Bulgari Tubogas Gold Ring
By Bulgari
Located in Napoli, NA
An iconic Bulgari Tubogas ring circa 1980's showcasing 18k yellow gold in a perfectly balanced ring.
Late 20th Century Contemporary Band Rings
Gold, 18k Gold
Bulgari Tubogas Gold Ring
By Bulgari
Located in Napoli, NA
An iconic Bulgari Tubogas ring circa 1980's showcasing 18k yellow gold in a perfectly balanced ring.
Gold, 18k Gold
Bulgari Tubogas Lapis Lazuli Cuff Bracelet Steel
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Vintage Bulgari tubogas blue lapis cuff bracelet Rare combination of steel and blue lapis Signed Bulger Medium size
Lapis Lazuli, Steel
A Pair of BULGARI Tubogas 18K Yellow Gold Earclips
By Bulgari
Located in Rugby, England
Made in Italy, fully hallmarked with Italian markings. - BULGARI Tubogas Earclips - Yellow gold 750. 22 g. - Hallmarks: Signed Bulgari, 750. - "Tubogas" model.
Yellow Gold
Bulgari Tubogas Watch in 18K Yellow Gold and Steel
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Bulgari Tubogas bracelet watch, featuring a Swiss-made quartz movement; black dial with gold hands and hour markers; and 23mm, 18k yellow gold and stainless steel case with an 18k ye...
Yellow Gold, Steel
Bulgari Tubogas Serpenti Tourmaline 18k Yellow Gold 3-Row Ring
By Bulgari
Located in Napoli, NA
An iconic Bulgari Tubogas ring circa 1980's showcasing 18k yellow gold in a perfectly balanced ring, set with a fancy pear-cut Intense Pink Tourmaline The ring measures a size 6.
Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$64,000Sale Price|20% Off
Bulgari Tubogas Bicolor 18 Karat Yellow and White Gold Bracelet
By Bulgari
Located in Chicago, IL
An iconic Bulgari Tubogas bracelet crafted in 18 karat yellow and white gold, showcasing the house’s celebrated flexible tubular design.
18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
$3,840Sale Price|20% Off
Bvlgari Bulgari Tubogas BB26 2T Stainless Steel and Gold Wristwatch
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
An iconic Bulgari Tubogas wristwatch crafted in stainless steel and 18K yellow gold, this unisex timepiece features a 26 mm case with the signature BVLGARI BVLGARI engraved bezel, fr...
Stainless Steel
Bulgari Tubogas 18K Yellow and Blackened Gold Vintage Rare Watch
By Bulgari
Located in Great Neck Plaza, NY
The Bulgari Tubogas watch is a stunning piece of craftsmanship, showcasing a unique and elegant design.
18k Gold
BULGARI Tubogas Necklace with Ancient Domiziano Coin Pendant 81–96 AD
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
A commanding creation of sculptural goldwork and historic resonance, this exceptional BULGARI Tubogas necklace brings together the house’s pioneering engineering with the quiet power...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage 90s Bulgari Tubogas Bracelet Diamond 18k Gold Stainless Steel Bangle
By Bulgari
Located in Torrance, CA
Stylish vintage Bulgari 'Tubogas' bracelet crafted in 18k rose gold and stainless steel (circa 1990s).
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Stainless Steel
BULGARI Tubogas Two-Row Hoop Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
These earrings are a testament to the brand’s signature engineering and aesthetic innovation. The Tubogas technique, a hallmark of Bulgari since the 1940s, involves wrapping interloc...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari Tubogas Diamond White Gold Ring
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
18k white gold Tubogas ring by Bvlgari, with approx. 0.10ctw G/VS diamonds. Ring size 8, top is 0.5" in diameter. Hallmarked Bvlgari, 750, Italy. Weight - 17.7 grams.
Diamond, White Gold
Bulgari Tubogas BB26 18K Yellow Gold Diamond Dial 26mm Ladies Watch Full Set
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
About Bulgari Tubogas: Bulgari introduced the Tubogas watch collection as a direct expression of the Roman jeweler's belief that a watch should first be a jewel — the Tubogas constru...
