BVLGARI: Intricate, Magnificent, Jewel-Like Fragrances from a Jewelry House

“One of the greatest advantages of filming Cleopatra in Rome was undoubtedly having Bulgari’s shop there.”

— Elizabeth Taylor​

Basic Information

• Brand: BVLGARI
• Founded: 1884 as a jeweler; fragrance business launched in 1992
• Founder: Sotirio Bulgari, whose Greek name was Sotirios Voulgaris
• Headquarters: Rome, Italy
• Official website: www.bulgari.com

The spelling BVLGARI comes from the lettering used in the logo. In the ancient Latin alphabet, U was written as V, so Bulgari becomes BVLGARI in this style of lettering.

The Founder and the Brand’s Origins

From the Mountains of Greece to Rome

Bulgari’s story begins on March 18, 1857, with a boy from Kalarites who grew up in Paramythia, in the Greek region of Epirus under Ottoman rule. His name was Sotirios Voulgaris, the man who would later enter history as Sotirio Bulgari.​

The mountains of Epirus had long been known as the Balkans’ largest center of silversmithing. His grandfather, Konstantinos, was an itinerant trader who traveled between villages, while his father, Georgios, also made his living as a silversmith. Born into this family of silverworkers, Sotirios learned the craft intensively from his father from an early age. Making belt buckles, earrings, sword scabbards, and many other silver objects, he developed an exceptional combination of artistic talent and business acumen.

Life, however, was extremely difficult. Political instability under Ottoman rule, harsh winters, and financial hardship compounded one another. His father is said to have told him, “My son, let us leave this place. Let us find a land where we can work in peace and nurture our dreams.” Father and son then left their homeland.​

From Corfu to Naples, Then Rome

Sotirios moved to the Greek island of Corfu before making his way to Naples. He tried to open a shop there, too, but is said to have suffered theft and other setbacks. His attention eventually turned toward the vibrant city of Rome. In 1881, he relocated there, making what would become the greatest turning point of his life.

It is also said that, on first arriving in Rome, Sotirios partnered with a Greek sponge merchant to sell his silverware in a shop on Via Sistina. In 1884, at the age of twenty-seven, he finally opened his own first shop at 85 Via Sistina. It offered a wide range of goods, from silver ornaments he had forged himself to carefully selected antiques and precious small objects.

Moving to Via Condotti and the Era of His Sons

While making Rome his base, Sotirios actively expanded into resorts that attracted tourists in summer. Between 1895 and 1897, he opened shops in Sanremo, Naples, Bellagio, and Sorrento, also adding St. Moritz and Lucerne in Switzerland. His business strategy, combining a Mediterranean sensibility with a refined taste for antiques and targeting wealthy travelers, steadily bore fruit.​

Around 1894, he established a shop at 28 Via dei Condotti and changed its name to S. Bulgari. In 1905, he moved to number 10 on the same street. Naming the shop The Old Curiosity Shop after Charles Dickens’s classic novel, he sought to attract the wealthy British and American travelers visiting Rome.

The shop soon became a Roman landmark. His sons Costantino and Giorgio shared a deep passion for gemstones. Taking over the business, they created diamond and platinum pieces in the Art Deco style, bringing Bulgari to a new level. Sotirios died in 1932, and the business continued to pass down through the family.

Hollywood on the Tiber and a Golden Age

After the Second World War, Bulgari shone more brightly still. In the 1950s and 1960s, Rome became a major center for the American film industry. So many large productions were filmed there that it became known as Hollywood on the Tiber. Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid Bergman, Grace Kelly, and Anita Ekberg all visited the Via dei Condotti shop.​

Elizabeth Taylor’s relationship with Bulgari is particularly legendary. While filming Cleopatra in Rome, she is said to have visited the Via Condotti shop almost daily, spending afternoons with Gianni Bulgari, then the family’s third-generation representative. Later, Richard Burton repeatedly showered her with Bulgari jewels as tokens of their passionate love. A 2019 Bulgari exhibition reportedly included a necklace she had owned, set with a fifty-carat cabochon sapphire. Looking back, Taylor said, “One of the greatest advantages of filming Cleopatra was undoubtedly having Bulgari’s shop there.”

During this period, Bulgari jewels appeared in at least forty films, rapidly establishing the brand’s international fame.​

The Move into Fragrance and the Modern Era

International expansion accelerated in the 1970s, with shops opening in New York, Paris, Geneva, and Monte Carlo. CEO Francesco Trapani, Sotirios’s great-grandson, drove the diversification of the business. After two years of research and development, Bulgari’s first fragrance, Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert, finally appeared in 1992.

In 2011, LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton acquired the Bulgari family’s shares and brought Bulgari into the group in a transaction worth approximately €3.7 billion, then about US$5.2 billion. When the merger was announced, CEO Trapani said, “Like Bulgari, LVMH shares a philosophy of developing brands over the long term.” The Bulgari family became LVMH’s second-largest family shareholder, while Paolo Bulgari remained chairman.

