said Silvestri. “From the Tree of Life to celestial vaults, each piece carries a narrative thread.”
Among the constellation of creations, five centrepieces form the “Gallery of Wonders”, a triumphant showcase of Bvlgari’s gemstone expertise and design bravura.
The Cosmic Vault Necklace: A celestial composition starring a 123.35-carat Sri Lankan sugarloaf sapphire, surrounded by a matrix of diamonds and sapphires, a tribute to Rome’s astral and architectural majesty.
The Celestial Mosaic Necklace: Le Foll’s personal favourite, this piece features a 131.21-carat Tajikistan spinel—the fourth-largest of its kind globally. Inspired by the Tree of Life and an 18th-century Jericho mosaic, it blends emeralds, onyx, and diamonds into an architectural yet feminine masterpiece.
Polychromatic Bloom: A vibrant trifecta of rubellite, peridot, and tanzanite set in rose gold petals, a jubilant nod to nature’s chromatic bounty. Essence of Yellow: A reinterpretation of the iconic Trombino ring, now showcasing a 45-carat fancy vivid yellow Asscher-cut diamond, a marriage of heritage and contemporary flair.
The Magnus Emerald Necklace: As seen on Priyanka Chopra Jonas at the 2024 Met Gala, this piece centres on a staggering 241.06-carat Colombian emerald and the largest Bvlgari has ever set, bringing Seventies glamour into a new epoch.
True to Bvlgari’s multidisciplinary spirit, Polychroma extends beyond the realm of high jewellery into timepieces, accessories, and olfactory art:
The Nuvole Preziose pendant watch sparkles with a 6.88-carat yellow sapphire and detachable architectural earrings. The Notte Stellata Diva timepiece evokes a sapphire-studded night sky, dotted with diamond fireflies.
High Jewellery handbags, under the creative direction of Mary Katrantzou, marry rare exotic leathers with detachable jewelled clasps, transforming bags into wearable heirlooms.
Serpenti sunglasses, sculpted in 18k rose gold and adorned with diamonds, offer customisable elegance in every facet.
The Polychroma fragrance trio, developed with Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas, comes housed in Murano-glass flacons crowned with gemstone-topped serpents. Each scent, blending rose, tuberose, oud, sandalwood, and incense, is a wearable expression of the collection’s chromatic soul.
Who Is the Polychroma Woman? “She’s bold, confident, and expressive,” said Le Foll. “She doesn’t wait to be gifted luxury, she chooses it for herself. She wears joy, not status.”
Indeed, with Polychroma, Bvlgari has created more than an exquisite display of gemology. It has crafted a vibrant, immersive universe where jewellery becomes language, and colour becomes voice.
As Jean-Christophe Babin, CEO of Bvlgari Group, put it: “Polychroma is a masterpiece of art and emotion. It pushes the limits of craftsmanship and creativity, reaffirming Bvlgari’s place as the world’s greatest Italian jeweller. Each stone tells a story of rarity, of beauty, of the boldness that defines who we are.”
In Taormina, where Greek ruins frame Italian dreams, Bvlgari lit up the ancient with the brilliance of the modern. And in doing so, it reminded us that true luxury is not a possession, it’s a feeling.
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