Bulgari

Bulgari is the house for color and Roman swagger. A Greek silversmith, Sotirios Voulgaris, built the business in Rome, where "Bulgari" had become a brand name by 1884, and the flagship on Via Condotti is still its home. Where the Paris houses favored faceted diamonds and restraint, Bulgari built a bolder look from bright cabochon gemstones, chunky gold and ancient Greek and Roman coins set into necklaces and bracelets. Its two best-known codes are the Serpenti snake, drawn from Roman mythology, and Tubogas, a flexible coiled band of gold or steel. Elizabeth Taylor was a devoted client, which tells you the scale and glamour the house does best.