BVLGARI @ The DIVA Watch Collection

BVLGARI - The DIVA Watch Collection made from white and pink gold play with a geometric pattern that is inspired by Elizabeth Taylor's make-up in Cleopatra: a thick black line highlighting the outline of the actress's unforgettable violet eyes, elongating them to the temples and ending in a triangular form. The make-up drew its inspiration from the iconography of the eye of the god Horus, a vital charm associated with prosperity and good health in Ancient Egyptian culture. There is nothing better to emphasise the enchanting look of a woman who, more than anybody else, has been able to embody the mysterious and sensual charms of the Queen of the Nile. This motif conjures up the shape a fan, the famous accessory used to withstand heat, which has been popular in civilisations since ancient times. Fans were used in China as early as the 2nd Century BC, while in the palaces of Egypt, giant versions were used during lavish ceremonies. They became more of an everyday object to the Greeks and Romans in the 5th century BC, and they spread throughout Europe as objects of art and nobility from the 1500s onwards. Fans were naturally intended for women who quickly started using them as a tool for seduction, perfect for conveying different coded messages. Each one of the ladies' movements had a precise meaning, ranging from an invitation to courtship to an outright rejection.

With its exquisite combination of full and empty volumes, the symbol that inspires this collection takes on the three-dimensional shape of a delicate chalice. The elegantly stylised watches interspersed with bright pavé diamonds.   The pieces in white gold are covered entirely with pavé diamonds, and the delicate fans are transformed into elegant clusters with a vaguely Eastern allure. In a surprising aesthetic metamorphosis, the collection takes on a touch of joyful vivacity in the pieces that are adorned with beads of amethyst, peridot or rubellite, providing the small central diamond with an unmistakable hint of light. This playful shape given to the precious stones offers a modern reinterpretation of the renowned cabochon cut that has been used by Bulgari since the end of the 1950s, lending a specific sense of volume to their creations. Each of the cut stones is then carved in the centre in order to insert the diamond. This task that seems simple but ,in reality, it requires high-levels of craftsmanship so as to best preserve the integrity of the gems.  The small fans come in succession in an almost hypnotic rhythm that invites the eyes to follow the geometric transformations. Some are bigger and some are smaller, some are upside down and some are suspended in delicate colourful cascades. Two rows of fans overlap to create the exquisite wrap-around bracelet that wraps softly around the wrist, a further mark of creative technique. Characteristic to all of the pieces is the perfect wearability that is typical of Bulgari jewellery watches, expressed here at its best with a balance of geometric and rounded shapes, and in the gracefulness of the elements which gently follow the movements of the body, adorning it with a style that is at once chic and casual. The different elements are cleverly linked together to allow for smooth, fluid motion at each part.