White Diamond, Gold
Bulgari Tubogas Watch Bracelet BB 23 2T
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
18k white and yellow gold Tubogas bracelet with Bvlgari watch. Bracelet will fit up to 7" wrist, case - 23mm in diameter. Black dial with gold markers. Weight - 68 grams. Marked: 750...
Bulgari Tubogas Serpent Snake Yellow Gold Bracelet Wristwatch
By Bulgari
Located in Southampton, PA
18k yellow gold Tubogas Serpent Snake bracelet watch by Bulgari. The Authentic Bulgari 18k Yellow Gold Tubogas Serpenti Snake Bracelet Watch combines exquisite craftsmanship with ico...
Yellow Gold
Bulgari Tubogas Gold Watch Bracelet BB 26 2T
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Bvlgari Tubogas 18k gold watch bracelet, featuring slightly flexible design. Bracelet will fit approx. 7" wrist, case is 26mm in diameter. Black Bvlgari dial with gold stick markers....
Gold
Bulgari Tubogas Gold and Steel Watch Bracelet BB232T
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Classic 18k gold and steel Tubogas bracelet watch by Bvlgari, with black dial and quartz movement. Bracelet will fit approx. 7" wrist, case is 23mm in diameter, bracelet is 15mm wide...
Gold, Steel
$16,000Sale Price|20% Off
Bulgari Tubogas Peridot and Tourmaline Bracelet in 18K Yellow Gold
By Bulgari
Located in Chicago, IL
A distinctive Bulgari bracelet from the iconic Tubogas collection, crafted in 18 karat yellow gold and accented by two vibrant peridots.
Peridot, Tourmaline, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
BULGARI Tubogas Serpenti Pink Tourmaline Yellow Gold 3-Row Ring
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
This fabulous Bvlgari Serpenti 3-row ring from the classic Tubogas collection features a slightly adjustable wrap design crafted in 18k yellow gold and accented with a pear-cut pink ...
Tourmaline, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Bulgari Tubogas 18k Yellow Gold Steel Twist Bangle Bracelet Cuff
By Bulgari
Located in Birmingham, GB
Rare Vintage Bvlgari Parentesi Tubogas Bracelet Twist Cuff 18k Yellow Gold & Stainless Steel. Stunning Bvlgari bracelet cuff with signature Tubogas style. 18k yellow gold and stainl...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
Bulgari Tubogas Quadrato 30mm Black Square Dial 18K Gold Vintage Watch SQ 22 2 T
By Bulgari
Located in Aventura, FL
Bvlgari Tubogas Quadrato Vintage Yellow Gold Watch. It fits super comfortably on the wrist. You almost feel it like a bracelet, not a watch. This is a beautiful Ladies' timepiece pow...
18k Gold
Bvlgari Tubogas 18K Yellow Gold Black Dial Swiss Ladies Watch
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
This midsize Ladies Bvlgari Bulgari Tubogas watch in 18k yellow gold, a timeless highly desired masterpiece, perfect for everyday wear.
Yellow Gold
$32,640Sale Price|20% Off
Bvlgari 18K Yellow Gold Serpenti Vintage BB19 1 T Watch
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Bvlgari 18K Yellow Gold Serpenti Vintage BB19 1 T Watch. Bulgari’s Tubogas Snake watch is an internationally recognizable classic.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
New Bvlgari Tubogas Serpenti Scaglie Ladies SPP26WGD1GD11T Watch with Box +Paper
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
They utilized it in watches, using this technique for the band and a watch face where the head of the snake would be. “Bulgari-Bulgari” Tubogas style was born. Its popularity skyrock...
18k Gold
Bulgari Bulgari BB33GSCD 18K Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel Tubogas Bracelet.
By Bulgari
Located in Great Neck Plaza, NY
Bvlgari Tubogas BB33GSCD. 33mm 18K yellow gold case. 18K yellow gold fixed bezel with engraved Bvlgari. Black dial with silver tone hands and index and Arabic 6 & 12-hour indicators....
