You can always count on Bvlgari. Since its inception in 1844, the luxury Italian house has crafted some of the world’s most unique and globally lauded jewellery pieces. In fact, the past 140 years have seen the brand releasing iconic designs on the regular. 

And no doubt one of the reasons for this consistent exceptionality is Lucia Silvestri. Having worked at the brand for the last 45 years, Silvestri, as its creative director, helms the jewellery design department with flair. 

In celebration of its 140^th anniversary, Bvlgari, guided by Silvestri’s steady hand, released the Aeterna collection last year. Designing pieces that can do justice to the brand’s decades of heritage was a big task. “Pressure, as Jean-Christophe (Babin) says, is a pleasure – sometimes,” Silvestri says with a smile. “I think I have the best job in the company, but this collection had to be something truly spectacular to celebrate 140 years.” 

The stand-out of the lineup was the Serpenti Aeterna necklace, with its seven massive white pear-shaped diamonds – symbolically totalling 140 carats. This was perhaps an unexpected choice for a brand renowned for its vibrant coloured gemstones. “I fell in love with this when it was rough (uncut),” Silvestri explains of the stone that was originally over 250 carats. “It was a challenge, because I had to convince the owner to cut it under 140 carats to match our anniversary.” The negotiation took a year, but the result – a masterpiece of craftsmanship and design – proved well worth the effort.

The necklace’s design was another bold move. Silvestri insisted on using only pear-shaped diamonds and baguettes, avoiding traditional round cuts. “That was a great challenge for both the setting and the craftsmanship,” she notes. “But the final piece was incredibly flexible, not rigid, which is rare for a design using only baguettes.” 

Incredibly, this necklace was the first piece to be sold from the collection, snapped up by an eager collector. “I was so surprised,” Silvestri admits. “It was gone on the first day.” 

An ode to the House’s history, the collection reintroduced the iconic Tubogas and Chandra motifs, adding modern charm with precious stones and engravings. One of Silvestri's personal favourites in the collection is a 31-carat carved emerald from Jaipur, designed with a Tubogas setting, which instantly updated a classic Bvlgari aesthetic. “We always take inspiration from our archives but reinterpret the designs in a contemporary way,” she explains. 

For this creative director, gemstones aren’t just materials – they’re sources of inspiration. “I have a special relationship with sapphires,” she reveals. “When I started at Bvlgari, I thought sapphires were only blue. Then I discovered an entire world – pink, yellow, green, violet. It reflects my personality – people may see just one colour, but inside, I’m full of them.”

Chatting with Silvestri, it’s clear her passion for jewellery design extends far beyond a job role. “My creativity never stops,” she confirms. “Even on vacation, I find myself searching for stones in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Brazil.” 

While there’s no denying the success this dedication has helped Silvestri achieve over the past 45 years, she is more concerned with what’s next. “One hundred and forty years was a milestone, but the goal is always to push forward – to create something timeless, something even better,” she shares. 

It seems certain that the future of Bvlgari’s high jewellery will shine just as brilliantly as its past.