Georges Lenfant Convertible Necklace and Bracelet Suite
c. 1960s
18K yellow gold, rope-twist chaîne d’ancre construction, concealed clasps
Extremely rare
longer necklace together with bracelet: 26.5 inches
necklace length without bracelet: 18 inches
necklace weight: 138.5 grams
bracelet length: 8.5
bracelet weight: 73.5 grams
This exceptional suite by Georges Lenfant, comprised of a convertible necklace and bracelet, is a study in tension: between weight and air, utility and ornament, structure and grace. Fabricated entirely in 18k yellow gold, the piece takes its architectural cue from the marine and equestrian lexicon so influential in postwar design. A textured cable core, finely ridged like taut ship rope, serves as the armature around which a polished gold strand coils with calculated spacing. The result is an articulation of rhythm, a sculpture in motion.
The circular links echo a lineage traced by Jacques Lenfant in Le Livre de la Chaîne, where he pays tribute to Auguste Lion, the visionary Parisian jeweller known for his flexible chains and virtuoso handling of form. A subtle nod to the lineage of goldsmith-artists Lenfant and his father revered.
Lenfant, heir to one of the most technically sophisticated ateliers in mid-century Paris, understood the language of gold as both engineering and poetics. This piece speaks in both registers. Its form also alludes to the chaîne d’ancre, a motif immortalised by Hermès, one of Lenfant’s most enduring collaborators, yet it pushes the type toward something more resolutely sculptural. The concealed hinges allow the piece to break apart or reassemble, slipping from neck to wrist with quiet ingenuity.
Marked with the maker’s stamp, the set exemplifies a particular ethos of the 1960s: when design looked outward, to industry, to the sea, to sport—not to mimic, but to distill and transform. What remains is a choreography of gold, precise and enduring, from one of the 20th century’s greatest goldsmiths.