The Brand’s Commitments

A Philosophy of Sculpting Fragrance Like a Gemstone

Bulgari’s fragrance philosophy is deeply connected with its origins as a jewelry house. Its official website declares, “Bulgari has brought the excellence and savoir-faire nurtured by its inventive jewelry heritage into the world of fragrance, creating scents as intricate and magnificent as jewels.”​

One telling illustration of this philosophy is the quotation from nineteenth-century French novelist J. K. Huysmans used in Bulgari’s fragrance concept: “In the art of perfumery, the artist perfects the primitive scents found in nature. He gathers them and sets the fragrances as a jeweler sets stones.”​

Bottle and Packaging Design

French designer Thierry de Baschmakoff is an essential figure in any discussion of Bulgari fragrance bottles. Working with Bulgari since the 1980s, the founder of Paris design agency Esthète has said, “The bottle’s design comes before its contents. It gives form to the brand’s DNA and history and expresses the world of a new product.”

De Baschmakoff designed the bottle for the first fragrance, Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert. Its simple, minimalist shape, reminiscent of a test tube, won international acclaim. The design remains the visual identity of the Eau Parfumée collection today.​

The bottles for the Allegra collection, introduced in 2021, were created in collaboration with French glass specialist Verescence. Their rounded form, inspired by Roman amphorae, or ancient vessels, recalls the smooth surface of cabochons, the rounded gemstone cut frequently found in Bulgari jewelry. The faceted caps and bases evoke Roman columns. The bottles are designed to be fully recyclable, incorporating consideration for sustainability.

A Commitment to Ingredients and Sustainability

Bulgari Parfums has set a target of reducing CO₂ emissions by fifty percent by 2030 compared with 2019. This includes not only Bulgari’s direct activities but also indirect emissions from areas such as sourcing raw materials and transporting products. Currently, ninety-nine percent of its products use FSC Mix-certified cartons, and sixteen percent of the materials used in production are sourced from recycled materials.​

The house also pursues its own initiatives in sourcing natural ingredients. For jasmine, for example, its Flower Gems of India partnership with sustainable farms in India secures fragrance materials while supporting local agriculture. It also announced that it would eliminate plastic from its packaging by the end of 2021 and has put that pledge into practice.

The Fragrance Range

Bulgari’s fragrance portfolio began with Eau Parfumée and now consists of several signature collections.​

Eau Parfumée: Where It All Began, Since 1992

In 1992, under CEO Francesco Trapani’s direction, Bulgari launched its first fragrance, Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert. Originally conceived as an exclusive gift for high-jewelry clients, it proved so popular that the house soon decided to offer it for general sale.

The fragrance was created by perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena (in Japanese). Ellena loved the celebrated Paris tea merchant Mariage Frères and visited whenever the opportunity arose. His attempt to translate its steam, the scent of tea leaves, and its atmosphere into the language of fragrance marked the birth of Eau Parfumée. Ellena himself is also said to have remarked, “In fact, it was the scent of the experience of making tea, rather than the smell of green tea itself, that drew me.”

The fragrance is reportedly said to have been offered first to Dior and Yves Saint Laurent, only to be rejected by both as too unconventional. Bulgari embraced that unconventionality, opening new ground with an exceptionally minimalist, genderless green-tea fragrance. Built around bergamot, jasmine, cardamom, and green tea, it was clear and modern, distinct from the rich florals and musks that dominated the market at the time.

A follow-up, Eau Parfumée au Thé Blanc, appeared in 2003. Inspired by Chinese white tea and created by Jacques Cavallier, it is characterized by a gentle, enveloping scent. In 2025, both fragrances were renewed as more concentrated eaux de toilette. The revised formulas incorporated real tea-leaf extracts for the first time, with Thé Vert made from ninety-four percent natural ingredients.

Pour Femme and Pour Homme: Establishing a Classic Range, Since 1994

Following the success of the first fragrance, the women’s scent Pour Femme arrived in 1994. Created by Nathalie Lorson and Sophia Grojsman, this sophisticated floral, centered on rose, violet, and mimosa, established Bulgari as a serious fragrance house. Pour Homme followed in 1995. Based on Darjeeling tea, with layers of bergamot, lavender, cardamom, and rosewood, its clean character made it a beloved classic, particularly among men.

Black: Experiment and Revolution, 1998

Released in 1998, Black is one of the most radical creations in Bulgari’s fragrance history. Created by Annick Menardo, it centers on a smoky, rubber-like texture inspired by the Chinese smoked tea Lapsang Souchong. Its circular bottle covered in black rubber was equally innovative, with packaging also designed by Thierry de Baschmakoff.

