Marina B Jewelry
Marina B Jewelry
Born a Bulgari. Couldn't use the name. So she signed her work with a first name and an initial — and the eighties never looked the same.
Founded by Marina Bulgari
A Bulgari who went her own way.
Marina Bulgari was born in 1930, the granddaughter of Sotirio Bulgari, the man who founded the Roman house. She grew up between Rome, Athens and Corfu. When her father Costantino died in 1973, she stepped into his place at the family firm. It didn't last. Family differences pushed her out entirely by 1976.
Two years later she launched her own line, first under the name Crisart. In 1979 it became Marina B — her first name, her initial, and nothing more. She couldn't trade on the family surname. She didn't need to.
What she made instead was some of the most recognizable jewelry of the 1980s. Heavy, rounded 18k gold. Cabochons in saturated color. Black gold, which she turned into a signature when almost nobody else was using it. And a stone shape of her own — the chestnut, somewhere between a pear and a triangle — that turns up again and again across her work. If you know Bvlgari from the same era, you'll feel the family resemblance. Then you'll notice how much softer and stranger Marina's pieces are.
The house still operates today, under creative director Guy Bedarida. Vintage pieces from the founder's own decades remain the ones collectors chase.
What to look for.
A handful of designs define the house. Each one shows up in the inventory above when a piece comes through.
The wave
One of her earliest designs. A gold band that rolls instead of sitting flat, often lined with diamonds along the crest. Wears like a sculpture on the finger.
The bead, turned inside out
First made in 1978. She took the drilled hole at the center of a bead — the "bellybutton," she called it — and set a cabochon right into it. Earrings, mostly. Instantly hers.
Beads on a gimbal
Polished hardstone and gem beads held in gold mounts that move with the wrist. Carnelian, jade, onyx, chalcedony — color is the whole point.
Her own stone shape
Rounded, a little flirtatious, part pear and part triangle. Spot it once and you'll start finding it everywhere in her pieces — earrings, pendants, rings.
Every piece, fully authenticated.
Inspected piece by piece
Construction, stone setting, clasp and hinge function — each Marina B piece is checked by hand before it's listed. Nothing goes up sight unseen.
Condition, stated plainly
Vintage gold shows wear. When a piece has it, we say so — in the listing, before you buy.
Money-back guarantee
If a piece differs from its description, send it back for a full refund. No fine print.
Specialist support
Fifteen-plus years handling signed jewelry. Ask about sizing, fit or how a clip-on earring sits — you'll get a straight answer from a person.
About Marina B.
Is Marina B related to Bvlgari?
Yes — by blood, not by business. Marina Bulgari was the granddaughter of Sotirio Bulgari, who founded the Roman jeweler. She worked at the family firm until 1976, then left and started her own house in 1978. The two companies are separate.
Why is it called Marina B?
She wasn't able to use the Bulgari name for her own company. The line launched as Crisart in 1978 and was renamed Marina B the following year — her first name and the first letter of her surname.
What is Marina B known for?
Bold, rounded 18k gold, colorful cabochons, black gold, and a signature chestnut-shaped stone cut. The Onda, Pneu and Cardan designs are the most recognizable.
Is Marina B still in business?
It is. The house continues under creative director Guy Bedarida. Vintage pieces from the 1980s and '90s, made during the founder's own tenure, are generally the most sought after.
Are Marina B earrings clip-on?
Many vintage pairs are. Clip-backs were standard for statement earrings of the period, and a lot of Marina B designs were built around them. Check the individual listing for the back on any pair.
Does Opulent Jewelers sell new Marina B?
No. Every piece here is pre-owned, authenticated and inspected before listing, and covered by our money-back guarantee.