Vintage Bulgari Gold-Tone Metal Bangle Bracelet in Turquoise Leather

Greek silversmith Sotirios Voulgaris arrived in Rome in 1881 and set up his own shop there in 1884, calling it Bulgari, an Italianization of his last name (in the brand's logo, it's styled BVLGARI, using the classical Latin alphabet in a nod to ancient Roman culture). In 1905, he opened the company’s flagship boutique on Rome’s Via dei Condotti. Since then, Bulgari has looked to Rome as a source of reference for its fanciful and decidedly romantic designs for necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other accessories.

Although the iconic jewelry house found success with its silverwork and Art Deco designs, popular through the 1920s, Bulgari’s signature style — bold, often using yellow gold embellished with big colorful gemstones — began to emerge when Sotirios’s sons inherited the business, in 1932.

The brand truly hit its stride in the dolce vita era of the 1950s and ’60s, when the founder’s grandsons Paolo, Gianni and Nicola Bulgari decisively departed from demure traditional styles to develop the house’s exuberant multi-gem looks, attracting celebrity collectors like Elizabeth Taylor.

In the 1940s, Bulgari debuted perhaps its most famous design, the Serpenti bracelet watch. The piece’s snakelike coils were made possible by the tubogas jewelry technique, which links a flexible series of thin horizontal bands. Both the sleek, modern tubogas construction and the sinuous snake motif continue to be synonymous with the Bulgari brand. 

On 1stDibs, the collection of vintage Bulgari jewelry includes rings, pendant necklaces, watches and other accessories.

Our jewelry collections are based on the art of designing beautiful jewelry as an accessory. Jewelry design is influenced by cultural and social attitudes. One of my greatest responsibilities is to make sure the final jewel is perfectly executed and individualized. Our firm caters to elite luxury buyers and fine retail stores. As an award-winning designer, my purpose is to showcase exquisite jewelry for all budgets I received much acclaim throughout the years, winning top industry honors and garnering international praise for innovation in jewelry. We have been in business since 1980. OGI selects only the finest gemstones for its jewelry. Our gemstones are inspected for quality, beauty, and durability. We only use stones that meet our high standards for color, clarity and cut. We do not use any gemstones that have been enhanced to increase a stone’s weight or to mask a potential blemish. OGI diamonds have no enhancement. OGI does not use conflict diamonds. Rubies and sapphires may be heated. Emeralds may be infused with colorless substances