Black made a considerable impression on the perfume world with its novel approach, combining a sweet vanilla-and-amber base with an urban, industrial texture. Unfortunately, it has since been discontinued.​

Omnia: The Multifaceted Radiance of Gems and Flowers, Since 2003

Introduced in 2003, the Omnia collection distills the radiance of colored gemstones and delicate flowers into fragrance. Created by Alberto Morillas, the series expresses the textures and emotional qualities of crystal, amethyst, and red coral as multifaceted scents.

The current collection centers on Omnia Crystalline, Omnia Amethyste, and Omnia Coral. Its flacons were redesigned in 2023. The new bottles adopt a refillable design, incorporating the commitment to sustainability into their appearance and construction.​

Aqva pour Homme: The Depth and Power of the Sea, 2005

Released in 2005, Aqva pour Homme is an aquatic fragrance created by Jacques Cavallier. Centered on Posidonia, a seagrass native to the Mediterranean, mandarin, and amber, it offered a natural expression of the sea distinct from the blue-ocean aquatic fragrances prevalent at the time. With refreshing seaweed and a lingering woody character, it was long a classic among men, but has since been discontinued.​​

Le Gemme: High Jewelry in Perfumery, Since 2014

In December 2014, Bulgari launched Le Gemme, a collection marking the most luxurious expression of its fragrance business. Inspired by the house’s high-jewelry tradition and the values of excellence and uniqueness, the six fragrances corresponded to six gemstones emblematic of Bulgari: amethyst, tourmaline, turquoise, peridot, citrine, and moonstone.

The perfumer behind the collection was Daniela Andrier.

“In composing the six fragrances, I took my cues from the colors of gemstones and the mysterious phenomenon of light passing through them. Le Gemme is an exceptionally luxurious collection. Among the materials I used was an ingredient derived from a particular vetiver acetate that was on the verge of being discontinued because of its cost. You could say I helped keep it in production.”
— Daniela Andrier

A men’s version of Le Gemme followed in 2017. Jacques Cavallier created powerful, distinctive fragrances inspired by gemstones including onyx, malachite, tiger’s eye, and sapphire.​

Splendida: Flowers at Their Finest, Since 2017

Unveiled in 2017, Splendida reinterprets Bulgari’s classic women’s fragrances, Pour Femme, Rose Essentielle, and Jasmin Noir, from a contemporary, exceptionally luxurious perspective. Beginning with iris, rose, and jasmine, the collection added magnolia in 2018.​

In Splendida Iris d’Or, created by Sophie Labbé, lavish use is made of a rare iris absolute refined from rhizomes six years after planting. Producing one kilogram requires forty thousand iris plants, or eight thousand kilograms of rhizomes. The collection’s concept is flowers of the highest quality worthy of the Bulgari Diva, the woman who loves Bulgari jewelry. Its bottle colors, gold, powder pink, black, and purple-red, also reflect the character of the individual fragrances.

Allegra: Italian Joy in a Fragrance of Your Own, Since 2021

Bulgari’s 2021 innovation in high perfumery was Allegra. By freely layering five eaux de parfum with five Magnifying Essences, wearers could create their own fragrance from countless combinations. It was Bulgari’s first personalized fragrance experience.

Jacques Cavallier created the five eaux de parfum around the heart of nature’s gems, each taking an Italian emotion or landscape as its theme: Mediterranean sunshine in Riva Solare, Italian love in Fiori d’Amore, sweet treats in Ma’Magnifica, aperitivo at sunset in Rome in Fantasia Veneta, and a Venetian festival in Rock’N’Rome. The five Magnifying Essences, bergamot, musk, rose, patchouli, and vanilla, were designed to combine with any of the eaux de parfum.

Bvlgari Man: Nature’s Elements and the Modern Man, Since 2010

Bvlgari Man is a men’s fragrance collection inspired by natural elements such as fire, wood, rain, and earth. Composed chiefly of creations by Alberto Morillas, it includes Man in Black, Man Wood Essence, and Man Wood Neroli.

“We are all seeking the same thing. We want not only the dynamic energy of the city, but also the vitality of nature.”
— Alberto Morillas​

By the Way…

• Bulgari adopted the spelling BVLGARI in 1934. The founder’s sons followed ancient Roman lettering in replacing U with V. The logo incorporating this V subsequently became a familiar symbol around the world.
• Elizabeth Taylor continued collecting Bulgari jewelry throughout her life. When Christie’s auctioned her estate collection in 2011, sales reached US$245 million, approximately ¥36 billion. The collection included many outstanding Bulgari pieces.​
• Bulgari’s Via dei Condotti flagship still has a room called Salotto Taylor. It is the intimate space where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton once selected jewels with Gianni Bulgari.​
• Richard Burton left this remark about Elizabeth Taylor: “I introduced her to beer. She introduced me to Bulgari.”​