How jewellery knots bring meaning as well as beauty: brands from Chanel and Dior to Tiffany & Co. are riffing on ancient ties that bind – so what do these traditional motifs say about you?
- Knots have figured in Celtic artwork, and Egyptian, Greek and Roman jewellery – today Tiffany & Co. is the modern-day champion with their trademark knot based on the chain-link fences of New York
- Boucheron, Boodles, Pomellato, Messika, Cicada and Graff all also offer contemporary takes on interwoven strands – so let’s untangle the twisted history of knots in high jewellery
A sentimental symbol that transcends time, knots have figured in Celtic artwork, and Egyptian, Greek and Roman jewellery. Much later, in the 19th century, sailors are said to have worn rope bracelets with love knots tied in them to continually remind them of their loved ones back home.
The interlacing of knotted rope or metal clearly brings to mind the intricacies of human emotion – more than ample inspiration for designers to work with when bringing this powerful symbol to shimmering life with precious twinkles. Consequently, decadent knots today feature in many brands’ fine and high jewellery offerings.
The unofficial champion of modern-day knots is surely Tiffany & Co. In the Tiffany Knot, the surprising object of adoration is the humble chain-link fence found in the streets of New York, with the brand transforming this familiar industrial shape into refined wearables where smooth organic forms contrast with jarring angles on bracelets, rings, necklaces, pendants and earrings. The signature motif is rendered simply in gold and also available in pavé diamond iterations.
One stand-out piece is the double-wrap choker, handset with over 300 diamonds, which pairs with double-wrap bracelets where the gold knot cleverly conceals the clasp.
However, the must-have is a platinum necklace with mixed-cut diamonds totalling more than 58 carats, its double strands looping around the neck into a loose toggle that begs to be worn.
Over at Boucheron, creative director Claire Choisne offers a masterclass in cool in the loosely draped, tie-inspired Fenêtre sur Ciel necklace with airbrushed mother-of-pearl mesh from the Contemplation collection. Then there’s the truly elemental Bois Brûlé Diamant necklace from the Carte Blanche: Ailleurs collection – a choker of burnt wood ornamented with pavé diamonds and finished with a diamond-covered knot.
Pomellato’s contemporary ode to knots is the Velvet Tie Chain necklace from its high jewellery collection entitled A Walk in Nature, from Sunrise to Darkness. Crafted in rose gold and set with white pavé diamonds, it takes the form of a loosely knotted cord finished with garnets for a crimson contrast. An evolution of the brand’s beloved mesh, the fluid chain with a white pavé diamond slider lets the necklace be worn as a tie knot, long sautoir or a body chain.