False start? Go to part 1
Jewelry on the court
Vintage line bracelet in yellow gold and diamonds, 1.10Cts
If you're a lover of antique jewelry, you've probably already wondered why the tennis bracelet is called that. What does a piece of jewelry adorned with diamonds have to do with racket sports? The answer is Chris Evert.
The elegant American player was more jewelry than sponge cuffs. In fact, during her matches in the 1970s, the star of the courts wore a delicate, supple bracelet made up of diamonds of the same cut side by side, known until then as a "river" or "eternal" bracelet.
American tennis star Chris Evert playing at Wimbledon in 1978. Shutterstock via Vogue France (Online).
Once upon a time... the date varies according to the source, and there is no film record of the moment - some say 1978, others 1987 - but legend has it that during a tennis tournament, Chris Evert lost his precious bracelet and had the match stopped until he could find it.
Since then, the jewel has been called a tennis bracelet.
Another misadventure involving jewelry and tennis took place in 1999, during the Australian Open. At Galerie Pénélope, when we say pearl (in our Organic Jewelry, Blanc comme neigethe birthstone of June or Aphrodite's jewels) it's more to do with fine or cultured pearls, made up of superimposed layers of mother-of-pearl. But that's not all there is to "pearl" in its classic sense.
Daisy ring with diamonds and fine pearl
According to the dictionary, it is a " small mass pierced through and through and intended to be threaded [...] to serve in particular as an ornament". Pearls in their current sense can be found as early as 15,000 to 5,000 BC, i.e. pierced, polished and lustrous stones. And their role is far from confined to that of adornment: for example, pearls can also be a sign ofbelonging to a group, have a symbolic function or possess supposed apotropaic virtues (power toward off evil).
But enough semantics, it's time to get back on the court. As Lindsay Davenport faced Venus Williams in the quarter-finals of the Australian Open, a pearl in the latter's hair flew onto the court. The referee stopped the match and...
Serena and Venus Williams, photo via Paperblog (Online).
The referee, the Jewelry police?
...Venus was penalized for "disturbing her opponent". The referee was quick to point out that the beads that clinked together with each movement were indeed a distraction. The referee, for his part, relied on a rule stipulating that worn clothing must not be thrown onto the pitch. You think that's a bit flimsy? So does the eldest Williams sister. She challenged the referee's decision as the pearls continued to fall to the ground, but was unsuccessful.
She would later continue to disagree, arguing that this hairstyle typical of African-American children is, for her sister Serena and herself, part of their African heritage, where beads "worn around the ears, neck, wrists, arms, waist, ankles, hair... [...] represent a form of community expression and accompany Man in all the material and spiritual aspects of his existence. "To quote Pascale Nourrisson ("l'Afrique racontée au fil des perles", Images & Mémoires, Bulletin n°26).
"The Samburu - Kenya" by Jimmy Nelson, photography via Futura Sciences (Online).
In retrospect, the referee is considered to have shown " hair discrimination " towards Venus Williams. As explained in the section on the democratization of sport in the 19th century, this began with the development of leisure activities among the bourgeoisie and aristocracy. This is still the case today for certain sports, such as golf and polo, which still seem to be the hobby of a rather privileged segment of the population. Tennis a little less so, but in the 1990s it was still a sport for the privileged classes, played almost exclusively by whites. Who, it seems, didn't always take too kindly to two African-American sisters who quickly made a name for themselves and racked up quite a few trophies.
Pair of combs Diamonds and Fine Pearls on Gold
We have no pearls to offer you other than fine and cultured pearls, but feel free to take a look at our antique combs to wear jewelry from head to toe!
We can at least concede one thing to the referee who penalized Venus Williams: he was more observant than the one who worked on Chris Evert's match! Who, it has not been made clear, was not penalized a priori.
For a change of sport, we're taking you to the soccer pitch. The rules, laid down by the International Football Association Board, prohibit the wearing of jewelry. Did you know that? According to Law 4, "a player must not use equipment or wear anything dangerous. Any type of jewelry (necklaces, rings, bracelets, earringsleather or rubber ribbons, etc.) is prohibited".
Jules Koundé, photo credit Icon Sport, via Foot-national.com (Online).
During the Round of 16 match between France and Poland at the 2022 World Cup, the referee noticed in the 42nd minute that Jules Koundé was wearing a chain and necklace. As this was illegal, he ordered the player to remove them, much to the annoyance of his coach Didier Deschamps. From what we can see on the picture, it's a classic chain and a rainbow necklace. In sapphires ? the story doesn't say: the sports journalists who covered the event obviously didn't think it crucial to do a bit of gemmology at the same time.
What we know for sure, from Deschamps, is that for Koundé, who wears them in training, wearing these necklaces is a superstition. That's why he would have tried to transgress the rule, but he didn't count on the referee's scrutinizing eye attracted by "his shiny gold chains "(if you have the ref. you were probably watching TV on July 12, 1998)!
Necklace with antique Barillet clasp in yellow gold
At Galerie Pénélope, the only arbiter is you. So take a look at our complete selection of antique necklaces.
Sports awards
The Olympic medal
As a rule, we'd like to tell you about the World Cup trophy or the Coupe des Mousquetaires at Roland-Garros, both designed by Mellerio dit Meller. Did you know? This great name of Place Vendôme was also one of the favorite jewelers of Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III, and her cousin Princess Mathilde. From time to time, we manage to get our hands on vintage pieces from the jewelry house, like our ring below.
