October 07, 2026

Bulgari Serpenti and Tubogas: The Snake, the Coil and What to Buy Pre-Owned

By Sasha Tarasova

Filed under Jewelry Eras & HistoryDesigner & Signed JewelryCollecting & Value

Short answer: the Bulgari Serpenti is a snake-shaped bracelet, watch or necklace that the Roman jeweler Bulgari has made since the 1940s, often built on Tubogas, a flexible coiled gold band made without solder. Vintage Serpenti watches, especially enamelled examples of the 1960s and 1970s, are the collectible pieces; most pre-owned Serpenti jewelry is later production and should be priced as such.

Bulgari is the youngest of the great European jewel houses and the only one of them that is Roman rather than Parisian. Its style is heavier, more coloured and more sculptural than Paris, and the Serpenti is the purest expression of it. This guide covers where the snake and the coil came from, how Bulgari pieces are marked, what to buy pre-owned and what to walk away from. We are an independent dealer, not affiliated with or authorized by Bulgari; the names here describe the pieces and nothing more.

Who founded Bulgari, and why is it spelled BVLGARI?

Bulgari was founded in Rome in 1884 by Sotirios Voulgaris, a Greek silversmith who had settled in Italy. The house writes its name BVLGARI because classical Latin inscriptions use V where modern Italian uses U, a deliberate nod to ancient Rome.

Voulgaris came from a family of silversmiths in Epirus, in north-western Greece. His early business in Rome sold silver to a cosmopolitan clientele, and the move into fine jewelry came gradually, led by his sons Costantino and Giorgio. The shop on Via dei Condotti, near the Spanish Steps, has been the house's flagship since the early twentieth century.

The Latin V is more than a logo. Bulgari built its identity on ancient Rome: architecture, coins, mosaics, and the idea of Rome as a city where old things are part of daily life. That thinking runs straight through the Serpenti, the Monete coin jewels and the Bulgari-Bulgari watch with its bezel engraved like an ancient coin.

A short history of Bulgari, with the dates that matter

These are the dates that help you place a piece in time. We have kept to well-documented milestones.

What is a Bulgari Serpenti?

A Serpenti is Bulgari's snake design: a bracelet, watch, ring or necklace in which a serpent coils around the wearer, with a head, a body built from scales or a coil, and a tail. In the classic watches the dial hides in the snake's head or sits where the head would be.

Snakes had been a jewelry motif for centuries. They appear in ancient Roman and Hellenistic bracelets, and the Victorians used them constantly as symbols of eternity and love. What Bulgari did was make the snake wearable at wrist scale, flexible enough to wrap two, three or more times around the arm, and serious enough to carry a watch.

The early Serpenti: 1940s and 1950s

The first Bulgari snake watches of the 1940s were built on Tubogas: a flexible gold band coiled around the wrist, with a small watch head at one end. The effect is closer to an abstract spring than a realistic reptile. These early pieces are uncommon and are usually handled by specialist auction departments rather than general dealers.

The enamel and gem-set Serpenti: 1960s and 1970s

In the 1960s the snake became realistic. Bulgari made Serpenti bracelet-watches from individually articulated scales, each one a separate piece of gold, some covered in polychrome enamel, some pavé-set with diamonds, with gem-set eyes and a hinged head that lifts to reveal the dial. This is the Serpenti that collectors mean when they say "vintage Serpenti", and fine examples are among the most sought-after Italian jewels of the century. The best have set records at major auction houses; we will not quote figures, because they vary so much by piece and condition.

The modern Serpenti: 2010s onward

The current Serpenti line includes Serpenti Tubogas watches, Serpenti Viper rings and bracelets built from repeated scale shapes, and Serpenti Seduttori watches. They are well made, heavily marketed and plentiful. They are not vintage, and pre-owned examples are priced against the current retail list.

What is Tubogas, and how is it made?

Tubogas is a flexible band made by winding strips of gold, sometimes with steel or other metals, tightly around a core without soldering the coils together. The name comes from the flexible gas pipes it resembles, and Bulgari used it for bracelets, necklaces and watch bands from the 1940s onward.

The technique was not invented by Bulgari, and other Italian and French makers used similar coiled constructions in the first half of the twentieth century. What Bulgari did was make it its own, perfecting a band that is smooth, springy and tight, and building a whole family of Serpenti, Tubogas and Monete designs around it.

