THE UTILITY OF
SUPERIOR CLIPS

This “Rose de Noël” brooch was made by artisans of Paris’s Place Vendôme, where the fiercely competitive atmosphere brought about this level of perfection. When the quality of the finished product is inferior, owners of the ateliers will mercilessly melt down the jewelry. The artisans, for their part, stake their reputations on the creation of fascinating jewelry. Wonderful jewelry of this level, with this kind of calculated yet simple design, could not be completed without such dedication. Just as athletes from around the world gather in one place every four years to compete in the Olympics, these artisans take their places in their workshops everyday, in a life-or-death battle to create this caliber of jewelry.

The clip shown on the top right considers ease of use and durability. It is lightweight, yet the connection between the body of the piece and the pin is solidly built. The key component to this clip is the crossbar that joins the two pins. A spring built into the crossbar controls the movement so that it operates smoothly and stops at 90 degrees. The pins are tempered, making them less likely to bend. The different lengths and spacing of the pins are carefully thought out to make the piece easier to put on and to stabilize it while being worn.

The center photograph shows the reverse side of the pavé-set diamond cosmos pendant from page 43. The clip mechanism is the same as the one above it, but the U-shaped wire seen in the far left is made to pass a chain through when the piece is worn as a pendant.

The brooch on the bottom is a style from roughly the year 1900. The spacing of the pins is closer, to match the long form of the piece. The two pins prevent the brooch from wobbling when it is worn on clothing, making the piece very wearable.