The story
Founded by Sotirios Voulgaris in 1884, in Rome.1
From its origins through the 1940s
The Voulgaris were a silversmithing family from the Ottoman-ruled village of Paramythia, Epirus (now part of Greece). Whether or not they share the same paternal line with the Voulgaris family of Corfu is unclear, but Count Stefanos Voulgaris denied that the two are genealogically related. According to chronicles of the Voulgaris family written in Venetian Corfu, the Voulgaris family of Saint Spyridon of Corfu descended from the royal figures of "barbarian" peoples who settled in Moesia near the Balkan – Haemus mountains, located in Bulgaria", including Prince Stefan Lazarević and Khan Tervel, "kings of the Triballi, in the 16th century testament of the family, becoming such by taking refugee in the Venetian island Corfu.
The founder of the Bulgari brand was Sotirios Voulgaris (Σωτήριος Βούλγαρης), who was born in Paramythia, in March 1857; he originated from the Aromanian village of Kalarrytes, which was the largest center for silversmithing in the Balkans. He was one of eleven children of Georgios Voulgaris (1823–1889) and his Vlachophone Greek mother Eleni Strouggari. In 1881, Sotirios and his family moved to Rome, where in 1884 he opened his second jewellery store on via Sistina 85 (their first shop in Naples closed after burglaries). In 1888, he married Aromanian Eleni Basio, with whom he had six children: Constantine-Georgios (1889–1973), Leonidas-Georgios (1890–1966), Maria-Athena (1891–1976), Sofia (1893–1908), Alexandra (1895–1984) and Spyridon (1897–1932); Leonidas-Georgios is the father of the current chairman of the company, Paolo Bulgari. In 1905, he unveiled the Via Condotti shop that would become the company's flagship. In its early years, Bulgari was known for silver pieces that borrowed elements from Byzantine and Islamic art, combining them with floral motifs. At the time, Paris was the apex of fashion and creativity, and its trends influenced Sotirio's designs for decades: jewels of the early '20s were characterised by platinum Art Deco settings while those of the '30s featured geometric diamond motifs—sometimes set in combination with coloured gemstones. Convertible jewels were also popular during the time. One of Bulgari's major pieces was the Trombino, a small trumpet-shaped ring whose name derives from the Italian tromba; dating from the 1930s, it is defined by a prominent central gemstone set in a broad, tapering band.
In 1932, Sotirio died, leaving the business to his two sons, Giorgio (1890–1966) and Costantino (1889–1973), who each had a keen interest in precious stones and jewels. During the Second World War, most new jewellery was crafted out of gold, as gems were scarce, and designs became more naturalistic. As the 1940s came to a close, Bulgari introduced Serpenti bracelet-watches.
1950s and 1960s: Colour revolution and Dolce Vita
In the 1950s, some of Bulgari's best-known clients included Elizabeth Taylor, Anna Magnani, Ingrid Bergman and Gina Lollobrigida as Rome earned a reputation as "Hollywood on the Tiber" with the Cinecittà studios.
At the same time, Bulgari went to a new style. The post-war boom saw a return to precious materials, particularly white metals covered in diamonds. In the 1950s, Bulgari launched its first floral brooches—called en tremblant because of their trembling diamond corollas. At the end of the 1950s, Bulgari began to establish its motifs, introducing structured, symmetrical shapes in yellow gold set with brilliant gems—chosen for their colour rather than intrinsic value. Among these multi-hued jewels, cabochon cuts were another innovation. These new pieces were a significant departure from classical Parisian design.
Bulgari further demonstrated its craftsmanship in the 1960s with intricate designs like the Serpenti collection, where colorful enamel and stones, including rubies and diamonds, were meticulously fitted into the serpent's scales to create a vibrant and detailed finish.
After Giorgio's death in 1966, his son Gianni led the company as co-chief executive with his cousin Marina. Designer and heir to the jewelry legacy, Marina Bulgari, also known as Marina B, died on 14 February 2024 in Rome, at the age of 93.
