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Pieces of the Week: A Tribute to Marina B
We remember the late Marina Bulgari through her best work, from timeless tubogas to a museum-worthy emerald collar.
From unique gemstone cuts to this emerald and diamond collar “fit for a museum,” here are some of the best creations from the late Marina Bulgari, better known as Marina B. (Photo courtesy of Windsor Jewelers)
We interrupt our regularly scheduled “Piece of the Week” to bring you this multi-piece tribute to Marina Bulgari, the influential jewelry designer who died last month at age 93.
Marina, born in July 1930, was the granddaughter of Bulgari founder and Greek silversmith Sotirios Voulgaris (Bulgari in Italian). Her father, Constantino Bulgari, was the eldest of Sotirios’ six children.
When Sotirios died in 1932, Constantino and Marina’s uncle, Giorgio Bulgari, took over the family business.
Jewelry—specifically Bulgari—art, and design were constants in Marina’s life while she was growing up in Rome.
She attended college in England and after graduation, returned to Italy and began contributing designs to the Bulgari studio.
Marina was a “vital asset” to the family business but decided to branch out on her own in 1976 with her own brand, Marina B.
She opened her first boutique in Geneva, Switzerland, and additional stores followed in Paris, Milan, and New York.
The brand became a celebrity staple in the ‘80s—Elizabeth Taylor wore Marina B, as did Sophia Loren—and is still popular today, a testament to Marina’s timeless touch.
Singer Alicia Keys sported a Marina B collar when she sang the national anthem at the 2013 Super Bowl, and other celebrities, including Beyoncé, Angela Bassett, Taylor Swift, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, have worn the brand in recent years.
Following Marina’s passing, I asked Windsor Jewelers CEO Paul Lubetsky, whose company retains a minority stake in Marina B, and one of the current stewards of the brand, Creative Director Guy Bedarida, to share their favorites from the Marina B archives.
Paul Lubetsky
Marina, born in July 1930, was the granddaughter of Bulgari founder and Greek silversmith Sotirios Voulgaris (Bulgari in Italian). Her father, Constantino Bulgari, was the eldest of Sotirios’ six children.
When Sotirios died in 1932, Constantino and Marina’s uncle, Giorgio Bulgari, took over the family business.
Jewelry—specifically Bulgari—art, and design were constants in Marina’s life while she was growing up in Rome.
She attended college in England and after graduation, returned to Italy and began contributing designs to the Bulgari studio.
Marina was a “vital asset” to the family business but decided to branch out on her own in 1976 with her own brand, Marina B.
She opened her first boutique in Geneva, Switzerland, and additional stores followed in Paris, Milan, and New York.
The brand became a celebrity staple in the ‘80s—Elizabeth Taylor wore Marina B, as did Sophia Loren—and is still popular today, a testament to Marina’s timeless touch.
Singer Alicia Keys sported a Marina B collar when she sang the national anthem at the 2013 Super Bowl, and other celebrities, including Beyoncé, Angela Bassett, Taylor Swift, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, have worn the brand in recent years.
Following Marina’s passing, I asked Windsor Jewelers CEO Paul Lubetsky, whose company retains a minority stake in Marina B, and one of the current stewards of the brand, Creative Director Guy Bedarida, to share their favorites from the Marina B archives.
Paul Lubetsky
Lubetsky shared this “impressive” earring and collar suite, which features black onyx, cabochon blue sapphires, and white diamonds in Marina’s invention and signature gemstone cut, the “Castagna.” (Photo courtesy of Windsor Jewelers)
Marina was known for her bold collars, but Lubetsky said this “spectacular” diamond and emerald example was her most impressive. “It’s truly a work of art fit for a museum,” he said. (Photo courtesy of Windsor Jewelers)
Marina’s innovations did not stop at gemstone cuts, Lubetsky said. She also had an engineering approach to design, with her “Cardan” collection featuring a joint-like mechanism inspired by her love of sailboat racing. Lubetsky noted that Marina remains the only female sailboat owner in history to win a world sailing championship; she secured the title in 1973 with her boat “Ydra” in Porto Cervo, Italy. This 18-karat gold Cardan necklace features pearl, citrine, and black jade. (Photo courtesy of Windsor Jewelers)
“I was fortunate to know Ms. Bulgari when I was CEO and owner of Marina B in 2010,” Lubetsky said.
“Her pioneering work on specialty cut gemstones and engineering innovations have left an undeniable mark on our industry, and she will be greatly missed.”
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“Her pioneering work on specialty cut gemstones and engineering innovations have left an undeniable mark on our industry, and she will be greatly missed.”
Guy Bedarida
Bedarida, who bought a majority stake in Marina B in 2017, highlighted the designs of five collections, “Onda,” “Trisola,” “Trisolina,” “Triangoli,” and “Triangolini.”
Pieces from the “Onda” collection. This was the first collection Marina introduced in 1978, and it is remarkable for its novel use of a spring as the core of a choker, Bedarida said. The undulating lines found in depictions of water in Japanese woodcuts inspired the designer. (Photo courtesy of Marina B)
Two Marina B “Trisola” cuffs. Trisola was Marina’s tubogas collection that Bedarida described as “magisterial in scale and sublimely simple in conception.” (Photo courtesy of Marina B)
The little sister to Trisola, “Trisolina” is more slender and lower profile than its big sister. In selecting Trisolina, Bedarida noted, “The best of Marina’s work often bore a certain relation to armor, enveloping its wearer in a shining carapace of glamour that emphasized the strength of those who wore it.” (Photo courtesy of Marina B)
The “Triangoli” collection was a collection of chance. Marina created it after coming across a stash of triangle-shaped diamonds that had been intended for use as engagement ring side stones but instead were gathering dust in an Antwerp diamond dealer’s office. Bedarida said the collection illustrates Marina’s ability to see jewelry from a different angle and to “elevate the previously pedestrian.” (Photo courtesy of Marina B)
“Triangolini” is Triangoli’s less flashy but still chic cousin. Bedarida said Marina created the line to be easier to wear during the day, with smaller triangles and fewer diamonds. (Photo courtesy of Marina B)
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