Bulgari’s Serpenti made headlines in South Africa, but not for its design or craftsmanship. Former Ekurhuleni city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi appeared in a now-viral video showcasing her event “look”: an ensemble featuring Hermès and Dolce & Gabbana, valued at well over a couple of million rand. For jewellery enthusiasts, however, it was her dedication to high jewellery, particularly her Bulgari Serpenti bracelet and necklace, that stole the show. While her taste in bling may be impeccable, you can’t help but wonder how a career in public office paid for it.
Putting Mashazi’s possible tax investigation aside, Serpenti has long captured the cultural imagination. More than a status symbol, the serpent is one of high jewellery’s most iconic designs, one that signals power and unmistakable glamour. What follows is a look at the history, relevance, and evolution of Bulgari’s most celebrated collections.
The timeless serpent
The serpent is one of jewellery’s most enduring figures, representing power, eternity, love and mysticism. Worn by the ancient Egyptians and later embraced by Greek and Roman cultures, it enjoyed a comeback in Victorian England after Queen Victoria’s serpentine engagement ring.
More recently, several maisons,including Cartier and Boucheron, have explored serpent-inspired designs, but no house is more closely associated with the theme than Bulgari.
Founded in Rome in 1884 by Greek silversmith Sotirio Bulgari, the maison quickly gained a reputation for fine craftsmanship and a distinctly Italian take on luxury. Over the years, Bulgari became known for opulent designs, bold colour combinations and shapes inspired by its Roman roots. The house is also linked to a handful of instantly recognisable motifs that have come to define its style.
Bulgari first brought Serpenti to life in 1948 with a bracelet-watch that would become a design legend. World War2 had disrupted production and made precious materials scarce, but the maison turned these challenges into opportunities. Gold replaced diamond-studded platinum, while softer, curving forms inspired by nature appeared in the design. The resulting Serpenti bracelet-watch featured a spiralling tubogas band, a flexible coil of metal strips around a core reminiscent of industrial gas pipes, paired with a striking geometric dial. The piece perfectly showcased Bulgari’s talent for combining inventive engineering with exquisite craftsmanship.
By the 1950s, the Serpenti design had evolved into a more lifelike snake head, but it was the 1960s that truly put it on the map. Hollywood icon and jewellery lover Elizabeth Taylor, while filming Cleopatra in Rome, became closely associated with Bulgari. Her purchase of a Serpenti watch helped introduce the maison to an international audience and cemented its reputation well beyond Rome.
Decades on, Serpenti continues to evolve, finding new relevance with each new generation.
Serpenti Infinito and the year of the snake
2025 marks the Year of the Snake in the Chinese zodiac, and it has been a landmark year for Bulgari’s much-loved serpent, marked by celebrations and an international exhibition. The highlight was, of course, a new collection, Serpenti Infinito, which the maison says “invites visitors into a realm of infinite possibilities inspired by this iconic motif”.
The Serpenti Infinito collection delivers several standout pieces, from a necklace of intricately intertwined serpents set with diamonds, rubies and onyx, to the Serpenti Tubogas necklace in 18-karat yellow gold, accented with sapphires and diamonds. A rose-gold Serpenti Infinito necklace, set with diamonds, emeralds, onyx and a bold central ruby, rounds out the highlights.
Also worth mentioning is a late-2024 collaboration between Sicis Jewels, known for its micro-mosaic work, and Bulgari. The result, the Genesis Mosaic Serpenti Bracelet, reimagines the iconic design through more than 30 hand-crafted micro mosaic scales. Vivid reds play against diamonds and rubies, striking a balance between tradition and modern flair.
Your next Bulgari obsession, ready to shop
For those whose love of Serpenti has turned into a holiday craving, the Bulgari Boutique in Sandton City has a few snake-themed gems that make the perfect gift.