1970s: Eclectic creativity and global expansion
During the 1970s, Bulgari stores opened in New York, Geneva, Monte Carlo and Paris. This era marks the beginning of the Group's international expansion, with Gianni as chairman and CEO. A number of new motifs made their debut as well—jewels became recognisable for their angular forms, strong colours, oval elements with cabochons, chains and maxi sautoirs, while the predominant use of yellow gold made precious pieces feel all the more wearable, and became known as a Bulgari trademark. In 1977, Bulgari entered the world of horlogerie with the launch of the BVLGARI BVLGARI watch. At the time, Gianni led a complete overhaul of the company, focusing on product design.
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1980s: Prêt-à-porter jewellery
In the early 1980s, to oversee all production of Bulgari watches, Bulgari Time was founded in Switzerland. In 1984, Paolo and Nicola Bulgari, Giorgio's sons, became chairman and vice-chairman, respectively, while their nephew, Francesco Trapani, became chief executive officer. In 1985, Gianni resigned as CEO and in 1987, he left the family business after selling his one-third stake in the company to his brothers Nicola and Paolo.
From the 1990s to the new millennium
Bulgari diversified its brand in 1993 with the launch of its first fragrance, Eau Parfumée au The Vert and the founding of Bulgari Parfums in Switzerland to oversee the creation and production of all perfumes. In 1995, Bulgari pushed ahead with an aggressive programme for growth, becoming listed on the Milan Stock Exchange for the first time. In 1996, the brand launched its first accessories collection, beginning with silk scarves before developing a range of leather accessories and eyewear. In 1999, the brand launched the B.zero1 ring.
21st century
The year 2000 was the beginning of an increasingly aggressive period of verticalization for Bulgari, with the acquisition of the luxury watchmaking brands Daniel Roth and Gérald Genta, followed by the takeover of the jewellery firm Crova and of other companies that specialised in leather goods and watchmaking. The opening of the first Bulgari Hotel in Milan in 2004 further confirmed the expansion strategy of the brand, and was the result of a joint venture with Luxury Group, a division of Marriott International. In 2009, Bulgari celebrated its 125th anniversary with a retrospective of the brand's history, held in Rome at Palazzo delle Esposizioni. That same year, the snake—a motif that appeared in Bulgari collections from the 1960s—re-emerged as the emblem of the Serpenti collection.
In 2011, Bulgari signed a strategic alliance with LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, the world's leading luxury group. The agreement was based on a stock transfer of the Bulgari family's shares in Bulgari S.p.A. to LVMH, an all-share deal for €4.3 billion ($6.0 billion). Under the deal, the Bulgari family sold their 50.4 per cent controlling stake in exchange for 3 per cent of LVMH, thereby becoming the second-biggest family shareholder behind the Arnaults in LVMH. The takeover doubled the size of LVMH's watches and jewellery unit, which at the time of the acquisition included Tag Heuer timepieces and De Beers diamond necklaces. The acquisition concluded on 4 October 2011 as Bulgari was delisted from the Borsa Italiana.
In February 2013, Jean-Christophe Babin, formerly CEO of TAG Heuer, became CEO of Bulgari.
In 2014, Bulgari celebrated the 130th anniversary of the brand. To mark the occasion, the shop at Via Condotti 10 was "reimagined" by the architect Peter Marino, and reopened. On the same day, the brand donated €1.5 million to the city of Rome for the restoration of the Spanish Steps. A few months after the Grand Opening, the DOMVS was inaugurated in the redesigned Bulgari boutique, creating a gallery space to house of Bulgari's Heritage Collection.
In 2017, Bulgari opened a new jewellery manufacturing headquarters in Valenza. The largest in Europe, with a total area of 14,000 square metres (150,000 sq ft), the Manufacture has been given a Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) certification for sustainability in its design. The facility was built over the former home of the first goldsmith in Valenza, Francesco Caramora. The buildings follow the model of a Roman domus, and are built around a central courtyard.
In March 2024, the Bvlgari jewellery house officialized and announced the creation of the Fondazione Bvlgari, an institution that is an extension of the brand's founding values, particularly its commitment to safeguarding historical heritage.
From Wikipedia’s article on Bulgari, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5