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The first LE GEMME collection inspired by precious gemstones was presented by the high end jewerly house BVLGARI in 2014 with six fragrances that fascinated Bvlgari perfume lovers and connoisseurs of haute perfumery. The beautiful bottle design and the close connection between top jewerly design and perfumery mark the first and every next line of Le Gemme, which keeps presenting new stories, new inspirations, and new cravings. With the idea to transform precious gemstones into fragrances, Le Gemme creates a luxury dialog between the hystoric symbolism and luxury and precious ingredients. Each stone is “embodied in the fragrances’ rare ingredients, creating a sensorial tribute that melds past and present.” After the first Le Gemme collection, the three editions of Le Gemme Orientali were presented in 2015, followed by Le Gemme Imperiali and Le Gemme Men in 2016. |
The latest collection, named BVLGARI LE GEMME REALI, is inspired, like all previous collections, by precious gemstones; the blue sapphire for the Nylaia perfume, the red ruby for the Rubinia fragrance and the green emerald for Veridia perfume. The key inspiration for the newest gemstone collection was the Byzantine Empress Theodora as the muse of this luxurious collection, as well as the silk, spice and gemstone roads that followed the Indus over the mountains and on the high plains of Pakistan and Tibet, across Persia and into Mesopotamia.
“In a magnificent city nestled on this fascinating itinerary reigned Empress Theodora, a woman of superior beauty and intelligence, whose allure inspired Bulgari Le Gemme Reali and their charismatic and opulent soul. Named Constantinople in 324 – the New Rome or “the queen of all cities” – thrived in its extravagant splendor and melting pot of cultures, on the shores of the Golden Horn and the Bosporus where the Black Sea and the Mediterranean meet. In this magical setting, in the 6th century, Empress Theodora reigned in all her glory at the side of her husband Justinian, the 17th Roman emperor.
Curious, knowledgeable and ahead of her time, Theodora is one of those historical divas that Bulgari admires so deeply and to whom it has always dedicated its collections. The most powerful woman of her time, she possessed the two key qualities so important to Roman tradition: courage and ambition. With Le Gemme Reali, Bulgari pays tribute to the woman whose aura and personality equaled the magnificence of her reign. In a mosaic portrait in Ravenna, Theodora is decked out in imperial purple, her tiara sparkling with a trio of precious stones – sapphire, emerald and ruby – which only Byzantine emperors could wear.”
The fragrances for Le Gemme Reali collection were composed by Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas who succeeded in reflecting a magnificent empire, but also the symbolism and powers of each gemstone and the beauty of Empress Theodora.
“Fragrances as jewels, set as stones. I constructed this trilogy around the sapphire, emerald and ruby, inspired by the way Bulgari cuts and polishes them. It was a case of creating a strong emotion with a few words, as in a poem, and to express the intensity of their color – blue, green or red – with the boldness which is anything but Baroque, and the modernity that brings Bulgari to life as a jeweler. I blended the ingredients to echo the work of the Maison’s master goldsmiths who flawlessly set the stones in gold. They seem to float. I wanted to recreate this apparent simplicity with excellent quality products and through the color and the individual vital force it symbolizes. The intensity of the stones in Le Gemme Reali is softened by the cabochon cut, very emblematic of Bulgari which, thanks to its perfect femininity, tempers the most extravagant volumes.” – Alberto Morillas, Master Perfumer
Nylaia is the fragrance in the sapphire blue flacon and pays tribute to the land of Kashmir, home to stunning sapphires whose intense hue is as unrivaled as their price. The fragrance composition is created of powdery florals and very sensual, warm, caressing resins, combined with transparent and pure nuances.
“In Nylaia, I have brought a deeply serene yet tactile warmth to the floral emotion of the iris, with benzoin tears combined with ambergris and white musk accords; a complexity that echoes the many facets of sapphire with its subtle blue.” – Alberto Morillas, Master Perfumer
| LE GEMME REALI NYLAIA Alberto Morillas blue iris, jasmine sambac absolut |
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Rubinia reflects the passionate heart of a ruby, very seductive, opulent, bold and bright. The composition starts luminously and sunny, announcing the intense and enveloping creamy aromas in the heart, layered on a very addictive and sensual base.
“For Rubinia, I imagined glowing sandalwood, immersed in an amber bath as if to calm, in vain, the ardor it provokes. The incandescent glow of Sicilian mandarin exalts the senses with sparkling freshness. Its enveloping heat is multiplied tenfold by notes of copaïba wood. Tonka bean elevates the fragrance’s addictiveness to its height.” – Alberto Morillas, Master Perfumer
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LE GEMME REALI Sicilian mandarin orange |
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Veridia is created to evoke the luminous and intense green of the emerald, evoking the wealth and splendor of the Byzantine imperial gardens. Its magical layers bring spiciness and a luxurious woody mixture at the start, followed by precious and balmy incense tears in the heart, while the base notes enrich the composition with a magnetic and addictive vanilla-wood harmony.
“This full and deep green possesses an esoteric power and a sublime creative light that I interpreted with vegetal incense. A precious talisman, it reproduces the emerald’s facets around this incense — from its brilliant green through the vibrant notes of galbanum and angelica to its dense green with the magnetic notes of patchouli and vanilla.” – Alberto Morillas, Master Perfumer
| LE GEMME REALI VERIDIA Alberto Morillas galbanum, angelica |
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BVLGARI LE GEMME Nylaia, Rubinia and Veridia will be available as a 100ml Eau de Parfum. We can expect them in stores at the beginning of April 2018.
