A pair of solid eighteen carat gold coin set clip earrings. This instantly recognisable pair of earrings were made by the one and only; Bulgari. These iconic Roman coin earrings form perhaps the most iconic collections of jewellery the luxury atelier produced; the Monete collection. It comprised of everything from rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and other smaller pieces.

The Bulgari Monete collection is one of the clearest expressions of the house’s relationship with Rome and the ancient world. Although Bulgari had occasionally incorporated coins into decorative objects as early as the 1930s, the collection as we recognise it today began in 1966. Nicola Bulgari, grandson of the house’s founder Sotirio Bulgari and an enthusiastic collector of ancient coins, championed the idea of setting genuine Greek and Roman coins into contemporary jewellery. It was also a natural connection to the Bulgari family’s Greek origins and to Rome, where the house had been established since 1884.

The idea itself was considerably older. Coins had been incorporated into jewellery during antiquity, particularly in the Roman world, where they could function as symbols of wealth, authority and identity. Bulgari revived this tradition but treated the coins as precious stones in their own right, referring to them as gemme nummarie, or “coin gems.” Rather than altering or restoring them, the house designed mounts that followed the individual contours of each coin, preserving its original surface, irregularities and centuries-old patina.

The earliest Monete jewels of 1966 used ancient Greek and Roman coins, frequently placing them within substantial polished gold settings and long chains. The contrast became an important part of the design: an ancient, darkened and imperfect surface surrounded by the unmistakable weight and finish of modern Bulgari gold. The coin was not simply decoration. It was the centre of the jewel. In this case the coins are Roman A.D 81-96.

Bulgari took the historical element unusually seriously. Early pieces were engraved with information identifying the ruler depicted on the coin, the dates of their reign and the type of coin used. This practice became a characteristic of the collection and gave the jewels an almost archaeological quality. A Monete necklace could therefore be both an important piece of jewellery and a small document of ancient history.

During the 1970s the collection expanded considerably. Coins from different countries and periods began appearing alongside the ancient Greek and Roman examples, including pieces from the Kingdom of Sicily and British coins. Bulgari produced increasingly elaborate sautoirs and necklaces, often combining several coins with substantial yellow or three-colour gold chains. Rings, bracelets, earrings, cufflinks, watches and decorative objects followed.

What makes Monete particularly important within Bulgari’s history is the way it brings together antiquity and modern Italian design without allowing one to overwhelm the other. A coin that had survived for perhaps two thousand years was left visibly ancient, while everything surrounding it was unmistakably contemporary Bulgari. The age, wear and patina of the coin became part of the beauty of the finished piece rather than something to disguise.

Monete has remained part of Bulgari’s vocabulary for more than half a century, appearing periodically in both jewellery and watches. It is one of the house’s most recognisable designs, but also one of its most intellectually interesting. Rather than merely taking inspiration from ancient Rome, Bulgari placed an actual surviving fragment of antiquity at the centre of the jewel, allowing history itself to become the precious material.

By the 1980s, when these earrings were produced, Bulgari had developed the Monete collection into some of its most recognisable and wearable forms, including substantial clip earrings. These pieces typically set an ancient coin within a bold yellow gold surround, allowing the irregular surface and natural patina of the coin to contrast with the highly polished gold for which Bulgari had become known.

The clip format was particularly suited to the strong proportions of Bulgari jewellery during the period. Designed to sit prominently on the ear rather than hang below it, Monete earrings have a sculptural quality that is unmistakably 1980s Bulgari. Their scale and weight give them presence, while the ancient coins ensure that no two pairs feel entirely identical.

As with the wider Monete collection, the coins were not treated simply as decorative motifs. Their age, wear and individual character were deliberately preserved. In a pair of 1980s Monete clip earrings, this creates the collection’s defining tension: an object from antiquity presented within a distinctly modern Italian jewel. They are at once archaeological and contemporary, and a particularly strong expression of Bulgari design from the period.

These earrings sit firmly in the lane of the marque's finest work. Beautifully made, easy to wear, dramatic without being impractical and comfortable for an occasion desired. The quality is exactly what this house built its name on, and a look that is both timeless and elegant. They are signed Bulgari with Italian hallmarks and registration marks, fitted with secure clip backs, and have an easy, generous presence on the lobe at an inch and a quarter in length.

Made in Italy, circa 1980's. They ship in a Bulgari earring box as pictured.