Snake Jewelry: The Secret of Its Popularity
Bulgari, which has just unveiled its Mediterranea jewelry collection, has made the snake one of its trademarks. Other major houses have also drawn inspiration from this reptile for their creations. Where does this trend come from? Miller, the specialist in antique jewelry in Paris, clarifies this jewelry question.
Snake-inspired jewelry has been popular for several decades
For 75 years, gold jewelry adorned with snakes has appeared around the wrists, necks, and fingers of customers of the Bulgari jewelry house. Especially among Hollywood stars. In 1962, a commercial for the film Cleopatra (1963) featured Elizabeth Taylor wearing a massive diamond Bulgari Serpenti wristwatch coiled around her wrist.
It wasn't the reptile that caused the death of the Queen of Egypt, but a simple jewel watch. However, this connection highlights the symbolism of the snake in many cultures. It will likely be featured again in the remake of the film starring Gal Gadot as Cleopatra.
Bulgari Serpenti: a brand emblem
It was Cleopatra's jewels that inspired Bulgari to create its first Serpenti watch in 1948. And ever since, the snake has proven to be a perfect theme for jewelry. As Bulgari Group CEO Jean-Christophe Babin says, the snake has showcased the Italian brand's creativity and ingenious craftsmanship, proving "that it was and still is Bulgari's ultimate symbol, that of perpetual metamorphosis."
The snake is therefore a metaphor for renewal. Today, the Bulgari snake has been refined into a highly stylized diamond viper. "Reinterpreting Serpenti again and again without changing its identity is an inspiring challenge," said Lucia Silvestri, Bulgari Jewelry Creative Director. "It is this perfect balance between its heritage and its creative evolution that has made this icon truly timeless, and always in tune with its time."
- Illario snake bracelet in gold and diamond
Lalalounis: another house inspired by the snake
The snake has a sensual and totemic power. It captivated the Aztecs, ancient Egyptians, and Greeks. In Greece, "it is one of the most revered animals and a symbol of rebirth, renewal, health, and fertility," explains Demetra Lalaounis, director and one of the 4 daughters of the famous Athenian jeweler Lalaounis jewelry. Since the early 1960s, "its extended symbolic meaning, its sensuality, and its transformative and elegant qualities constantly bring us back to it and push us to continue reinterpreting it using different techniques." Lalaounis snakes are smooth and shimmering or textured, mimicking snakeskin with diamonds on their backs.
Cartier, Boucheron, and Tiffany have also explored the snake theme for their jewelry
The reptile has inspired snake jewelry from Boucheron, Cartier, and Elsa Peretti of Tiffany & Co. Not to mention countless independent jewelry designers and artists. Serpent Bohème was originally a snake necklace designed by founder Frédéric Boucheron for his wife Gabrielle. It was recreated by the house in the 1960s, and a second time in 2017 in a very abstract form inspired by a snake's head. Tiffany's gold necklace is also very refined, with the snake clasping its tail like Ouroboros. Cartier frequently draws inspiration from the animal world for its creations, sometimes including the snake. Notably with the Water Aspis necklace (photo above) from its Beautés du Monde high jewelry collection, for example.
