Among the hundreds of archive Cartier pieces to be exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum this spring is an extraordinary 22-inch articulated snake necklace embellished with more than 178 carats of diamonds, its belly painted with green, black and red enamel.
It was commissioned by Mexican actress Maria Felix, whose jewellery box was alive with serpents. And as we ring in the Chinese Year of the Snake, the reptiles are once again at the top of designers’ mood boards.
Snakes have appeared in jewellery since time immemorial. ‘The serpent has appeared in every culture, civilisation and religion, carrying with it rich yet ambiguous symbolism’, writes jewellery historian Carol Woolton in the book If Jewels Could Talk.
Abundant symbolism
Beauty, seduction, power, fear wisdom, eternity, healing, renewal: the symbolism of the serpent is abundant, and its sinuous form lends itself to jewels that trace the contours of the body.
The Victorians loved to express themselves via jewellery, and snakes represented everlasting love, epitomised by Queen Victoria’s serpentine engagement ring. Jewellers Jessica McCormack and Anita Ko have both modernised the style, adorning the heads of their streamlined serpents with diamonds and emeralds.
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Bulgari’s signature Serpenti, which first appeared as a watch in the 1940s, was catapulted into the limelight in 1962 when Elizabeth Taylor wore a gold and diamond version while filming Cleopatra.
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From that moment, the image of the snake rose to new heights of desirability, writes Woolton. As a symbol of sensuality and seduction, the serpent was in tune with the female emancipation of the Swinging Sixties. In 1968 fashion editor Diana Vreeland wrote a memo to Vogue staff reminding them that the serpent was the ‘motif of the hour’, and should be featured on every finger and wrist.
Bulgari is ringing in 2025 with special-edition Serpentis that coil around the fingers, their scales replaced by emeralds, rubies and sapphires.
Danish jeweller Ole Lynggaard’s snakes slither seductively around the fingers, wrists and earlobes, occasionally seizing a colourful cabochon gemstone like precious prey. The jeweller was said to be captivated by the serpents he encountered in Cairo, immortalising their sinuous forms into a jewel for his wife.
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Boucheron’s Serpent Bohème collection also has its roots in a marital gift. In 1888, on the eve of a long journey, founder Frédéric Boucheron gave his wife a snake collar as a symbol of protection and love. That design inspired a collection of discreetly scaly pieces, which launched in 1968.
In the 1970s, Elsa Peretti was inspired by the rattle of a rattlesnake she had been given as a good-luck charm for her gothic-tinged designs for Tiffany & Co. The house is celebrating the Year of the Snake with new pieces inspired by Peretti’s originals.
[See also: Where to buy bespoke engagement rings in London]
For Lebanese jeweller Selim Mouzannar, snakes represent resurrection and procreation. His Basilik collection was named after a mythical serpent king famed for its lethal gaze. The fluid, flexible Basilik chain necklace is handmade in his Beirut workshop, set with more than 18 carats of diamonds and finished with piercing blue-sapphire eyes. I want the wearer to feel its strength, passion and wisdom,’ says Mouzannar.
In Greek mythology, snakes represent the beginning of life. They have been inspirational for contemporary Greek jewellers, including Ileana Makri and Lito. ‘I always loved the movement of snakes, the texture of their skin, the way they wrap themselves around your hand; I find it so sensual and warm,’ says Lito Karakostanoglou.
‘Snakes are also about rebirth, the way they change their skins. Snake jewellery is here to remind us that we are changing all the time, we can be whoever we want to be.’
There could be no better sentiment to mark the beginning of a new year.
This feature first appeared in Spear’s Magazine Issue 94. Click here to subscribe
