The name of this international jewellery house hints at the stories behind its jewels, jewels that bear a richness of colour and shapes to rival the jewels of Bulgari (the “B” of Marina B), but with the characteristic stone cut and jewellery techniques that make Marina’s jewels unique.
Marina Bulgari was born in 1930 into a family already highly successful in the world of fine jewellery. Her grandfather’s eponymous Roman jewellery house was a way of life for Marina, whose father, Constantino, took the company’s lead two years after Marina was born. At school, Marina excelled in her study of art and maths, subjects that helped hone her design skills and developed her eye for symmetry and form; she quickly became the next member of the jewellery dynasty.
In 1976, and by now an integral part of the Bulgari jewellery house, Marina made the significant decision to break away from the family business to pursue her own career in the industry. She used her knowledge of gems and precious metals and drew on her deep-rooted fervour for jewellery and the way it can complement and transform the wearer to design jewels that were an instant success with the highest women of society and Hollywood. From Princess Grace of Monaco to Sophia Loren, Marina B clients were enticed by the rich colour combinations and the warmth of the yellow gold and rounded shapes of the house’s jewels.
In Marina B jewels, look out for the “Chestnut” – a rounded shape between a triangle and a pear – in both her gemstone cuts and gold forms. The most recognisable of her cleverly engineered sprung chokers and bangles feature interlocking rows of ‘Chestnuts’ that complement the curves of the neck and wrist. The house is now led by creative director Guy Bedarida, who remains faithful to the signature shapes of Marina B jewels, whilst adding his own twist.