Ask some of the world’s wealthiest what their Roman Empire is in terms of a shopping spree, and along with property, private jets and interplanetary travel, high jewelry is likely to emerge as the item liable to make the one per cent weak at their nipped, tucked, and bio-hacked knees.
It’s fortuitous then, that last night, Roman luxury behemoth Bulgari showcased one of the most expensive jewelry designs they have ever created: a jaw-dropping snaking diamond choker crafted from a rough diamond totaling 200 carats which is worth a staggering $43 million—worn on the night by longtime ambassador for the brand, Priyanka Chopra.
The Serpenti Aertena necklace—described as the most precious design that Bulgari has ever debuted—is just one creation crafted to mark the house’s 140th anniversary. It forms the centerpiece of a celebratory collection designed by jewelry creative director Lucia Silvestri, dazzling with coiling snakes, juicy cabochon-cut gemstones and ancient coins, that was unveiled at the historic Terme di Diocleziano—the site of the largest ancient public baths in Rome. A static, vitrine-lined jewelry presentation this was not: breathtaking necklaces, secret watches, and earrings sparkled on models including Mariacarla Boscono, Isabella Rossellini (fresh from a recent catwalk outing at Pucci), and Carla Bruni, who took a turn on the outdoor runway as night fell.
Elisabetta Villa/Getty Images
Watching from the starry front row? Priyanka Chopra, who sat alongside her fellow Bulgari ambassadors Anne Hathaway, Liu Yifei, Shu Qi, Hikari Mori, and Alessandro Gassman, sporting a monochromatic corseted Del Core gown and the twinkling pièce de résistance from Bulgari’s 140th anniversary collection. The necklace features seven flawless pear diamond drops totalling 140 carats along with 698 undulating baguette cut diamonds, and took over 2,800 hours to complete.
From the catwalk, Bulgari CEO Jean-Christophe Babin named Chopra his “queen,” but it’s likely one of the Roman’s brand’s top tier high jewelry clients will be keen to take that diamond-sparkling crown. Only a tiny section of the world’s wealthiest will be able to afford the Serpenti Aertena necklace (one journalist suggested Jeff Bezos might purchase it for his future bride Lauren Sanchez). Their Roman Empire awaits.
This article first appeared on British Vogue.
