Crown jewels: Camilla Parker Bowles’ most stand-out jewellery pieces

Puissant’s creative juices started to flow, and with the help of jewellery designer René Sim Lacaze, she began the process of elevating the humble zip, using precious materials to catapult it into the rarefied arena of high jewellery.

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Although the initial inspiration might have come in an instant, the necklace was so technically difficult to create that it took over a decade to bring it to life. Part of the challenge lay in making each tooth of the zip completely functional, even when created from soft precious metals such as gold and platinum. This would enable it to be worn open as a necklace or closed as a bracelet, gifting the piece with a transformative functionality characteristic of Van Cleef & Arpels’ creations.

STYLE Edit: Van Cleef & Arpels’ new exhibition reveals the beauty of nature

Upon its debut in 1950, the necklace became an instant icon. Not only was it a wholly unique and imaginative creation, but it also exemplified Van Cleef & Arpels’ mastery of its craft. Since then, the maison has revisited the design a number of times, each undertaking just as striking as the last. Here is a creation that truly elevates the everyday and allows us to see how extraordinary beauty can result from an ordinary object.