18k Gold
Bulgari 18K Yellow/Steel Tubogas Ribbed Bracelet
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This striking Bvlgari Tubogas bangle bracelet features a wide, flexible coil of alternating polished yellow gold and stainless steel segments, creating a bold and iconic two-tone des...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
Bulgari Rose Gold Diamond Tubogas Red Serpenti Snake Wristwatch
By Bulgari
Located in Southampton, PA
18k rose gold case diamond with red leather band bracelet tubogas serpenti snake wristwatch by Bulgari. With 34 round brilliant cut diamonds VS1 clarity, E color total weight Appro...
Diamond, Rose Gold
Vintage 18 Karat Yellow Gold Tubogas Watch Bracelet by Bulgari
By Bulgari
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage Tubogas Watch Bracelet by Bulgari, Italy. Composed of 18k yellow gold.
18k Gold
Bulgari Rare Ruby 2 Tone 18k Gold Tubogas Cufflinks
By Bulgari
Located in Simpsonville, SC
Enhance your attire with the refined elegance of the Bvlgari 18K Gold and Ruby Cufflinks. A testament to Bvlgari's renowned craftsmanship, these cufflinks exude sophistication and lu...
Ruby, Gold, 18k Gold
Bulgari 4ct Sugarloaf Amethyst Gold Steel Tubogas Bangle, Circa 1990
By Bulgari
Located in Malmö, Skåne län
The play of metals of contrasting colors is characteristic ingredient of Bulgari Jewels. The desire to maximize the use of metals of contrasting colors brought Bulgari, in the late 1...
Amethyst, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
Bulgari “Bvlgari Bvlgari” Tubogas Bracelet with Black Onyx, circa 1980
By Bulgari
Located in Malmö, Skåne län
A striking example of Bulgari’s bold 1980s aesthetic, this Bvlgari Bvlgari Tubogas bracelet unites the house’s Roman heritage with the sleek geometry that defined its late-20th-centu...
Onyx, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari Bvlgari Tubogas 18k Yellow Gold Flexible 1980 Bangle Bracelet
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Bulgari Bvlgari Tubogas 18k Yellow Gold Flexible 1980 Bangle Bracelet Detail: 18k yellow gold, 1980s, flexible and stretchable, Weight 24.8 grams.
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Ring in Steel, Rose Gold and Diamonds
By Bulgari
Located in Napoli, NA
A striking creation from Bulgari’s iconic Serpenti collection, this Tubogas ring coils sensually around the finger, echoing the sinuous form of a serpent.
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Steel
Bvlgari Tubogas 18K Yellow Gold Onyx Cuff Bulgari Bangle Bracelet
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
This vintage Bvlgari Tubogas cuff bracelet is a timeless icon of Italian craftsmanship. Featuring sleek round onyx inlays framed in polished 18K yellow gold, the flexible Tubogas des...
Onyx, Yellow Gold
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Ring in 18k Yellow Gold and Steel, 1980s
By Bulgari
Located in Napoli, NA
A striking and iconic vintage Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas ring from the 1980s, crafted in a luxurious combination of 18k yellow gold and stainless steel.
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
BULGARI 18K Yellow Gold, Diamond and Black & White Enamel Tubogas Bracelet
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
A bold and unmistakably iconic design from BULGARI’s celebrated 1970s period, the tubogas bracelet captures the house’s fascination with volume, movement, and sensual form.
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas 18K Rose Gold Stainless Diamond Single Twist Watch
By Bulgari
Located in Flushing, NY
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas 18K Rose Gold Stainless Steel Diamond Single Twist Watch Full set Marked: BVLGARI AU750 18K ACIER PRTATL Approximate Dimensions: 23 cm (Length) 35 mm (Case...
