Dust and dirt are usually the mortal enemies of jewellery, but for one special Tiffany & Co piece, a sprinkling of earth added an immortal reminder of time and place. In the year 1900, the American luxury house created a unique pendant watch to commemorate the New York City Subway’s first day of construction. Its gold framework is accented with diamonds and gemstones, while the inside houses century-old soil. The watch – dangling from a gold chain – was a gift to the mayor’s daughter. “I love this crazy idea to make an object a symbol of something important,” notes Nicolas Beau, Tiffany & Co’s vice president of horlogerie, while recounting the pocket watch’s provenance and one-of-a-kind history.
Jewellery has long been a medium for intense emotion and sentimentality, and never more so than when it hides a secret. Worn close to the skin, it holds the kind of intimacy and depth that is rare in accessories. In the late 1700s, the idea found expression in the English court with “lover’s eye” miniatures. The Prince of Wales wanted to send his paramour a token of his love, but since their romance was frowned upon, he had to create something discreet. He commissioned artist Richard Cosway to paint just his eye, held in a tiny, bejewelled frame, thus setting off a trend for eye miniatures. Some were no bigger than a pinky nail, usually made with watercolour on ivory and set in gem- or pearl-encrusted lockets, brooches or rings. Throughout the ages, gemstones have been used to hide messages in jewellery, including as code on acrostic rings. For instance, setting the first letters of the words diamond, emerald, amethyst, ruby, emerald, sapphire and topaz in a row to spell out “dearest” or creating secret compartments – like the Victorian trend for opening rings – with a tiny hinge revealing a message or memento like a lock of hair. But the trend has not always been about tenderness. Poison rings were also designed with secret compartments that hid a means of death instead of talismans.
Today, in an era when little is left to the imagination, modern designers are reviving the art of the hidden. For Beirut-based jewellery designer Soir Daou, creating secret and personal mementoes is a literal labour of love. “Jewellery is a powerful vessel for personal secrets because it lives with us, resting against the body and becoming part of our daily ritual,” Daou reflects. “The messages people choose to carry are often tied to love, memory, spirituality or transformation and are quiet reminders meant only for the wearer.” One client entrusted her with his father’s vintage Bvlgari watch, which she transformed into a pocket watch with amethysts that carried personal meaning. Another couple wanted to merge their names, sculpted together in the form of a snake, representing the transformation and protection they experienced with each other. And a lion pendant cleverly hides all the names of another client’s family, visible only to those in the know.
Ukrainian designer Valeriya Guzema – a favourite of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, and worn by Lily Collins in Emily in Paris – offers a Capsule necklace in yellow gold and diamonds that can house a tiny scroll or token – “a private world in a public object”. “It can look simple, even understated, while holding an entire story known only to the wearer,” she explains of the appeal of jewellery that holds a secret. “What I find most beautiful is that these messages are rarely about the past alone; they are about continuity. They anchor us, give us courage and remind us of who we are.” Some covert treasures even come with their own accessories – LA-based Fie Isolde’s Secret Note rings and pendants come with a loupe that allows the minuscule, engraved text to be read.
Another designer turning secrecy into art is Cece Fein-Hughes of London-based Cece Jewellery. She recently created an intricate Arabic triptych locket for a Saudi mother of three. “The Triptych locket is wrapped in black-enamel Arabic script – a poetic blessing – carried close to the heart,” she shares. “Inside a secret island unfolds, and you can see a palm tree, a butterfly and a mountain, each symbolising one of her daughters in their own hidden world. This tiny universe tells the story of their family, of a mother’s protection and deep love.” The client reflects, “It was much more than what I expected. It will be something I’ll cherish and appreciate forever.” Cece creates “wonderfully mysterious” pieces, and once engraved a piece with a secret set of digits, the code to a lockbox containing possessions to be passed down to the customer’s children. Talking about these intensely intimate creations, the designer says, “Jewellery exists in a beautiful in-between space. It’s worn openly, yet its true meaning can remain entirely private.”
This article was originally published in the February 2026 issue of Vogue Arabia.
