Necklace of iron washers and gold, designed and made by Philip Sajet, Netherlands, 2000

Necklace of circular iron washers of different profiles and patinas, graduated in size with the larger ones towards the front. Each has a gold loop attached to the midpoint of both sides which connects it with an additional ring to the next washer. There is a circular gold clasp at the back and a safety chain.

The Louise Klapisch Collection, given by Suzanne Selvi

After purchasing the necklace, the donor received the following letter from the artist:
THE IRONRUST NECKLACE HAS ALWAYS FASCINATED ME AS A POSSIBILITY IN JEWELLERY.
(IN JEWELLERY ESPECIALLY, AS IT HAS TO BE WORN)
IT WAS ALWAYS CONNECTED WITH THE IDEA OF THE 'RIDICULOUS' (RIDDLE)
THE PURE AND BEAUTIFUL PEARLNECKLACE GROWING FROM SMALL TO LARGE OR REMAINING PERFECTLY EQUAL IN SIZE.
LIKE THE DIAMOND, WHICH IS NOTHING BUT A SCIENTIFIC FORM WITH 57 NECESSALY [sic] FACETS IN ORDER TO MOST OPTIMALLY BREAK THE LIGHT, ENDING UP AS AN OBJECT OF BEAUTY, IMPOSING ITS FORM AS A STANDARD.

THE PEARL ALSO IS NOTHING, PERFECTLY ROUND, SOMEBODY ONE DAY DECIDED IT TO BE BEAUTY AND THERE IT WAS: BEAUTIFUL
MY RUST HAD TO BECOME A NECKPIECE IN WHICH PERFECTLY THE SIZES OF THE ELEMENTS WOULD DECREASE GOING TO THE BACK.

THE PROBLEM THAN [sic] WAS THE RIGHT SIZES. IN THE STREET I WAS ALWAYS LOOKING DOWN, NEVER UP. IN THE WORKSHOP ASSEMBLING, PREPARING FOR THE FORTHCOMING SHOW. TIME WAS SHORT AND I WAS STILL MISSING A FEW ELEMENTS. MY ASSISTANT THAN [sic] EDWIN VAN DER HEYDEN WAS REQUESTED (HIS OPTION OF REFUSAL WAS VERY SMALL) TO GO OUT IN THE STREETS AND LOOK IN THE GUTTER AND FIND ME THOSE LAST FEW PIECES. I SPOKE TO HIM A FEW DAYS AGO AND ASKED HIM IF HE COULD REMEMBER HOW LONG IT HAD TAKEN HIM TO FIND THOSE. ONE ENTIRE DAY HE COULD REMEMBER FOR SHURE [sic]. I ALSO TOLD HIM TO KEEP LOOKING WHEN HE WAS NOT OFFICIALLY WORKING.
HE SAID HE REMEMBERED FINDING ONE ELEMENT ON THE 'SURINAMEPLEIN'
04.03.2001 PHILIP SAJET AMSTERDAM

There is a technical rigour and an understanding of traditional forms underlying even the most radical of Philip Sajet’s work, well expressed by his description of himself as ‘a classical jeweller making strange things’ (interview with current-obsession.com).

He acknowledges that he has always been fascinated with the idea of a necklace made of rusting iron both for issues of wearability and for the idea of taking something that has been thrown away, treating it as something precious and thereby giving it a new value. In a letter to the original owner he describes the difficulty of finding the right sizes of discarded iron washers for this gently graduated necklace, and in a recent interview he discusses the material more generally: ‘One piece of rust can be more beautiful than another, the material itself, iron, might be hard, but the oxidised surface is fragile, one has to be careful when setting it, one scratch and its shiny metal surface is visible’ (interview with socatchy.net).

This necklace is one of forty-five pieces of jewellery given to the V&A from the collection of the late Louise Klapisch.

M.45-2014