Bvlgari is an Italian luxury goods house founded by Sotirios Voulgaris in 1884. The name of the company is derived from the founder's surname, and the letter "V" in the word is the Latin classic alphabet character for the letter "U", so the word is pronounced simply as if it were written "Bulgari".

The founder of the house, Sotirio Voulgaris, was originally from Greece, where he learned the jeweller's trade. He left his hometown in 1877 and went to Corfu, and later to Naples, before arriving in Rome in 1881. He started the Bvlgari company in 1884.

The company's flagship store was opened in 1905 with the help of his sons, in Via dei Condotti, and it quickly became successful and famous. The first international stores opened in 1970 in New York, Paris, Geneva and Monte Carlo. For many years, Bvlgari had their own outlets (showrooms) in the Pierre Hotel in New York, and now has nearly 300 stores worldwide.