Vintage Signed Hermès 18k Yellow Gold Demi-Parure Feuilles Leaves ( Earrings and Brooch Set ) c.1960s
18k Yellow Gold
Set weighs 52 grams
Clip-on Earrings measures 24mm
Brooch/Pin measures 34mm
What appears, to the untrained eye, as a simple swirl is, for the collector, a study in how Hermès translated its saddle‑maker DNA into sculptural gold jewelry.
Founded in 1837 as a harness workshop for the carriage‑driving elite, Hermès gradually evolved from leather tack to bags, accessories, and, by the late 1920s, jewelry. Its first canonical pieces fused equestrian hardware with precious metal, a formula that would go on to define the house’s later creations.
By the 1960s and 1970s, Hermès was exploring bold, all‑gold statements. This exceptionally rare and striking 18k swirl‑motif parure marks a moment of transition: from the language of harness fringe to a distinctly mid‑century abstraction. The design forms a vortex of narrow, leaf‑like gold elements (feuilles), tightly spiraled into a domed rosette. Collectors often describe such pieces as pompons, recalling the decorative knots and tassels found on harnesses and ceremonial dress.
This motif belongs to a broader shift in postwar French jewelry. Houses like Hermès and Cartier, alongside workshops such as Georges Lenfant, moved away from flat, figural designs toward sculptural, almost architectural forms. Here, each element is individually shaped, arranged by hand into a precise spiral, and soldered from beneath. The surfaces are finely striated (or strié), catching light with a soft, fibrous shimmer, while the edges remain polished. The combination of texture and brilliance is a hallmark of the period’s craftsmanship. The entire effect creates a gentle impression of movement across the surface.
Importantly, these jewels belonged to Hermès before the age of overt branding. There is no “H,” no Kelly lock, no anchor chain. Their luxury is implicit, a quiet luxury, and that elegant subtlety is precisely what makes them so compelling today. Equally significant is the survival of the complete parure. Many such sets have been lost over time through inheritance and resale. To find brooch and earrings intact is rare and preserves the original composition.
In the end, with Hermès, it is never just a swirl; even the simplest gesture carries the weight of its origin. And yet, for all that history, the effect is effortless - simply divine.