Ring Mellerio dit Meller, Sapphire and diamonds
But rather than talk silverware, if you've made it this far you deserve a medal... an Olympic one! And for 2024, Chaumet has had the privilege of designing the awards for the Games. When the jeweller was still called Nitot, he was already the official supplier to the sovereigns of the Empire. For example, he made jewellery for Napoleon I and Josephine for the Emperor's coronation in 1804. We also know that Napoleon III commissioned a heart-shaped pendant adorned with rubies containing a lock of her hair. A token of ardent love, to be discovered in our article on the birthstone of July.
Olympic medal via L'Officiel France.
And so, two centuries later, Chaumet was commissioned to design the Olympic and Paralympic medals, in collaboration with the Monnaie de Paris.
From the front, in the center of a sunburst, symbolizing the radiance of the Games, is a piece of the Eiffel Tower cut out in the shape of a hexagon. The back of the medal depicts the rebirth of the Games, with a representation of Niké, the Goddess of Victory, as well as the Acropolis and the Panathenaic Stadium, and also... an Eiffel Tower! The architect was also a client of Chaumet. From what we've been able to read, there is indeed mention of a necklace of pearls in the jeweller's order books.
So is the gold medal really made of gold? Well, no! In the early years of the Olympic Games, athletes received awards in silver, copper or bronze (always more durable than the laurel wreaths of the winners of ancient competitions). Gold was introduced in 1904, at the St. Louis Olympic Games. Back then, medals were made of solid gold. This was repeated in 1908, and in 1912 gold was replaced by vermeil. Today's "gold" medals are made of silver coated with 6g of gold.
The good news is that the gold and silver are RJC(Responsible Jewellery Council) certified, an organization that attests to the ethical and environmental practices of jewelry companies throughout their supply chain. As for the bronze, the medals were made from scrap metal supplied by the Monnaie de Paris. Just as ethical, but not as unique as our medals from the Odyssée collection ! Some are still up for adoption.
Necklace pendant Roman coin Galerius
NBA rings
We couldn't talk about jewelry, sports and awards without mentioning NBA rings: signet rings offered to the winners of basketball championships since 1947. A tradition inherited from baseball, which was the first sport to reward its athletes individually with a watch or a piece of jewelry, in this case a ring from 1922 onwards.
Michael Jordan posing with his six NBA rings, via Wallpapercave (credits unknown) [Online].
And unlike Olympic medals, NBA rings are made of solid gold and adorned with gemstones (often those of the club of 4). This is certainly the case for the Toronto Raptors' ring, the 2019 championship winner, which is said to feature 14 carats of diamonds.
2019 NBA champion ring (Raptors) via parlons-basket.com [Online].
As articles for basketball fans aren't, a priori, aimed at the jewel's fans that we are, they don't usually say much about the history of the signet ring. Fortunately for you, Galerie Pénélope is here!
In the collective imagination, "signet ring" refers to the medieval model adorned with heraldic motifs (coats of arms, coats of arms or badges). Did you know? At the time, the ring was worn on the thumb or index finger. We're not sure why it was later democratized to the little finger. In the 3rd century A.D., St. Clement of Alexandria decreed that the signet ring was the only acceptable ring, given his disapproval of pomp. It had to be adorned with Christian motifs and worn on the little finger to protect the joint from slipping. As far as we're concerned, you can wear it on any finger you like!
Antique gold signet ring with horseshoe
And the other important point is that signet rings have been around since the dawn of time (examples can be found in ancient Egypt). To paraphrase Diana Scarisbrick in Rings: Jewels of power, love and loyalty, seals with a distinctive mark that could leave an imprint were indispensable tools in an age when few people could read. Signet rings were long the prerogative of sovereigns, civil servants and merchants. They were used to authenticate documents and establish ownership of goods.
In ancient Rome, rings took on a variety of designs, depending on the wearer. For example, signet rings celebrating military victories were adorned with intaglios representing Niké, the Goddess of Victory... still present on our Olympic medals!
After falling out of favor in the 17th century, when they were replaced by seals attached to the watch chain, like our example below, signet rings came back into fashion in the 18th century. They were also in vogue in the 19th century with the neoclassical and neogothic movements, during which time they were considered the mark of the gentleman.
Pendant, antique seal, gold lion and aquamarine
What better way to end our "Jewelry & Sport" article than by telling you about Simone Biles? The American athlete, who won no fewer than 4 medals at the Paris Olympics, also wears a diamond-set white gold pendant around her neck, depicting... a goat. A reference to the gymnast's nickname, but also theacronym for Greatest Of All Times (" Goat " in English). The necklace was specially designed for her by Janet Heller. A lovely way to celebrate her victories for the woman who "still thinks she's Simone Biles, comes from Texas and likes to do somersaults".
Simone Biles / Jean Catuffe - Getty Images via Vogue France [Online].
What we've learned from this is that it's always a good idea to buy yourself a piece of jewelry that's durable and meaningful. And it's even better if it's unique, precious and ethical!
As Oscar Wilde said in The Picture of Dorian Gray,
"The only way to get rid of a temptation is to give in to it. Resist, and your soul becomes sick from longing for what it forbids itself."
At Galerie Pénélope, if we trust you when it comes to your physical health, we also take your mental health to heart (in keeping with Juvenal's maxim, "A healthy mind in a healthy body" [Jewelry & Sport - Part 1Did you have it?) 😉
Saphir, citrinecorozo, emerald and ruby So we leave you with our selection in the colors of the Olympic flag. And as much as we love them all, may the best man win!
SAPPHIRE RING, COROZO PENDANT. RUBY RING. CITRINE BRACELET, EMERALD TARGET