Whiting Davis Silver Snake Clamper

You might not expect chain-mesh bags to predate sliced bread by three decades, but it’s true. The very first mesh purse was created by Charles Whiting (1864–1940) in 1892 while working for the jewelry manufacturer Wade Davis & Company in Plainville, Massachusetts. Whiting joined the company at the age of 16, and by 1896 he formed a partnership to purchase it, renaming it the Whiting & Davis Company.

While the original Whiting & Davis mesh purse was made entirely by hand — artisans hammered out the links and wove them together — the company developed a machine to automate fabrication in 1912. With the ability to produce more rapidly and prolifically, Whiting & Davis became a veritable mesh empire, creating handbags and purses in all shapes, styles and colors, including ones made from precious metals, painted with Art Deco designs and silk-screened with Impressionistic images. The purses became status icons for the stylish elite, particularly with the flappers of the 1920s.

Over the years, Whiting & Davis struck up partnerships with some of the most talented designers of the time, including Paul Poiret, Elsa Schiaparelli and Elsa Peretti, who used their mesh in elegant pieces for Tiffany & Co., propelling their popularity even further. After a brief hiatus during World War II, when Whiting & Davis produced radar equipment rather than handbags, the brand continued to develop an ever-expanding line of products that included clothing.

In the 1970s, Whiting & Davis accessories and clothing were the rage of the disco scene. By the early 2000s, everyone from Paris Hilton to Lady Gaga donned the brand’s mesh handbags.

Recent innovations to their offerings include color mesh and fine mesh, with the brand refocusing on fashion jewelry with the launch of a new collection in 2013 featuring a revamped vintage snake-bracelet design. The company has been based in North Attleboro, Massachusetts, since 1995, also supplying its renowned chain mesh for industrial uses like work gloves and protective applications such as shark suits for divers.

Find vintage Whiting & Davis mesh handbags, necklaces and other accessories on 1stDibs.

Antique, new and vintage clamper bracelets are chic accessories for any formal or casual outfit. A clamper bracelet is essentially a bangle that opens and closes with a spring hinge.

Bracelets are truly a versatile type of jewelry, and while iterations such as Cartier’s legendary Love bracelet have played a role in the skyrocketing popularity of cuff-style bracelets, a cuff is far from the only glamorous option for collectors. Decadent yet elegant clamper bracelets with eye-catching carved designs or sparkling gems offer an impressive fashion boost.

Designers love a clamper bracelet. Many jewelers have worked with this style for years, creating variations on the accessory that can complement any ensemble. An Atlas bangle, for example — part of the greater Atlas collection from storied American luxury house Tiffany & Co. that includes rings, watches and other pieces — might be adorned in diamonds set in white gold, while a bold statement is made by BVLGARI’s Serpenti Jaeger-LeCoultre watch bracelet, a circa-1970s collaboration between the iconic jewelry house and Swiss watchmaker that dazzles with vibrant, multicolored enamel. (BVLGARI's Serpenti collection includes the Serpenti bracelet, the Serpenti watch and more and remains one of the Italian fine-jewelry house’s most recognizable to date.)

On 1stDibs, find a wide variety of antique, new and vintage clamper bracelets, from those with diamonds, rubies and finely carved designs to minimal but striking silver and white-gold bangles.