Torque jewellery refined, from Cartier to Hong Kong’s Chantel Shafie

Some of the most recognisable torque motifs in high jewellery include Cartier’s Juste un Clou (meaning “just a nail”), envisioned as a nail bent into pieces of jewellery; Graff’s Laurence Graff Signature diamond bangles; and Tiffany & Co.’s T by Tiffany collection, with pieces finished with a “T” at each end.

While the style has been around for a long time, there’s a renewed focus on the form, says Chantel Shafie, founder of Hong Kong-based Chantel Shafie Jewellery. In April, the fine jewellery brand launched the Ravello Collection, which features earrings, necklaces, a ring, a bangle and – at the heart of it all – a torque collar that can be worn open or closed, with a spectacular five-carat emerald-cut diamond that can be detached and worn on a ring or bangle. “[The torque] is being reinterpreted in a more sculptural and refined way,” Shafie explains. “Clients are responding to pieces that feel complete in themselves rather than layered or overly decorative.”

Torque styles can feel more refined and contemporary, and that comes down to proportion and line, she notes. “A torque has a continuous curve and an open form that creates a natural sense of balance. It’s designed as a stand-alone piece – clean and minimal – rather than something to layer.”

In the Ravello collection, a graduated pavé – where the pavé-set stones subtly shift in size and density – creates a sense of movement, drawing the eye along the curve. The pavé is more concentrated at the ends, tapering into a fine line to trace the piece’s length. The removable central diamond in the torque collar requires a very precise hand-forged mechanism developed in Shafie’s Hong Kong atelier to be both secure and easy to wear, she says. “Versatility has always been important in my designs, and being able to wear a five-carat stone in different ways makes it far more usable.”

For Anastasia Gardner, founder of Hong Kong-based Valentina Fine Jewellery, torque bracelets are “about tension and restraint”, she says. “It’s not a closed circle; it has a deliberate opening, which creates both ease of wear and a certain quiet confidence in the design.” It’s never overly engineered or bulky, she adds. “The line is clean, the gold has weight, and the ends, whether set with diamonds or [other] gemstones, feel considered rather than decorative. It’s a balance between structure and softness, which is what makes it so wearable.”