British Vogue - 09.2019

My charm

bracelet

began life as

a watch chain

belonging

to my great-

grandfather

small globe that opens and it has

pictures of my family members), and a

signet ring from my mother-in-law.

I think this chain with its charms

represents what a mother is: protection

and love. I always wear it, unless my

husband is travelling, in which case,

I give it to him for protection.

Margherita Cardelli

Co-founder of Giuliva Heritage

I have two simple necklaces that are

both very dear to me. As soon as I was

ready to leave home for college, my

mother gave them to me, and I’ve

worn them every day since. My mother

is innately glamorous, and when she

used to wear these necklaces, she

looked truly herself. The other thing I

love about these pieces is that they are

impossible to replicate. I feel special

when I wear them, and absolutely

connected to my mum. I have been

lucky to inherit lots of pieces from her,

but of course the most important thing

I was given is the recipe for strength

and smiles. It works.

Clare Waight Keller

Artistic director of Givenchy

Since I was very young, my mother has

always insisted on teaching us some of

the things she had been taught by her

own mother, such as sewing, knitting,

and how to prepare for things that

might seem like simple everyday tasks

but to which she has found the perfect

solution – for example, organising a

suitcase or preparing for school. She

also taught me to treasure the things

that you are given, or that you buy, and

to think carefully about how you look

after them. This is something that I

still do whenever I receive something.

When I was about seven, my parents

gave me a silver charm bracelet with a

heart-shaped lock as a birthday gift.

Whenever I travelled, I collected

charms to attach to it. I don’t wear it

any more but it has great sentimental

value and probably contributed to my

“collector’s” approach to jewellery.

Racil Chalhoub

Fashion designer

My mother always had original style.

She owned two wedding rings, one in

plain gold, which she wore every day,

and another in pavé diamonds, which

she wore in the evenings. I always loved

them, as they were so specific to her –

she had long fingers, and they were cut

very wide. Over time, the diamond one

got a little tight on her and, due to

the nature of the design, she couldn’t

make it bigger. She gave it to me on

my 30th birthday. I wear it on my index

finger on special occasions. It is my

most cherished piece of jewellery.

Tabitha Simmons

Shoe designer

My grandmother’s charm bracelet,

which I have inherited, actually began

life as a watch chain belonging to my

great-grandfather. Somewhere along

the line it was divided in half and

made into two bracelets – one for my

grandmother and one for her sister.

I have such fond memories of playing

with the charms when I was a little

girl, and of my grandmother wearing

it. It then got passed down to my

mother. I am looking forward to

passing it on to my daughter one day.

Rosh Mahtani

Jewellery designer & founder

of Alighieri

My mum, Nims, is my rock. She knows

me better than anyone, and she always

grounds me with her kindness. We

are incredibly different in many ways:

she’s practical and doesn’t like to take

risks, whereas I am more

impulsive. I’m finding,

though, that as I grow

older, I’m becoming more

like her. She has a quiet

strength and ability to keep

smiling that I long to

emulate. The necklace that

I inherited is a talisman

given to my mother by

my grandmother, and then

by my mother to me. My

grandparents fled India to

Africa when their village

disappeared during the

Partition. In our family, it

is tradition that a mother

gives it to her daughter at

birth, to ward away danger.

On the chain hangs a tooth

carved out of enamel, next

to a little gold sword. It’s

such a precious item to me;

I never take it off. I find it

re-centres me and reminds

me of the strength of my

mum and grandmother.

When I’m not wearing

it, I lay it on a copy of

The Divine Comedy that

my mum gave me when

I was cramming for my

university finals. I was

studying Italian, and she found it in

a little market in Hampstead for

£10, among broken chandeliers and

Victorian cutlery. She knew that I felt

a strong connection to Dante and it

felt like a sign of good fortune from

the universe. I’ve collected 30 copies

since, but this is my most precious.

Noor Fares

Jewellery designer

I remember discovering my mother’s

jewellery box as a child. I used to spend

hours looking at the intricate designs,

longing for the day they might fit me.

I was then lucky enough to be given

a beautiful 18ct-gold bracelet with

emeralds that had got too small for my

mother’s wrist. The emerald is healing

and balancing to wear, and is also the

gemstone that best represents the

energy patterns of the activated heart

chakra, the wellspring of the emotions.

I wear the bracelet along with a jumble

of others on my wrist, so it is always

close to me. It reminds me that my

mother has always been a great source

of inspiration, even though her style is

very different to my own. She’s famous

for her quirks, for instance always

wearing two different-coloured shoes

of the same style. n

205

SPOTLIGHT

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