Gems Fit for a Screen Goddess

PARIS — They were the cinematic titans with curves: Sophia Loren with her hour glass figure, Gina Lollobrigida’s swelling bosom and Anna Magnani’s earthy sexuality.

Something in those ripe Italian stars of the 1950s and ’60s melded perfectly with Bulgari. The Roman jeweler’s sensual, rounded cabochon jewels, melon-shaped evening purses and splashes of vivid color expressed the sensuality of the stars.

And those were the days, as Amanda Triossi, the exhibition’s curator points out, when the movie divas not only bought, rather than borrowed, their jewels, but even wore their gems proudly in films and elsewhere. Photographs of the era show Anita Ekberg wearing flower jewelry at the premiere of Frederico Fellini’s “Boccaccio 70” in 1961 or Claudia Cardinale wearing Bulgari at an embassy event.

Never has La Dolce Vita — the sweet life — seemed more appropriate than in the splendid display of jewels in the Grand Palais in Paris.

“Bulgari: 125 years of Italian Magnificence” (until Jan. 12) has 603 jewels on display — each more exceptional than the other, from the big, bold colorful breast plates of cabochon stones, through the “tremblant” flower bouquets to the serpent watches winding around the wrist.

Clips from the movies bring the actors to life and the overhead screens compliment a striking exhibition set.

Elizabeth Taylor, for whom diamonds and other gem stones are all her best friends, has an entire room devoted to her private collection. The snake bracelet was a favorite; so were luscious and colorful stones. She even posed for Helmut Newton in 1989, up to her bosoms in a swimming pool with a parrot on her shoulder color-matched to her necklace.

“The object is to tell a story of style — it’s about our heritage — and that was not built in 20 years,” said Francesco Trapani, Bulgari’s current chief executive and a great grandson of the jeweler’s founder.

The display is broadly chronological, opening with silver created in the 19th century by the Greek-born Sotiris Boulgaris, who settled in Rome in 1881. The vitrines also develop what Mr. Trapani calls the “codes” of Bulgari.

From the geometric designs in platinum and diamonds of the 1920s and ’30s, often with “transformable” jewels converting into separate parts, Bulgari invented a signature piece: the “Trombino” or trumpet ring. Introduced in the 1930s, it was a broad brand of pavé set diamonds, its baguette diamond “shoulders” supporting a big, bold table-cut gem stone.

Constantino and Giorgio, the founder’s sons, created for the landmark store in Rome’s Via Condotti not only the warm yellow-gold pieces of the 1940s, but also the later soft and naturalistic effects. The 1950s brought sinuous motifs, soft lines and free-form compositions, especially for the quivering jewelled flowers.

Ms. Triossi, who has been working on the archives since 1994, points out as significant Bulgari pieces exceptional stones, such as unexpected-colored sapphires. The opulent roundness of the gems and their bold colors reinforce their rarity.

The voluptuous shapes and luscious color mixes of La Dolce Vita years gave Bulgari its reputation for being both the essence of Italian design and craftsmanship and desirably global.

Anna Magnani’s collection shows her penchant for blood red rubies nestling among bright, white diamonds. Other social figures like the Begum Aga Khan chose turquoise as part of the mix; while Lyn Revson, wife of Revlon founder Charles Revson, chose a “bib” necklace of rounded turquoise, amethyst and emerald set in diamonds.

Different vitrines are devoted to particular stones and colors, or to the many facets of Bulgari’s work: the “Giardinetto” or flower-in-a-pot brooches; classical coins; the “melon” purses hanging from silken cords; and the snake wrist bands.

“Adding a bit of spice to elegance” is how Mr. Trapani describes the jewels that come right up to the 21st century and still demand what the executive calls “a self-confident client” who is “a bit more bold.”

Increasingly those jewel hunters are from China, which Mr. Trapani says is slated to take over from Japan as Bulgari’s primary market. The Paris exhibition will move to Beijing and Shanghai next year.

Ms. Triossi says that although Bulgari has a wide-ranging collection, with an on-going commitment to buying back key pieces, 60 percent of the Paris show is made up from private loans. The fact that often fickle stars and royal clients, like the Grimaldi family of Monaco, have hung on to the jewels, suggests an emotional attachment to Bulgari that resonates through the show.