After joining the Bulgari Marketing Department in 2001, Lucia Boscaini deepened her knowledge of the house’s iconic designs and stylistic evolution. In 2007, she became Marketing Director and made sure to apply Bulgari’s core values to all product categories. Appointed Head of the Events and Heritage department in 2010, she celebrated the house’s creative codes through happenings dedicated to clients and press.

And in 2014, she opened a new chapter in Bulgari’s story by being appointed Brand and Heritage Curator and planning exhibitions. Luckily for us, we had the opportunity to interview her while in Moscow attending the “Tribute to Femininity” exhibition and here’s what she had to say.

Why did you choose Moscow as a destination for this exhibition?

We were interested in Moscow because it’s a beautiful, cool city. It is so much more modern than I remember it from when I came a long time ago, so we decided to host this exhibition here. Also, this museum is not only one of the top museums of the world, but also one of the most incredible and respected museums for jewelry exhibitions. In addition, they have expertise in contemporary jewelry, and in the last few years they have hosted some of the most interesting jewelry exhibitions like Cartier and Buccellati. So, to me it was really natural to look for this opportunity.

When did the planning for this exhibition start?

The first contact began 3 years ago and I was really impressed with how well they knew our jewelry. After taking a look at the pieces and the plan, they accepted the proposal to host this exhibition and they suggested that we identify a new angle, so we decided to dedicate a special and completely new archive for this exhibition. Their assistance was not only restricted to the selection of the pieces, but went much beyond this because there is the historical background related to each jewel and how the jewels that we see today used to be worn in the past. This exhibition is not only about the jewelry on display, it’s also about their story and the ladies who wore them, and this is obvious through the carefully-prepared setting that showcases them.

As Bulgari’s brand and heritage curator, what is your mission?

Curating an exhibition is a long process of study. We have to really be careful about not being redundant and banal, which is not easy. It’s usually quite a long process as the preparation of this exhibition took a full year – this might not seem a long time but this year took our full energy while choosing the most meaningful pieces from Bulgari’s heritage collection. These pieces belonged to private owners and negotiating with them takes time.

Who takes care of the negotiation with the owners? How do they usually react?

The situations between owners are very different. Usually we succeed in getting their trust to take their pieces for the exhibition then return them. Some lenders feel proud and want their name to be mentioned next to the piece. Although the pieces that are exhibited gain additional value, some refuse to lend them because they want to keep them in the family. There are also collectors that are so mad about jewelry that they buy jewelry with a story, and they love them to a point that they refuse to sell them, and prefer to keep them for themselves without caring about their value.

Can you tell us about a piece that you would really like to have in your collection and you’re still searching for?

There is a piece from the collection of a very special Spanish lady. She is a collector of artworks and a very interesting person and she has beautiful jewels mainly from the eighties that are very colorful and  beautiful.

Why did you choose to display these pieces specifically?

It’s a matter of our own style and Bulgari’s DNA. The color combinations, the cabochon cut, the quality of the stones…. Everything that makes Bulgari’s style so unique. Every single detail is taken into consideration.

Is there a budget for the pieces you get back?

Yes there is a budget. For example, the Elizabeth Taylor auction was pretty memorable as we had to go through a lot of negotiations. We had a very specific budget for the pieces we wanted to acquire.

Is there a special relationship between the jewelry pieces you choose to exhibit and the city that is hosting the exhibition?

As I said before, Moscow is a very cool and modern city. Despite the fact that this museum is very traditional, we wanted to make sure that the city is one that is ready to receive such an exhibition. We wanted this exhibition to be completely different from the previous ones and we wanted it to receive appreciation from the visitors.

Did you start working on a new exhibition in another city?

Yes of course, there are a lot of beautiful cities in mind. We would love to host an exhibition in Dubai but this is not confirmed yet because we are still on an on-going negotiation with interesting museums that I can’t disclose now. Our plans are quite ambitious.

How many pieces of the Bulgari collection travel to every city other than the ones you add that are linked to the history of the place?

All our jewels are exhibited in Rome because it’s our home city but of course they travel around the world and we select the pieces that will be sent to a certain exhibition according to the theme of the latter.

How many historical pieces are fully owned by Bulgari?

We own approximately 800 pieces, from jewelry to silver pieces, watches or objects such as secret cases. We would really like to buy at least a few hundred more. We are trying to do so through our connections with the Middle East.

Is there a possibility for the pieces to date back to the very old times when the pieces were not branded?

Of course, it often happens and this is why we have the potential of checking what we have and it takes at least a couple of months to validate its authenticity. We analyze so many details such as the manufacturing, the type of stones etc.