Torque jewellery returns in a cleaner, minimalist luxury form

Chantel Shafie’s Ravello Torque collar, launched in April, captures the shift with an open-or-closed construction and a detachable emerald-cut diamond that turns the piece from statement collar into controlled line. In its newest form, the torque silhouette feels edited rather than emphatic, built to trace the neck with clean metal, one precise focal point and enough flexibility to wear in daylight, not just on gala floors.

Why the torque is returning now

The old torque has always been about shape first: a circular or oval form, usually open at the front, sometimes finished with spheres or gems. That architecture made it powerful, but also formal, especially when the metal was thick or the front end was weighted down with ornament. The new wave keeps the outline and removes the bulk.

Shafie’s version is especially telling because the engineering is hidden inside the elegance. The removable central diamond depends on a hand-forged mechanism developed in her Hong Kong atelier to stay secure while still feeling easy to wear.

The Ravello collar sets the new standard

Ravello is not a one-piece exercise. The collection includes earrings, necklaces, a ring, a bangle and the torque collar at its center. One presentation of the collection also highlights a five-carat stone.

The torque itself can be worn open or closed, and that choice changes the mood immediately. Open, it feels relaxed and architectural. Closed, it reads more like a polished collar, but still with enough air around the neck to avoid the old, rigid feel of classic statement neckpieces.

What separates a modern torque from an old statement collar

A modern torque should look deliberate from every angle. The best versions use negative space as part of the design, with the opening at the front treated as structure, not an afterthought. In older collars, the visual weight often sat in the metal itself; in the cleaner versions, the metal becomes a frame for the neck, the skin and, if there is one, a single gem.

A torque looks timeless when the line is crisp, the front is balanced, and the decoration is restrained to one strong gesture. It starts to age quickly when it relies on excess width, ornamental fronts or too many competing details.

Cartier, Graff and Tiffany show the same instinct in different forms

Cartier’s Juste un Clou is not a torque, but it belongs in the same conversation because it reduces a familiar object to line and structure. Aldo Cipullo created it for Cartier New York in 1971, when it was known as the Nail bracelet, and Cartier later brought it back in the 2000s. The collection has since expanded into rings, brooches, necklaces and pendant earrings.

Graff’s Laurence Graff Signature takes a different route to the same destination. Graff describes the line as sculptural jewellery that translates diamond cuts into pure gold. New bangles were launched in the United Kingdom in September 2024, and in-store events ran from March 20 to April 14.

Tiffany’s T collection is the most recognizable of the group’s modern signatures. Introduced in 2014, it draws on a 14k gold bracelet shown in Tiffany’s 1975 to 1976 Blue Book and was later developed by John Loring in the mid-1980s.

How to wear a torque without losing the minimal effect

A torque works best when everything else stays quiet. Wear it with a bare collarbone, a boat neck or a strapless top if you want the curve to feel clean and intentional. It also sits well over a fine knit or a crisp shirt collar, as long as the neckline stays smooth and uncluttered.

Layering should stay disciplined. If the torque is the hero, let any second necklace sit much longer and much finer, so the neck does not become crowded. A single pair of small earrings and a polished cuff are enough to support the silhouette without turning it into a full set.

Who can wear it? Anyone who wants one strong line at the throat instead of a stack of short necklaces. A torque flatters collectors who like sculptural jewellery and first-time buyers who want a piece that feels considered rather than overworked. The open-front shape also makes it easier to style across different neck sizes and face shapes, because the line frames rather than fills.

The details that make the revival worth keeping

The torques that will last are the ones with precision in the mechanics and restraint in the finish. Shafie uses a hand-forged, removable-stone system; Cartier reduces form to structure; Graff converts diamond geometry into gold; Tiffany continues its long-running T motif.