Jewellery: Hearts
I have few jewellery proscriptions: you do you, adorned. But if I'm allowed a moment of candour, there are a few themes I find tricky for women in the Passage— and one is hearts.
Big, D-flawless Harry Winston diamond heart-shaped studs, maybe. But not these pieces:
Left: Jewlr nameplate necklace with two hearts: a head-scratcher. Ashley loves Ashley? I dislike nameplate jewellery anyway and this achieves an even more inauspicious level.
Top right: Tiffany Heart Tag with Key pendant: The nadir for this house, mixing brand broadcasting with cutesy.
Bottom right: Pandora "Moments" Heart bracelet: twee, boring— a terrible use of jewellery money.
Behind every piece of heart jewellery is a declaration: somebody loves me! Or you love life... or maybe you're a cardiologist. However, it would be heartless to say no to all expressions of love and affection, especially on Valentine's Day. Hearts are also one of our oldest symbols; for a summary, read "A Brief History of Heart Jewelery" from TrueBijoux.
A more subtle heart suggests a journey—just like in real life. These illustrate the kind of heart-themed pieces I prefer.
Left: Vintage Georg Jensen Henning Koppel large heart pendant #152: the symbol is an open heart; from Etsy seller MCMHome. I'm wearing mine today.
Top right: Victorian (hallmarked 1898) heart pendant, 9kt gold with seed pearls and turquoise. I turn around completely for Victorian pieces with gorgeous patina. From Etsy seller OpulentAntiques.
Bottom right: Tiffany Elsa Peretti Knotted Heart silver cuff: a barely-discernible heart motif. Tiffany redeems itself here.
I surprised myself by avid interest in a pair of Gucci silver and black mother of pearl earrings, sold at Selfridges. There's a vibe that's not identifiably Gucci; the house is usually Double-G glam. These are tailored and chic, no logo in sight. I would definitely pay the brand tax.
This brooch deserves its own window! Because the Zoom era has highlighted earrings, vintage brooches and pins are overlooked treasures, often much better-priced than other types of jewellery.
Christian Lacroix vintage resin branches heart brooch, on First Dibs.
I realized, it's not hearts that I avoid, it's the bland, brainless ones. Putting paid to my unilateral dislike are Hermès' "As de Coeur" earrings, shown in lime—a pair of aces are always good cards to hold!
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| Photo: Hermès.com |
Happy Valentine's Day! No longer limited to gifts of heart-shaped boxes of chocolate or slogan-printed candy hearts, the day nonetheless reminds us to celebrate love in any form, any time.
You know, "What the world needs now..."; thank you, Hal David (1921-2012) and Burt Bacharach (1928-2023).
Comments
I admire your writing style so much as well as your depth of knowledge about jewelry. Thank you for sharing your expertise with us.
Crochet Maniac: A heart is brimming with sentiment when it's a family heirloom. How lucky you are that it survived all these years!
Lily: Do you mean you used the actual piece that belonged to your mother? A lovely repurposing.There are jewellers who specializes in pieces made from old silver (sterling and plate), one is here: https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/ChandysCreations?ref=shop_sugg_market