All that slithers

Shop: Snake Lock Necklace by Azza Fahmy

GOODS & SERVICES • FOUND Object

If you’re into sparkle, no doubt you’ll will have visited the Cartier exhibition at the V&A. And whilst reading about the rivalry between Cartier and Fabergé was fascinating, and seeing Grace Kelly’s canary diamond was surprisingly moving, we can all agree it was the twinkling animals that Cartier is so well known for that really made our hearts sing and our eyes triple in size.

Of all the menagerie, the Eternity Snake Necklace stands out among the rest. It once sat on the long neck of Naomi Campbell and is valued at a cool $12 million.

A few hours after I lusted after the exhibition, I passed by the Azza Fahmy in the Burlington Arcade, where the whole window display subtly nods to the show. The real gem is a baby Cartier-like Snake Lock necklace, at a fraction of the price.

Snakes aren’t really a trend. They’re a timeless motif that draws from temple walls and royal crowns, always harking back to Eden. Azza Fahmy’s necklace is a sleek, modern riff on the ancient symbol of regeneration, protection and power.

Made with 18k gold and sterling silver, the layered Roman chain mimics the subtle ripple of scales, not just aesthetically but in the way it moves too. The head, inset with lapis or green onyx eyes, snaps shut like a real serpent’s mouth. If the Cartier snake sang loudly to tempt Eve, this one slithered round her neck and whispered seductively in her ear.

Azza Fahmy’s take speaks a different tongue: scaled back, personal, both trademark and talisman. –Amy Rose Holland

→ Shop: Snake Lock Necklace by Azza Fahmy • £1000.