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Steel, Stainless Steel
Bulgari B.zero1 Tubogas Three-Band Ring in 18K Yellow Gold
By Bulgari
Located in Miami, FL
A classic Bulgari B.zero1 ring crafted in 18-karat yellow gold. The design features Bulgari’s iconic architectural construction inspired by the circular form of the Roman Colosseum. ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Bulgari Parentesi Tubogas Alveare Bangle Bracelet Cuff 18k Gold Steel
By Bulgari
Located in Birmingham, GB
Very Rare Vintage Bvlgari Bracelet Bangle Cuff In 18k Yellow Gold & Stainless Steel. Stunning Bvlgari bracelet cuff with signature Parentesi/Tubogas/Alveare style. An iconic geometr...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Tadao Ando Limited Edition 18K Gold Steel Watch SP35SPG
By Bulgari
Located in Aventura, FL
Tadao Ando x Bvlgari Serpenti Tubogas Limited Edition single-spiral watch in 18 kt rose gold and stainless steel with pavé diamonds on the bezel and pink mother-of-pearl dial. Water-...
18k Gold, Rose Gold, Steel
Bulgari 1980's Tourmaline 18K Gold Steel Vintage Tubogas Ear-Clip Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as j-hoop style earring comprised of segmented stainless steel tubogas Featuring a grooved geometric gold station bezel set with tourmaline cabochon Cushion shaped and measu...
Tourmaline, Gold, 18k Gold, Steel, Stainless Steel
Bulgari 1980's Ruby Sapphire 18 Karat Gold Vintage Serpenti Tubogas Cufflinks
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as twisted tubogas loops comprised of alternating yellow and white gold segments Terminating with round ruby and sapphire cabochons - each measuring 4.0 mm round Transparent...
Ruby, Sapphire, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Bulgari 1980 Ancient Indian Coin 18K Gold Steel Vintage Tubogas Monete Earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as j-hoop style earrings deeply grooved with "Serpenti" tubogas Stainless steel with yellow gold terminals and bezel stations Set with 8.5 mm round ancient coins with stippl...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel
Bulgari 1990's 18K Yellow Gold Stainless Steel Tubogas Vintage Cuff Bracelet
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Comprised of alternating tubogas segments of gold and stainless steel Gold segments are raised with rounded surface - high polished Completed by gold flush open terminals Stamped wit...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Steel, Stainless Steel
Vintage Bvlgari Bulgari 18 Karat Gold Model BB302T 30mm Dial Tubogas Watch
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Bvlgari Bulgari 18 Karat Yellow and White Gold More Rare Large Dial Tubogas Watch Model: BB 30 2T Size M 30mm Dial - this model is more rare as they made fewer with this larger d...
18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold, Gold
Bulgari Serpenti Tubogas Ring 18k Gold Steel Flex Sz 9 Estate Snake Jewelry
By Bulgari
Located in Torrance, CA
Pre-owned Bulgari Serpenti tubogas ring crafted in 18k rose gold & steel (circa 1980s) Diamonds total an estimated 0.10 carats (estimated at G-H color and VS1-2 clarity).
Diamond, White Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Rose Gold, Steel
Bulgari 3.40 CTW Diamond 18 Two-Tone Gold Vintage Celtica Tubogas Cuff Bracelet
By Bulgari
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed as a deeply grooved tubogas style cuff with arching segments Middle segments are topped with white gold and pavéd with diamonds Round brilliant cut and weighing approximatel...
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Gold Tubogas Bangle
By Bulgari
Located in istanbul, TR
Bvlgari 18k Gold Tubogas Bangle Elevating the jewellery technique cherished by the Roman Maison since the 1940s into an iconic collection, Bvlgari Tubogas intertwines the past and th...
18k Gold
Bvlgari Gold Tubogas Ring
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Bvlgari 18 karat yellow, white, and rose gold ring from the iconic Tubogas collection. Marked: Bvlgari / Made in Italy. It weighs 5.8 grams. Size 6.
18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Gold Tubogas Ring
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Bvlgari 18 karat yellow, white, and rose gold ring from the iconic Tubogas collection. Marked: Bvlgari / Made in Italy. It weighs 7.2 grams. Size 5.75-6.