For buyers, Tubogas has one practical implication: it is hard to repair. A crushed, stretched or split coil cannot simply be soldered, and restoration is specialist work. Check the whole length for dents, flattened sections, gaps between coils and loss of spring before you pay.

Why is the Serpenti associated with Elizabeth Taylor?

Elizabeth Taylor was photographed wearing a Bulgari Serpenti bracelet-watch in Rome in the early 1960s, during the filming of Cleopatra, and she became one of the house's most famous clients. Her Bulgari jewels, many of them gifts from Richard Burton, are among the best-documented celebrity collections of the century.

The Taylor connection mattered because it tied the snake to Cleopatra, Rome and a very public romance at the moment Bulgari was becoming internationally known. The house has leaned on it ever since. It is worth separating the story from the object, though. A Serpenti does not become more valuable by being "the kind Elizabeth Taylor wore" unless it is the actual piece, with provenance to prove it.

What are Bulgari Monete jewels?

Monete, Italian for "coins", are Bulgari jewels set with genuine ancient coins, usually Greek or Roman, mounted in heavy yellow gold frames on necklaces, pendants, bracelets and rings. The line was developed from the 1960s and is closely tied to the Roman identity of the house.

The coins are real, and the frames are often engraved with details of the coin's origin. That creates two questions a buyer should always ask. First, is the coin original to the piece, or has it been replaced? Second, is the frame by Bulgari at all? Coin jewelry in the Bulgari manner was widely copied, and a genuine ancient coin in an unsigned or later frame is a different object at a very different price. Monete pieces often combine Tubogas chains with coin pendants, which gives another point to check.

How are Bulgari pieces signed and marked?

Bulgari pieces are usually signed "BVLGARI" in Roman capitals, together with a metal fineness mark such as "750" for 18 carat gold and, on Italian-made work, an Italian registration mark. Modern pieces add serial numbers and "Made in Italy". The details depend on era, market and object.

What to look for

• The signature. "BVLGARI" stamped or engraved, crisp and evenly spaced. The letterforms should be consistent with Bulgari's classical capitals. Older pieces can differ in form and placement, and pieces sold abroad sometimes carry additional retail marks.
• The fineness mark. "750" for 18 carat gold is standard on Italian work. Our guide to what 375, 585, 750 and 916 mean on gold explains the numbers.
• The Italian registration mark. Italian precious-metal work carries a maker's registration mark: a star, a number and a province abbreviation, for example "RM" for Rome. It identifies the registered workshop, which may be Bulgari's own or a supplier.
• Serial and reference numbers. Modern jewelry and all watches carry numbers. As with every house, the number is useful when Bulgari checks it; copied numbers are routine on fakes.

For a wider grounding in reading marks, our guide on how to read a hallmark covers national systems and what they can and cannot tell you.

What Bulgari is worth buying pre-owned?

The best pre-owned Bulgari buys are signed Tubogas and yellow-gold pieces from the 1970s to 1990s, vintage Serpenti and Monete with solid documentation, and later pieces bought at a sensible discount to retail. The worst buys are later production priced as vintage and anything whose signature or construction does not add up.

• Vintage Serpenti watches: collecting at the top end. Buy only with specialist inspection, service history and ideally house or auction documentation. Check each scale, the enamel and the watch movement separately.
• Tubogas bracelets and necklaces: wearable and characteristic. Condition of the coil is everything.
• Monete: satisfying to own if the coin and frame are right. Confirm both.
• 1970s and 1980s gold: cabochon-set rings, chains and sautoirs in the heavy Roman style, often good value compared with modern equivalents. The same era of Italian signed gold produced the pieces in our guide to vintage Gucci jewelry.
• B.zero1 and modern Serpenti: legitimate pre-owned buys at the right price. They are not investments, and they are the most counterfeited Bulgari designs.

This period of big, bold gold overlaps with what we cover in our guide to Retro jewelry of the 1940s, which is where the taste for volume and yellow gold began.

How do you spot a fake Bulgari Serpenti?

Fake Serpenti give themselves away through construction: scales that do not articulate smoothly, enamel that is painted rather than fired, a Tubogas coil that is loose or stiff, and marks that are soft, misspelled or inconsistent with the era. Final authentication belongs to Bulgari or a qualified specialist handling the piece.

