It was just a few months ago that I shared a handful of paper clip chains, a trending style whose popularity is partially owed to the surge of shoppers hunting for charms to collect, vintage and new.
I’m still contemplating the perfect paper clip chain for my very own—the kickoff to what will be my own charm-collecting journey, the date of said journey is yet to be determined.
Still, as I’ve ogled chain after chain, I’ve inadvertently grown fond of links of all sorts, be they necklaces or bracelets, or even earrings and rings.
The differences are highly nuanced. To the uninterested or unobservant eye, a chain is a chain is a chain. But there’s a whole world to be explored by the varied perspectives of designers and their chains, varied by sometimes even the tiniest details.
For Carbon & Hyde, those variations are shown in its Links collection, which made its debut just weeks ago. The brand continues to make new additions to the collection, most recently bowing earrings and a series of bracelets, the latter of which I find most compelling.
The Link bracelet (above) shows what it is to be crafted with a delicate edge. At first glance it’s a bracelet with closely woven links, but its details put it somewhere between barbed wire and bamboo—razor-sharp style suitable for the most upscale (and even uptight) occasions.
The oval chain bracelet (pictured at top) is a debonair rebel that utilizes a slightly chunky link and a contrasting high-polish finish with diamond connectors.
And finally, there’s the marquise link bracelet, with its shiny oval links perfectly sized for everyday wear. Where the brand calls its center bauble a marquise, I see an evil eye, a talisman much adored and demanded at all times and especially now, when elements of protection are all the more valued.
I’ve opted to ogle mainly bracelets, but Carbon & Hyde has plenty more by way of links, including a gorgeous link necklace strung with a diamond padlock, a similar style to what our Emili Vesilind highlighted back in 2018, and one that still enchants me as much now as it did then.
It’s worth noting that although these pieces emit a low-key vibe—they function as well casually as they do for black-tie situations—the price points aren’t what most would consider casual (pieces here range from just more than $3,000 to just less than $10,000), though shoppers should feel confident that their purchases ensure quality pieces that will stand the test of time and silhouettes that will allow that quality to remain uncontested as far as fashion trends are concerned. Each piece is designed and crafted in Carbon & Hyde’s downtown Los Angeles studio.
Top: Oval link bracelet in 14k yellow gold with 1.25 cts. t.w. diamonds, $5,520; Carbon & Hyde
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