18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari Gold Tubogas Ring
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Bvlgari 18 karat yellow, white, and rose gold ring from the iconic Tubogas collection. Marked: Bvlgari / Made in Italy. It weighs 4.9 grams. Size 6-6.25.
18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
Bvlgari 18k tricolored gold Tubogas earrings
By Bulgari
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Bvlgari 18k tricolored gold Tubogas earrings are an iconic example of bold Italian luxury and innovative 1980s design. Crafted in rich 18k tricolored gold, these substantial vintage ...
Gold, 18k Gold
Salavetti 18K White Gold Diamond Coil Bangle, Circa 2010s, Italy
By Salavetti
Located in New York, NY
The Salavetti Coiled Bangle takes the Bulgari Tubogas style, or flexible tubular chain, and modernizes the movement and articulation.
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
$3,800
Bulgari B. Zero Ring
By Bulgari
Located in Litchfield, CT
Remarks: "Zero motif jewelry is based on Bulgari's famous tubogas bracelets and watches; it's no surprise that it is one of today's most coveted and recognizable designs."
18k Gold
$18,400Sale Price|20% Off
Bvlgari 30mm Round Dial Tubogas Watch
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Bvlgari watch in 18K yellow gold, designed with a classic round dial measuring 30mm. Its balanced proportions create a versatile unisex look, suitable for both men and women....
Gold, 18k Gold
$9,500 / set
Bvlgari Set of Two Tubogas Rings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
From the Tubogas collection, this set of two Bvlgari rings is made out of three 18 karat gold: yellow, white, and rose. Together, they weigh 13.1 grams. Size 6.5.
18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
$9,500 / set
Bvlgari Set of Two Tubogas Rings
By Bulgari
Located in New York, NY
From the Tubogas collection, this set of two Bvlgari rings is made out of three 18 karat gold: yellow, white, and rose. Together, they weigh 12.3 grams. Size 6.
18k Gold, Rose Gold, White Gold, Yellow Gold
For many, BVLGARI’s Tubogas watches and other Tubogas jewelry call to mind the high-octane glamour of the 1970s and ’80s. However, the sinuous Tubogas coil was used as early as the 1940s, on the legendary house’s first Serpenti timepieces. (When Greek silversmith Sotirios Voulgaris arrived in Rome in 1881 and set up his own shop there in 1884, he called it Bulgari before changing the name to BVLGARI, which uses the classical Latin alphabet and is an homage to ancient Roman culture.)
The Tubogas engineering was directly inspired by the type of flexible metal pipe used to transport gas — called tubo del gas in Italian — patented in the 1880s and used from the 1920s on. Over the years, it has become an iconic BLVGARI style, incorporated into myriad watch and jewelry designs.
On the wrist, it creates an opulent impression that suits bare arms in high summer and in colder months works with the emerging trend for styling watches over the sleeve.
Malaika Crawford, style editor at online watch magazine Hodinkee, is an unofficial ambassador for the return of BVLGARI Tubogas watches. “I’m a jewelry-loving, watch-wearing, ’70s-nostalgia freak, and a Tubogas checks all of these boxes,” she says. “As a young woman working in the watch industry, I see the value in a timepiece that also serves as a standalone piece of design, and wearing a yellow-gold triple-wrap Serpenti makes me feel glamorous and confident.”
“We have noticed an increased interest in the BVLGARI Tubogas style in the last three to five years, and the value of the vintage versions has been rising constantly,” confirms Wagner Eleuteri, whose family’s global boutiques specialize in fine jewelry, watches and objets d’art. “I feel BVLGARI Tubogas watches are considered timeless pieces because of their everyday wearability and versatility, alongside bold design. They seem suited to any occasion, for wearers of any age.”
Crawford agrees, advising that they’re “best worn with a T-shirt and jeans.”
Find vintage BVLGARI Tubogas watches and jewelry on 1stDibs.
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.
Gold is the feel-good metal, the serotonin of jewelry. Wear vintage and antique gold necklaces, watches, gold bracelets or gold rings and you feel happy, you feel dressed, you feel, well, yourself.
