Betony Vernon "Venus Cuff" Bracelet Sterling Silver 925

Name: Betony Vernon "Venus Cuff" Bracelet Sterling Silver 925
Brand: Betony Vernon
Rating: 4.9 (12 reviews)

About the Item

The “Venus Cuff” was designed by Betony Vernon in 1997 to fit snuggly onto the wrist. This piece celebrates the feminine and it is an emblematic invitation to express your sensual self. The subtlety of the design is deeply empowering and elegant in form, the “Venus Cuff” can be worn on its own or in conjunction with other pieces from the Venus Collection. The cuff is made to order and requires precise measurements for the perfect fit. Material: Sterling Silver 925 Hall marks: numbered and signed BV-925 + production hallmark All BV materials are cruelty-free

Creator:
Betony Vernon
Metal:
Sterling Silver
Weight:
83 g
Style:
Contemporary
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1990-1999
Date of Manufacture:
2018
Condition:
Seller Location:
Rome, IT
Reference Number:
Seller: B651stDibs: LU2020221366572

Shop All Betony Vernon

Betony Vernon

The paradigm shift took place over lunch in Florence, Italy, circa 1992. Betony Vernon, a striking flame-haired jewelry designer, was showing off her most recent creation: the 18-karat-gold O-ring, designed with a nod to a bondage collar, with a smaller ring affixed to its front.

Playfully, Vernon's partner put his pinky through the smaller ring as she donned the larger one. Then, the unexpected happened. “There was an electric impulse running through this piece,” she recalls. “We both felt it.” The feeling changed her life. “That was the moment I knew that jewelry can provide sensation and reinforce an intimate bond.”

Enabling others to experience electric moments like that — to “bring luxury, fantasy and sensual possibilities to the fine-jewelry world” — has been Vernon's aim ever since. “Sex and luxury were never associated,” she noticed, and the jewelry designer set out to change that. The result was her 1992 Sado-Chic collection, which became the Paradise Found collection.

Vernon grew up in Virginia and studied art history, religion and goldsmithing at Virginia Commonwealth University. Following her graduation in 1990, she moved to Florence, later earning a master’s in industrial design from the Domus Academy in Milan. Europe has been home ever since.

Vernon's designs are provocative, sexy. But if you look no further than that, you’re missing a much bigger (and more interesting) point. Vernon’s rings, necklaces, bracelets and other accessories represent a vital part of what she sees as her life’s mission.

“Pleasure,” she explains, “has been associated with sin, wrongness and naughtiness, not with joy, happiness and bonding.” Vernon has set out to demolish that “pleasure taboo.”

So, how is pleasure reflected in the design of Vernon's jewelry (and remember, we are talking sensuality not sexuality)? Early in the design process, she asks, “How many senses can I turn on?” Every detail relates to a sensual experience.

That crisp snap a clasp makes when opening or closing? A pleasure to the ear.

The softness and spring of noble metals, silver and gold? A pleasure to the touch.

And always, Vernon believes, jewelry embodies memory, legacy. A pleasure for the soul.

Find a collection of Betony Vernon jewelry on 1stDibs.