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HOT TREND NOW: THE SNAKE AGAIN MAKES JEWELRY HISS-TORY | February 19, 2013 (0 comments)
Merrick, NY—Whether intentional or coincidental, snakeskin and snake prints are a central fashion trend for spring/summer 2013—the Year of the Snake, according to the Chinese calendar. At left, Antonini's serpent ring features 18k white gold and black rhodium, with 3.57 cts. of emerald, 0.84 ctw of pave emeralds, and 4.07 ctw of diamond, suggested retail, $42,300.
Jewelers have long been fascinated with snakes. Italian jewelry house Bvlgari is renowned for its Serpenti Collection, and is hosting a retrospective of its bejeweled snakes in its Fifth Avenue flagship boutique in New York. The exhibition opened February 10 and runs through March 6. Snakes also are the central focus of its current advertising campaign shot by Annie Liebowitz and featuring actress Rachel Weisz, and a new book on the Serpenti Collection, authored by jewelry historian Marion Fasel, is due out in March as well.
Left, an 18k white gold and diamond bracelet from the Serpenti Collection; right, Bvlgari's recent ad campaign for the jewelry, featuring actress Rachel Weisz.
But Bvlgari is far from the only jeweler enchanted with serpents. Buccellati, Boucheron, and Cartier all have serpents to their credit (especially Boucheron), as does Oscar Heyman, which has several notable snakes in its archives. Last year, the jewelry museum in Pforzheim, Germany, hosted an exhibition of the snake in jewelry around the world.
Left, a ruby and gold ring by Buccellati; right, a Boucheron python ring with a 15.64 carat aquamarine and 340 rubies set into blackened gold, with emerald eyes. Both photos, Jewelsdujour.com. Below left, a diamond, platinum, gold, emerald, sapphire, and diamond snake brooch by Oscar Heyman; below, right, an Oscar Heyman platinum snake bracelet with diamonds, emeralds, and a 4.38 ct. fancy yellow diamond head.
Though the snake has much to answer for in Judeo-Christian tradition, it has positive associations in other cultures. It symbolized royalty and deity in ancient Egypt, and the wearing of jeweled snakes dates back to that time, with of course the famous images of Cleopatra in her snake jewelry. Over history, it also has been representative of infinity, power, sexuality, wisdom, healing, wealth, and rebirth.
The serpent as a jewelry motif rose to popularity in Victorian times. According to Monica Clare McLaughlin, an antique jewelry blogger for The Hairpin.com, Queen Victoria’s own engagement ring from Prince Albert—which he designed—was a snake with an emerald (her birthstone) set in its head; to her, it was an emblem of eternal love. Because her taste was hugely influential on popular culture of the time, snakes suddenly appeared everywhere in jewelry: rings, bracelets, necklaces, engraved designs on lockets, and so forth, peaking between the 1840s and 1860s, and still hugely collectible today. The snake’s popularity dwindled a bit after the Victoria era, but enjoyed a resurgence during the Art Nouveau period, both as part of the movement’s greater trend toward nature themes, and because its sinuous lines worked perfectly with Art Nouveau style, says McLaughlin.
Snakes again appear frequently in mid-20th century jewelry design, such as this Cartier Paris necklace, c.1968, in platinum, white gold and yellow gold, with 178.21 ctw of diamonds, two pear-shaped emerald eyes, and green, red, and black enamel. Photo by Nick Welsh from Cartier: The Power of Style (Paris: Flammarion, 2010).
Below are some 21st century interpretations of the snake trend, now that the Year of the Snake has officially begun:
Left: Emily Armenta's "Old World" 18k yellow gold and “midnight” oxidized sterling silver elongated septor earrings have white diamonds, white sapphires, and blue sapphires. Diamonds, 0.72 ctw, sapphires, 0.42 ctw. Suggested retail, $3,970. Right: Swiss designer Lucie Heskett-Brem creates hand-woven 20k gold snakes into necklaces (shown) and belts.
Above left: Roberto Coin's cobra necklace with black and white diamonds and green garnets, left. A similar bracelet won a Centurion Design Award in the diamond fashion category. Above right, the designer also makes more casual, affordable snakes, such as this 18k gold and amethyst bracelet. Below, snakes are trending in palladium jewelry, too. Left, a ring by Green Lake features Nouveau-inspired mermaid snakes holding a 30 ct. electric purple amethyst with a cabochon top and .05ctw diamond melee; right, a pendant by Dennis DeJonghe features a serpent wrapped around black onyx drusy.
Finally, fashionable ophidiophobes for whom a jeweled snake evokes more “eek” than “ooh” may prefer to tap into the trend with a snakeskin or snake print watchstrap instead of the more literal interpretation:
Left, from Philip Stein's Prestige Timepiece collection, this watch features a steel case, infinite "Platinum Diamond" dial, and interchangeable python glamour silver strap. Suggested retail for complete watch as shown, $2,525. Right, Michele's Deco Diamond watch with fashion leather snake strap. Suggested retail, $1,545.