It’s an empowering time to be a woman. Our voices are just a little louder on the international stage, and our independence is soaring with the rise of the girl boss, the mompreneur, the self-purchasing career woman. This may be why sales of bold, curb-link gold chains are on the up-and-up, suggests jewelry designer Marie Walshe.
“They offer an edgy, strong look, which I think is a symbol of how women are feeling currently,” says Walshe, the creative force behind ethical jewelry brand Sorrel Bay. Her new collection features hefty, textured Fairtrade gold chain-link designs with Canadian diamonds. “I have always felt that jewelry is very much like armor. It represents and defines you, so a strong, heavy chain feels symbolic of power. This has been the case in many forms throughout history.”
Chains made an appearance in The Riders of the Knight, a fine-jewelry collection Louis Vuitton released this summer. The inspiration behind the line was, in fact, medieval heroines, and the star item is the Royaume choker — an intimidatingly sized neckpiece inspired by a gorget, a piece of armor designed to protect the throat. Its lattice of blue sapphires and more than a thousand diamonds mimics the portcullis that would keep intruders from breaching ancient castles, and a white gold, diamond-set chain stretches around its circumference at the base.
His and hers
Just as Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director of watches and jewelry, uses chains to arm fierce women in this high-jewelry line, the brand’s Virgil Abloh has used it for the masculine lines he creates as men’s artistic director. Abloh gave the hefty curb-link chain — or Cuban chain, as it is also known — a Louis Vuitton makeover in his first show for the house, adding monograms, glittering stones and colorful enamel to the links.
Loren Teetelli, the artisan behind history-infused brand Loren Nicole, has observed this gender versatility as well. “I actually have one client who shares one of my chains with his wife, even though he has a bespoke chain,” says Teetelli, whose Los Angeles-based company uses ancient goldsmithing techniques to create its 22-karat jewels. “In the past, men were typically buying my chains for themselves, favoring the Roman-style link. In the past year, maybe a little less, there has been an increase in women purchasing chains.”
‘The bolder, the better’
For all the flair of the catwalks and the fripperies of fashion, gold chains are selling — despite a gold price that is cruising close to astronomical. At the JCK Las Vegas fair in June, Metal Marketplace International president Tony Acquaviva reported a strong increase in the sale of its heavier gold Cuban chains, both those with hollow links and the pricier solid options.
Sales are also up at Louisiana-based jewelry manufacturer Stuller. “Chain has seen significant growth month over month, and year to date is one of our top performing categories,” says Stuller fine-jewelry product manager Alisse Gregson. “Although our core and essential chains still carry the majority of our growth, we’ve seen an emergence of much larger, more non-traditional chain types. This especially includes the thicker, elongated link chains, which lend themselves as great layering pieces. The current trend we’re seeing is ‘the bolder, the better.’”
Layering of necklaces has become a huge trend in recent years, cementing the jeweler-client relationship with repeat purchases that have kept tills ringing. As we shift from the layering of minimal chains — or the “neck mess,” as Teetelli calls it — toward something a little more substantial, this trend seems unlikely to change, despite the jump in price bracket.
“Chains are definitely increasing in popularity,” says Arielle Madilian, marketing manager at Single Stone, which makes both plain and charm-carrying varieties. “Our clients love to layer up their charms and express themselves, or just wear several plain chains together, creating their own ‘neck stack.’ Having different chain options in their jewelry box allows them to personalize their jewelry collection on another level.... A great chain can change an entire outfit.”
Breaking the mold
Single Stone has been working with chains for more than 15 years, making the gold ones by hand and often throwing in unusual twists such as rectangular links or plaques set with vintage European- or old-mine-cut diamonds. As such, says Madilian, they have a heft that makes them stand out.
Indeed, making one’s product stand out is a particular challenge for purveyors of chain. For some brands, such as Single Stone and Loren Nicole, avoiding the machines and doing the work by hand is the answer.
“It is very uncommon to find someone that is able to make the chains that we offer, and even more rare to find someone that can do it well,” says Teetelli. “Fortunately, I have a gift for making chain, and that has allowed me to offer something you might not see outside of a museum or for sale at an auction house.”
For those without such gifts, there is the option of asking manufacturers for exclusive designs. “I have incorporated heavier curb and linked chains into my designs, while still trying to balance them with elements that make the aesthetic of each piece distinctly mine,” says designer Zoë Chicco, who uses prong-set, bezel-set and floating diamonds in her chains to give them a recognizable edge. “I’m also working with chains that are not as common or easily available, by sourcing directly through our chain dealer in Italy.”
From the Dolce Vita vibe of the 1970s through the exploding rap culture of the ’90s, gold chains’ prominence in jewelry culture has meant they’re never far from a shop window. But this season, their popularity is that much more notable.
Image: singlestone.comArticle from the Rapaport Magazine - November 2019. To subscribe click here.