Bulgari Blue Sapphire and 18k Gold Bracelet Circa 1970
Approximately forty carats of well saturated and luminescent blue sapphire cabochons sensationalize this important bracelet. The gold links include a double heart (“doppio cuore”) motif and diamonds that accentuate the blue sapphires.
There are five “sections” of the bracelet, each with a cabochon sapphire weighing approximately 8 carats surrounded with diamonds. Each section is connected to the next with the double heart links. Diamonds fill each section in a design working off the oval diamond surround of the sapphire. The double heart links are plain 18k gold. This allows the sculpture of the double heart links to stand out against the rest of the diamond encrusted gold. Each cabochon is bezel-set and rises above the flat links giving the bracelet a three-dimensional appeal.
The “doppio cuore” is made from two stylized clean interconnected heart-shaped links. This motif screams late 1960s-1970s as it became part of the Bulgari vocabulary during this decade. This motif is now iconic for the brand and eagerly sought after.
This bracelet is a heavy gold example of a piece made in late 1960s to the 1970s. This was an era in which gold weight and sculptural volume defined luxury. This bracelet pre-dates the 1980s logo-forward era and reflects Bulgari’s transition into bold modernism.
Since its founding in 1884 by a Greek man (originally, Sotirios Voulgaris, later Sotiro Bulgari), Bulgari adopted Roman classicism, used the Latin spelling “Bvlgari”, and aligned his aesthetic with Italian craftsmanship traditions. For example, the cabochons common in many Bulgari pieces, were supposed to be reminiscent of the colorful cupolas of chapels strewn across the Italian countryside. Yellow gold was Bulgari’s choice for sculptural gold jewels. The beauty of the gold settings was often nearly equal to that of the gemstones.
- Approximately 40 carats of blue sapphire
- 240 diamonds, approximately 5 carats
- Bracelet length is approximately 7 inches long
- Each section is 1.4 inches long
- Bracelet width at widest point is approximately 0.62 inches
- Bracelet weighs 83 grams
- Signed, BVLGARI with Italian assay marks
- Stamped 750 for 18k gold