Transformable jewels aren’t new. The first examples were supposedly made during the reign of King Louis XIV of France, when it was fashionable for women to wear modular parures that allowed them to add or remove individual elements to suit the occasion.
While they never waned in popularity, they are increasingly sought after today given the versatility of the multi-wear and multi-functional designs. Only the most prominent jewellery houses offer these designs, some of which remain the most inventive and technically complex jewellery ever created by these maisons.
One jeweller who has fully embraced the art of transformability is Van Cleef & Arpels, whose convertible Zip necklace remains a masterpiece of ingenuity. Today, the maison continues to produce remarkable pieces that can be worn in a variety of ways, such as the Helios transformable long necklace from its latest Sous Les Étoiles high jewellery collection.
Adorned with diamonds, cultured pearls and a sumptuous yellow sapphire from Sri Lanka weighing over 50 carats, it can be worn in numerous ways, even as a diadem.
Harry Winston’s Ultimate Emerald Signature high jewellery timepiece is a jewel that also tells time. The latest iterations are adorned with dazzling diamonds and vibrantly coloured blue sapphires or Paraíba coloured tourmalines.
Featuring a gem-set case with a cover that swivels to reveal a sparkling dial, it can be worn as a statement bracelet attached to a silk ribbon or satin strap. It can also be attached to a chain and worn as a necklace or pinned to a ball gown as the ultimate red-carpet jewel.
Piaget’s Extraordinary Lights necklace is a feat that demanded 450 hours of craftsmanship. Adorned with an 8.88-carat internally flawless yellow Fancy Vivid diamond, a pear-shaped Sri Lankan blue sapphire of 5.34 carats and pear-shaped Tanzanian red spinel of 3.61 carats, it can be worn in nine different ways.