October Jewel of the Month

Designed by revered Italian jeweller Fulco di Verdura in the late 1960s/early 1970s, the bib-style necklace has an openwork design formed of 18ct yellow gold twisted rope work loop motifs each suspending either a single or double rope knot set to the end with a round brilliant cut diamond.

Fulco di Verdura was a protégé of Coco Chanel and boasted a list of admirers that ranged from leading actresses such as Greta Garbo and Katherine Hepburn to aristocrats and royalty, including the Duchess of Windsor and Countess Mona von Bismarck.

Verdura grew up in Sicily and spent carefree summers at the beach where he would watch the fishermen sat mending their nets. He recalls many wonderful details of this time in his fascinating and highly enjoyable memoir ‘The Happy Summer Days’. Throughout his career as a designer, he found inspiration in the natural world, including the seaside, and these references appear regularly in his jewels. Pearls, shell shapes, actual seashells and rope-like textures and motifs are all evidenced in his work. Former VOGUE editor Babs Simpson said: “Fulco’s references to nature …. keep his work classic. But without question he was a revolutionary, the one who changed everything. Fulco made it all modern.”

Guy Burton, Director, Hancocks London, adds: “Few jewellers of the 20th Century could be seen as embodying the vibrant and glamorous lifestyle of the jet set in the way that Fulco di Verdura did. His jewellery was never produced on a large scale, most pieces were commissions for specific clients and he readily embraced the notion of bespoke, personal designs made to flatter the wearer.

“This lovely necklace, with its nautically themed name, has the casual chic air of the French Riviera where Verdura had spent time during his years living in France in the 1920s and 30s. Whether it is paired with a white t-shirt and jeans, a stylish shirt or an elegant summer dress, it will definitely add a touch of Fulco magic.”