Bulgari’s brilliant new boutique and ‘perfect mistake’

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Italian jewellery house Bulgari has, in its 130-year history, always been synonymous with glamour – known for crafting modern twists to noble and classic elements, combining bold coloured gemstones with unexpected materials. So when the Roman brand decided to renovate its London flagship in New Bond Street, it called on the architect and designer Peter Marino to play with the theme, juxtaposing old and new, innovation and heritage. The recently opened and renovated boutique draws on Mediterranean origins and Roman traditions, emphasising Italian classicism with venerable marble and bronze, as interpreted through 18th-century British architecture. The playfulness is also expressed in the decor and furnishings, which feature warm walnut, silks and velvets in vivid colours and rich textures, paying homage to the avant-garde Italian designers of the 1950s and 60s who had associations with the company.

Bulgari's New Bond Street store

Around this time, Bulgari developed a new vocabulary of jewellery design, introducing rebellious creations of semi-precious and precious stones paired together. A couple of decades later, the brand threw into the mix the incorporation of unlikely materials: antique coins, steel and silk, made into long sautoirs – a novel and individual take.

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With this history of disruptive aesthetic codes, it’s no surprise that its accessibly priced ring collection, the B.zero1 – first launched to commemorate the new millennium and referencing the circular structure of Rome’s Colosseum – should champion its newest design as originating from an aberration. The B.zero1 ‘perfect mistake’ joins the long list of design misconceptions that have become fortuitous happenstances. The original error was to create a new ring in white, yellow and pink gold, when a uniform colour was required. Now the stylish cylindrical spiral is having its moment in the sun, stacked with sassy spirit.

B.zero1 ‘perfect mistake’ ring, from £1,530; bulgari.com