A familiar object, read anew

Everyone around our client is hung with “nails”, “bolts” and other jewellery building materials, and she wanted something fresh, for every day.

We went looking for an object everyone knows but that rarely appears in jewellery. That is how the safety pin came in. It has a surprisingly rich biography. Grandmothers pinned it inside clothes against the evil eye. Punks in the seventies made it a symbol of protest. And in everyday life it saves torn-off buttons, holds straps and opens iPhones. A charm, a rebellion and a little household magic all at once.

Each link is made as a separate pin, with a recognisable head and a loop at the end. We “inflated” the shape slightly so the necklace looks soft and smooth and sits pleasantly on the neck. The pins are joined by small rings, so the necklace moves freely, doesn’t constrain and doesn’t flip over when worn. The result is a necklace that looks equally good with a white T-shirt and with an evening dress.