Maria Rosa Franzin was born in Tripoli, Libya, in 1951. After moving with her family to Padua in 1961, she attended the State Institute of Art Pietro Selvatico from 1967 to 1970. There, under the guidance of Mario Pinton, Francesco Pavan, and Giampaolo Babetto, she graduated in the Art of Metals and Goldsmithing. From 1970 to 1974, she continued her studies in painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Venice.

For more than fifteen years, Franzin expressed herself through painting, participating in numerous international art exhibitions. In 1986, she returned to the Pietro Selvatico Institute as a teacher of Drawing and Goldsmith Design. This marked a decisive turning point in her career, as she discovered a new expressive dimension in jewelry.

The years devoted to painting continue to influence her work, visible in the painterly quality of her jewelry — where goldsmithing precision merges with expressive depth. Her pieces are characterized by dramatic chiaroscuro and striking color contrasts, achieved through techniques such as oxidation, niello, resins, and pure gold brushstrokes. Alongside traditional goldsmithing methods, Franzin also incorporates unconventional materials such as boxwood, pigments, and methacrylate, creating jewelry that bridges the worlds of fine art and craftsmanship.