Give in to Temptation with Bulgari’s Glittering Eden-Themed Collection
Above: The new Spinel Charm necklace.
Few species have sustained centuries of intrigue quite like the snake. Across cultures, it represents fertility, wisdom, rebirth, danger, and temptation. Those last two qualities can be especially tantalizing when it comes to objects, enticing one to go out on a proverbial limb and indulge in something sparkly, new, and perhaps a bit out of reach.
It would be impossible to review Bulgari Eden, the Garden of Wonders, and not feel the same way. The brand has been synonymous with serpentine designs for more than eight decades, and this, its latest high-jewelry and watch collection, boasts over 140 one-of-a-kind pieces that nod to many of the aforementioned attributes, resulting in an aesthetic adrenaline rush.
Take, for example, the 32 carats of brilliant round diamonds and onyx inserts, set in white gold in a scalelike pattern, that make up the Spinel Charm necklace. Depending on perspective, its head and tail either embrace or have ensnared an eight-carat oval step-cut pinkish-red Tanzanian spinel, a stone associated with passion and devotion. The effect is very come-hither; consider us given over to temptation.
A Motif in Brief
Laden with symbolism and easily adapted to flights of decorative fancy, the humble snake has appeared on—and inspired the shape of—design objects for millennia, from Victorian Wedgwood vases to mid-20th-century sofas. Here, two other favorites from history.
Victorian Wine Jug, ca. 1866
The Victorians knew that nothing offsets a silver vessel engraved with a Greek key border, errant star bursts, and a vacant cartouche better than an entwined-snake handle.
Plate with the Visconti Arms, ca. 1480–1500
This tin-glazed earthenware plate features a dragon-headed creature, known as the biscione (big serpent), devouring a young boy. It was a heraldic symbol of the ruling family of the duchy of Milan.
Prop Stylist: Anna Piasek
This story originally appeared in the September 2022 issue of ELLE DECOR. SUBSCRIBE
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