THE JEWELLERY STAPLE WITH A WHOLE LOT OF PUNK

IT’S SHEER SERENDIPITY THAT CARTIER’S CLASH DE CARTIER – LAUNCHED LAST MONTH – SHARES THE SAME NAME AS THE LEGENDARY BRITISH PUNK ROCK OUTFIT. LIKE THE LATTER’S TAKE-NO-PRISONERS BRAND OF MUSIC, THE DEBUT 14-PIECE COLLECTION SHAKES UP THE SYSTEM OF HOW A STORIED LUXURY JEWELLER APPROACHES A STAPLE RANGE. FOR ONE, IT’S UNISEX – ITS 18K PINK GOLD MAKE IS MUTED TO LOOK MORE GENDER-NEUTRAL AND, IN TURN, MODERN. THEN THERE’S ITS DESIGN, WHICH LOOKS AND SOUNDS LIKE A REFINED TAKE ON WHAT JOE STRUMMER AND CO. MIGHT WEAR. WHILE RELATIVELY SLIM, EACH RING, BANGLE AND NECKLACE COMES ACROSS AS BOLD AND GRAPHIC, THANKS TO THE COMBINATION OF SQUARE STUDS – INSPIRED BY THE ONES ON THE BRAND’S CLOCKS AND BRACELETS IN THE ’30S – AND SPIKES AND BEADS THAT HAVE POPPED UP ON PREVIOUS DESIGNS. AN ARTICULATED HINGE MECHANISM HOLDS EVERYTHING TOGETHER SO THAT EACH ELEMENT MOVES GENTLY WHEN YOU FIDDLE WITH IT (OR THRASH AROUND WILDLY). NOW THIS IS HOW ONE – TO BORROW A LINE FROM THE CLASH – ROCKS THE CASBAH.