Snake it up
Some of the most enduring motifs in jewelry design are the most striking as well, and the serpentine coils of snake jewelry keep making a comeback.
The snake can have many personalities. The rock ’n’ roll crowd has paraded it as a symbol of defiance and an indicator of street smarts. Britain’s Queen Victoria accepted an engagement ring from Prince Albert in the shape of a serpent with an emerald on its head, sparking a boom in the popularity of snake jewelry in Victorian England.
The ancient Egyptians, who revered the snake as a deity and used it to symbolize sovereignty, were naturally keen on jewels that mimicked its form. It was these early adopters who were responsible for the Ouroboros — a still-popular design that depicts a snake devouring its own tail, representing eternity. Bulgari, the favorite jewelry brand of our 20th century Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor, has kept the motif alive in its evergreen Serpenti collection.
Today, the snake is finding new fans who view it as an emblem of fertility and creative life force. Designers such as Elie Top are devoting collection space to diamond-scaled serpents, and antique dealers are stocking up on rings, pendants and stickpins with this motif, curating hoards that transcend centuries.
The snake jewel’s latest rebirth could well be due to an increased affinity for spirituality and talismans. It could also tie into the jewelry community’s renewed enthusiasm for Egyptology. Either way, this is an eternally alluring trend that simply sheds its skin and starts afresh when the time is right — and that time is now.
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