Reenvisioning the Marseilles Necklace
TENFOUR distills the legacy of 18th-century French jewelry into a contemporary study of form, memory, and minimalist design.
Collection 01 via TENFOUR. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Currently flooding TikTok, Instagram, and every social media alike, are content customers flaunting their new pieces from TENFOUR Jewelry’s first release. Hours upon hours spent hunched over, designing, mold making, casting, finishing, and marketing have paid off for Victoria Paris and her cofounder, Gille Peeters.
Gaining traction in the public eye through TikTok, Victoria Paris desired a break-away from the mainstream fame that brought her to the limelight. This led her to found a jewelry brand with her friend, Gille. The two come from very different backgrounds, yet together form the perfect match for the task they sought to undertake. Paris’ online following increased during the pandemic as she posted tens of vlogs on TikTok that followed her journey through fitness and eventually, fashion. Later on, Paris strode towards brand deals and marketing these collaborations, as well.
Peeters, on the other hand, is the more silent brain behind TENFOUR. She studied at the Royal Academy of Arts in Antwerp, and followed her education with the inception of her first jewelry brand, Fragille. Each piece is personally designed and handcrafted by Gille herself, who is well-educated in jewelry design and goldsmithing.
The founders met two years ago, and Gille decided to take a leap in co-running another jewelry brand, after observing the possibilities and opportunities working with Victoria would present. The two share the same birthday, April 10th, which, when flipped to European standards, birthed the name TENFOUR.
Their first collection, released this past April on their birthday, is inspired by a summer spent in the South of France. They curate their designs with a genderless and minimalistic approach, and utilize methods of gold plating with sterling silver bases. The goal of this launch was to expand upon the concept of the Marseilles necklace, constructing necklaces, ear cuffs, and rings alike that cohere to its history of form and lifecycle of jewelry.
The Marseilles necklace functioned as a wealth symbol for women in 18th century France. Seen in the form of gold, bead-like necklaces, these pieces served as a manner of indicating families’ socioeconomic standing, each bead reflective of an investment. The necklaces would start out with one or two beads, a number that would continue to grow as they were gifted to women on special occasions. The Marseilles necklace was emblematic of the long lifecycle that jewelry pieces can have, and of the significance of customization and care-taking of one’s accessories.
Paris and Peeters designed options for each ring, necklace, and ear cuff, offering them in either gold or silver. While their jewelry is mainly viewed as simplistic, there is something elegant and timeless about the designs. To start, each piece is a true collection; everything can be worn together to create a coherent look.
The rings don’t close with a band on the front, but rather on the back, to create a ‘floating in space,’ or in this case, ‘floating on finger’ impression. The front of these rings, then, are adorned with alternating sized beads that rest on the edges of their wearer’s fingers. The necklaces, in alignment with the rings, chain together uniquely sized beads, ranging from three beads at the center of a piece, or groups of five beads spread out through the entire necklace. In this way, Paris and Peeters accomplish symmetry through asymmetry. The ear cuffs are very similar to the necklaces; they dangle from a chain as well and have spaced out beads throughout this sequence. The ear cuffs are inclusive, they don’t discriminate against non-pierced individuals.
Collection 01 via TENFOUR. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
Along the same vein of the Marseilles necklace’s longevity, Paris and Peeters outline product information and caretaking instructions for their pieces, to promote the durability of each accessory.
After a vastly successful first launch, what’s to come for the cofounders? There must be a sense of both ambition and vulnerability as to the future of TENFOUR, but, a powerhouse like Victoria and Gille will place excitement over fear.
