James Allen News Center

Luxury jeweler Bulgari is about to celebrate 125 years as one of the world`s most sought-after jewelry brands.  To commemorate the occasion, it is teaming up with an unlikely partner: the Poste Italiane, or Italy`s postal service.  Special edition stamps like these are very unusual, and this particular series features only two other celebrated Italian products—the Fiat 500 and the Lamborghini Miura.  This puts Bulgari—not surprisingly—in very good company.

The special edition stamp, worth 77 cents (or .60 Euros), features a 1965 yellow gold and platinum necklace encrusted with turquoise, amethysts, emeralds and, of course, diamonds.   This Friday, the Poste Italiane will issue 3.5 million such stamps.  Collectors can try to pick up these coveted items at post offices in Rome, Milan, Venice and Naples—the only cities in which they will be sold.  They can also be purchased online at poste.it.  Along with each purchase, this philatelists dream will include an article detailing the history of Bulgari, written by Bulgari Group chairman Paolo Bulgari.

Along with the stamp, Bulgari will be celebrating its anniversary with a retrospective called "Between Eternity and History", held on May 22 in Rome, with a celebration to immediately follow.  The firm will also showcase 15 new exclusive diamond jewelry designs and eight new timepieces worth approximately $3.9 million.  These will be auctioned off in New York in December, and all proceeds will go to charity.