Locking It In

THE PADLOCK HAS ALWAYS PLAYED A BIG PART IN THE DESIGN UNIVERSE OF AMERICAN JEWELLER TIFFANY, NOW IT TAKES ON A STRIKING NEW FORM IN A SERIES OF BRACELETS. SAY HELLO TO THE TIFFANY LOCK

- CAROLINE SUGANDA

From Padlocks to the Tiffany Lock 

The padlock, an often-overlooked everyday item, may seem like an unassuming, unexpected source of inspiration for a piece of jewellery. However, the padlock has been a part of the jeweller's history for a very long time, creatively fuelling its designs again and again.

In the 1870s, Tiffany created padlocks that were designed to protect private information such as a book or to secure dog collars. Years later, padlock-inspired Tiffany jewellery started to appear, from a gold bracelet with padlock clasps (as seen in the Blue Book collection 1881) to a padlock brooch from 1883.

Fast forward to the '90s, and padlocks were still going strong, this time in silver. Heart and Key pendant, which debuted in 1990, featuring a keyhole and an accompanying key, was the accessory that helped the design motif become the well-loved classic that defined the era.