Inside deBoulle’s Dallas Holiday Party — Monogrammed Cowboy Hats, Emeralds, and Giorgio Bulgari
A Glamorous Fête With Western Flair
BY Melissa Smrekar // 12.24.24Olivia Shimkus, Blaine Gibke, Sheila and Sergio Manriquez (Photo by George Fiala)
I arrived before the friend I planned to meet at deBoulle for the luxury jeweler’s holiday party. It was a crisp December night, and the Preston Road store beamed, radiating warmth in its golden glow.
Inside, DJ RomiQ spun country tunes, and I indulged in a cranberry margarita. ‘Tis the season, after all. As I perused the shining cases of watches and baubles at deBoulle, I felt myself particularly drawn to some art-deco-meets-Palm-Beach pieces. A superb four-carat Columbian emerald cut emerald beckoned to me like a siren song.
“Would you like to try it on?” a voice with a European accent asked. I looked up and found a charismatic man in a cowboy hat, wearing a sheriff’s badge. Unbeknownst to me, the aforementioned sheriff was Giorgio Bulgari, the only son of the Italian jewelry magnate. Though his career path may have been predestined, Bulgari continues to carve his own identity, living in Geneva and creating bespoke jewelry for his own brand, Giorgio B.
(This wasn’t Bulgari’s first rodeo in the Big D, either. He visited Dallas in May when PaperCity‘s Billy Fong hosted an intimate luncheon with the designer, who showcased his Palma and Goccia collections.)

Near the entrance to the store, a dense lined form. For what, you ask? Topped Hats joined the party, fitting customers in cowboy hats in an array of colors. From there, customers brandished their hats with a monogram and the deBoulle logo. As it turns out, even the most discerning clients (with a penchant for best-in-class gemstones) simply cannot resist a party favor.
The party’s glamorous but distinctly Western flair felt festive, as guests donned their new cowboy hats while enjoying Southern bites from Tre Wilcox and a tequila tasting from INSÓLITO Tequila. deBoulle also launched the 10th anniversary issue of their magazine, featuring legendary supermodel (and deBoulle ambassador) Niki Taylor. (Be sure to check out the magazine. deBoulle visited a horse ranch with Andalusian stallions that inspired the entire issue. It’s gorgeous!)
The Dallas-based business (Denis & Karen Boulle started the business in 1983) certainly understands its hometown clientele, as Dallasites flocked to deBoulle to toast the epicenter of luxury jewelry in the Big D.
As for the emerald? I hope some lucky gal finds it under her Christmas tree this week.
PC Spotted: Ashley McCathern, Ralph Crosby, Anne and Bill Seanor, Brandon Lu, Foster Haynes, Charlotte Fitzpatrick, Caroline Andersen, Allison and Nick Boulle, Dan and Lauren Hunt, DeeDee Lee, Victoria and Gene Dixon, Jim Lee, Marlene and Dr. Richard Marks, Elias Gutierrez, and Bret Bello.