Gold, especially yellow gold, with its rich patina and ancient pedigree going back thousands of years, is the steady standby, the well-mannered metal of choice. Any discussion of this lustrous metal comes down to a basic truth: Gold is elementary, my dear. Gold jewelry that couples the mystique of the metal with superb design and craftsmanship achieves the status of an enduring classic. Many luxury houses have given us some of our most treasured and lasting examples of gold jewelry over the years.
Since its founding, in 1837, Tiffany & Co. has built its reputation on its company jewelry as well as its coterie of boutique designers, which has included Jean Schlumberger, Donald Claflin, Angela Cummings and Elsa Peretti. There are numerous gold Tiffany classics worth citing. Some are accented with gemstones, but all stand out for their design and the workmanship displayed.
For the woman who prefers a minimalist look, the Tiffany & Co. twist bangle (thin, slightly ovoid) is stylishly simple. For Cummings devotees, signature pieces feature hard stone inlay, such as her pairs of gold ear clips inlaid with black jade (a play on the classic Chanel black and tan), or bangles whose design recalls ocean waves, with undulating lines of lapis lazuli and mother-of-pearl. And just about any design by the great Jean Schlumberger is by definition a classic.
Even had he eschewed stones and diamonds, Southern-born David Webb would be hailed for the vast arsenal of heavy gold jewelry he designed. Gold, usually hammered or textured in some manner, defines great David Webb jewelry. The self-taught jeweler made very au courant pieces while drawing inspiration from ancient and out-of-the-way sources — East meets West in the commanding gold necklaces made by Webb in the early 1970s. The same could be said for his endlessly varied gold cuffs.
In Europe, many houses have given us gold jewelry that sets the highest standard for excellence, pieces that were highly sought after when they were made and continue to be so.
Numerous designs from Cartier are homages to gold. There are the classic Trinity rings, necklaces and bracelets — trifectas of yellow, white and rose gold. As a testament to the power of love, consider the endurance of the Cartier Love bracelet.
Aldo Cipullo, Cartier’s top in-house designer from the late 1960s into the early ’70s, made history in 1969 with the Love bracelet. Cipullo frequently said that the Love bracelet was born of a sleepless night contemplating a love affair gone wrong and his realization that “the only remnants he possessed of the romance were memories.” He distilled the urge to keep a loved one close into a slim 18-karat gold bangle.
BVLGARI and its coin jewelry, gemme nummarie, hit the jackpot when the line launched in the 1960s. The line has been perennially popular. BVLGARI coin jewelry features ancient Greek and Roman coins embedded in striking gold mounts, usually hung on thick link necklaces of varying lengths. In the 1970s, BVLGARI introduced the Tubogas line, most often made in yellow gold. The Tubogas watches are classics, and then there is the Serpenti, the house's outstanding snake-themed watches and bracelets.
A collection called Monete that incorporated the gold coins is one of several iconic BVLGARI lines that debuted in the 1970s and ’80s, catering to a new generation of empowered women. Just as designers like Halston and Yves Saint Laurent were popularizing fuss-free ready-to-wear fashion for women on the go, BVLGARI offered jewels to be lived in.
Since Van Cleef & Arpels opened its Place Vendôme doors in 1906, collection after collection of jewelry classics have enchanted the public. As predominantly expressed in a honeycomb of gold, there is the Ludo watch and accessories, circa the 1920s, and the golden Zip necklace, 1951, whose ingenious transformation of the traditional zipper was originally proposed by the Duchess of Windsor. Van Cleef's Alhambra, with its Moroccan motif, was introduced in 1968 and from the start its popularity pivoted on royalty and celebrity status. It remains one of VCA’s most popular and collected styles.
Mention must be made of Buccellati, whose name is synonymous with gold so finely spun that it suggests tapestry. The house’s many gold bracelets, typically embellished with a few or many diamonds, signified taste and distinction and are always in favor on the secondary market. Other important mid-20th-century houses known for their gold-themed jewelry include Hermès and Ilias Lalaounis.
Find a stunning collection of vintage and antique gold jewelry on 1stDibs.
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