Fragments Of Eternity

Bulgari's Aeterna High Jewellery collection leads 140 years of creativity and craftsmanship to the modern day

- TIM NGAU

If the recent season of high jewellery presentations were a game of Snakes and Ladders, then ascending rapidly to the top square is Bulgari, with its 140th anniversary showing of over 500 creations including high jewellery watches, bags and fragrances in its hometown of Rome.

Joining the house's other brand ambassadors, Anne Hathaway, Liu Yifei, Shu Qi and Hikari Mori at Rome's Terme di Diocleziano, Indian actress Priyanka Chopra graced the occassion wearing what the Maison calls the "most precious high jewellery piece" it has ever created, the Serpenti Aeterna necklace. Its seven D flawless diamond drops vaunt a total of 140 carats, one for each year of the brand's existence. The masterpiece is as close to crafting eternity as it gets, taking over 2,800 hours to complete.