Created with playful originality, Sarah Zhuang’s Hourglass of Love is a whimsical creation that tells a story of romance. When worn alone, the two earrings outline the contours of two lovers. When united, the earrings are transformed into a contemporary pendant that reveals the shape of an hourglass.

One of the most recognisable items of jewellery ever created is the Zip necklace by Van Cleef & Arpels, which refashions an everyday object into a luxurious piece that has won the favour of connoisseurs worldwide, including the maison’s late muse, Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. This rendition has a sliding closure that allows the piece to be left partially open around the neck or closed entirely to form a bracelet.

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Many luxury maisons, including Boucheron, have created transformable jewellery pieces since the late 19th century when the trend was driven by royal requirements for pieces fit for numerous coronations and balls. In its high jewellery Pompon timepiece, Boucheron has reinterpreted one of its signatures. The pom-pom can be removed from the watch’s white-gold bracelet to be worn as a pendant.

This article first appeared on hk.asiatatler.com.