Article: The Holy Grail of Bracelets: Verdura's Maltese Cross Cuff
The Holy Grail of Bracelets: Verdura's Maltese Cross Cuff
Verdura’s Maltese Cross Cuffs: Quietly One of the Coolest Pieces in Jewelry
There are certain pieces of jewelry that are instantly recognizable if you know what you’re looking at, but don’t necessarily scream for attention. Verdura’s Maltese Cross cuffs are exactly that.
They’re bold, but somehow still understated. Luxurious, but not in a flashy, logo-heavy way. And part of what makes them so special is the mix of materials: precious stones, semi-precious stones, pearls, enamel, gold, even carved stone. Nothing feels too precious to be combined with something else. That mix is very Verdura.
Fulco di Verdura started working with Coco Chanel in Paris in the late 1920s and moved into jewelry design for the house around 1930. His Byzantine-inspired designs broke from the very refined, diamond-heavy jewelry that dominated the period. Instead, he mixed color, texture, gold, and gemstones in a much freer way. Verdura later translated that aesthetic into a pair of Maltese Cross cuffs for Chanel herself, and the design became one of his signatures.What I love most about the cuffs is that they don’t rely on one spectacular stone. A modern version might combine black jade with amethyst, peridot, pearl, diamond, and 18k gold. Another uses pale cocholong with aquamarine, peridot, pearl, and diamond. Verdura also makes versions with ruby and sapphire. That combination of precious and semi-precious materials is part of the charm.
There is something very confident about putting a pearl next to a peridot next to a diamond and not acting like one is more important than the other. The value is really in the composition, the color, and the design. I think that’s a big part of why the cuffs still feel so current.
They’re obviously luxurious, but they don’t feel overly polished or corporate. They almost feel collected rather than manufactured. You could wear one with a white shirt and jeans just as easily as you could with something much more formal.
There is also a kind of old-world richness to them that makes sense when you know Verdura’s background. He was born into Sicilian aristocracy, spent much of the 1920s moving through European society, and eventually came to America in 1934. In 1939, with backing from friends Cole Porter and Vincent Astor, he opened his own business in New York. The house later became known for exactly this kind of bold but strangely effortless jewelry.
What’s interesting is that the design never really disappeared. Verdura still makes Maltese Cross cuffs today, more than 90 years after the original Chanel versions, and the silhouette really hasn’t lost its appeal. That's usually a pretty good sign that a design has moved beyond “fashion” and into something closer to an icon.
What I’d look for on the secondary market: Condition matters. These cuffs are sculptural and often incorporate carved stone, enamel, or other materials that can chip, crack, or show wear. I’d want clear photos of the cuff itself, the stones, the interior, and the signature. I’d also pay attention to the exact material combination. Some versions are more visually compelling than others, and I personally think the best ones have a really strong contrast between the cuff material and the stones. And because Verdura still produces the design, I’d compare the estate price against what a similar current cuff costs today. That’s where the secondary market can get interesting.
My two cents? This is exactly the kind of signed estate jewelry I like. It has history, it has a recognizable design, and it feels luxurious without being obvious about it. If I found the right color combination at the right price, I’d absolutely stop and take a closer look. For me, this is very much a "if you know, you know" piece.
So where do I get one you ask? Well, a good starting point would be direct from Verdura. However, if the price makes you clutch your pearls a little, you may also be able to find one on the secondary market. At the time of this post, this nephrite cuff pictured below is available at The RealReal.