1. Handle it. A genuine Serpenti wraps smoothly and returns to shape. Stiffness, gaps and catching between scales are warnings.
2. Check the finish on the inside. Genuine pieces are finished inside and out. Rough edges, porosity and visible casting marks on the underside are not Bulgari.
3. Look at the enamel. Fired enamel is glassy and hard. Soft, rubbery or chipped paint-like colour suggests a later imitation or a repair.
4. Read every mark. "BVLGARI" spelled correctly, a fineness mark, and where expected an Italian registration mark. Marks that look added, uneven or fresher than the surrounding wear need an explanation.
5. Weigh it. Solid 18 carat Tubogas and Serpenti pieces are heavy. Plated or hollow imitations are light. Weight alone does not prove anything, since some fakes are made in real gold.
6. Check the watch separately. On Serpenti watches the case, dial and movement should all be correct for the reference and era. Replacement dials and movements are common.
7. Verify the paperwork. Boxes and certificates are reproduced. Only documents that match the piece's numbers, or house service records, add weight. If you are buying remotely, our advice on buying antique jewelry online safely covers returns, photographs and questions to ask first.

The same logic applies to other house icons; compare our guides to Cartier Love bracelet serials and fakes and vintage Cartier beyond the Love bracelet for how the tells change from house to house.

Is Bulgari jewelry a good investment?

Most Bulgari jewelry is not an investment. Rare vintage Serpenti, important coloured-stone jewels and pieces with celebrity provenance have performed well at auction, but ordinary production pieces generally resell below retail.

Signed Bulgari is liquid by the standards of jewelry: there is always a buyer. The price that buyer will pay depends on condition, papers, current retail pricing and fashion. Enjoy it, wear it, buy it at a fair price, and treat any gain as a bonus. Our honest assessment of antique jewelry as an investment sets out the general rules.

Questions people actually ask

When did Bulgari start making the Serpenti?

Bulgari made its first snake bracelet-watches in the 1940s, built on flexible Tubogas coils. The realistic, scale-by-scale Serpenti with enamel or gem-set scales and a hinged head over the dial followed in the 1960s and 1970s. The current Serpenti collection, relaunched in the 2010s, covers jewelry, watches and accessories and is the version most often seen pre-owned.

Why does Bulgari spell its name with a V?

Bulgari writes its name BVLGARI because classical Latin inscriptions used the letter V where modern Italian uses U. It is a deliberate reference to ancient Rome, the city where the house was founded in 1884 and on which it has built its identity. In ordinary text the name is usually written Bulgari.

What does Tubogas mean?

Tubogas refers to a flexible band made by winding strips of gold tightly around a core without soldering the coils together. The name comes from the flexible gas pipes it resembles. Bulgari used it from the 1940s for bracelets, necklaces and watch bands, and it became a house signature. Damaged Tubogas is difficult to repair, so check condition carefully.

Did Elizabeth Taylor wear a Bulgari Serpenti?

Yes. Elizabeth Taylor was photographed wearing a Bulgari Serpenti bracelet-watch in Rome in the early 1960s, during the filming of Cleopatra. She became one of Bulgari's best-known clients, and many of her Bulgari jewels were gifts from Richard Burton. The association helped make the Serpenti famous, but it adds value only to pieces with documented Taylor provenance.

How can I tell if my Bulgari is real?

Check the construction first: smooth articulation, a tight and springy Tubogas coil, fired enamel and a clean finish on the inside. Then check the marks: BVLGARI spelled correctly, a fineness mark such as 750 and, on Italian work, a registration mark. Weight helps but proves nothing alone. Final authentication belongs to Bulgari or a qualified specialist who handles the piece.

Are Bulgari Monete coins real?

Genuine Bulgari Monete jewels are set with real ancient coins, usually Greek or Roman, in gold frames. The questions to ask are whether the coin is original to the piece and whether the frame is really Bulgari, since coin jewelry in the Bulgari manner was widely made by others. A real coin in a later or unsigned frame is worth far less.

We handle signed Italian gold regularly, and you can see current pieces in our signed designer jewelry collection or our bracelets, and read more across our designer jewelry guides. If you are looking for a particular Serpenti, a Tubogas in a specific length or a Monete with the right coin, tell us what you are after. Our sourcing service finds it, inspects it and tells you plainly what it is.