Pink quartz bead (one of a pair)

Born into the Bulgari family, owners of a jewelry business in Rome that dates back to 1884, Marina Bulgari left her family firm to found her own independent jewelry house, Marina B, in 1976. Marina B designed the Pneus earrings, inspired by the tires of an airplane in the late 1980s and they are still produced. After a period of minimalism in jewelry design, during the 1980s jewelry designs were unapologetically luxurious and embraced boldness in both color and scale. This vintage pair of earrings feature three swap-able stone sets – purple amethyst, orange quartz, and pink quartz – and can be made to look like three different pairs of earrings by changing the dangling bead. This signature design by the Italian jewelry house is the first example by Marina B to enter the MFA collection and adds to the collection of iconic twentieth-century designs by important females. The design is a favorite of prominent clients like Elizabeth Taylor and its popularity continues today.