Vivienne Westwood never made jewelry to match an outfit. She made it to start a revolution. When her King’s Road boutique opened in 1971, she filled it with bones, studs, and chains that shouted “Rock,” “Perv,” and “Fuck.” Each piece served as a dare, a challenge, and a wink at the establishment.
Now her work gets the spotlight it’s always deserved in Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery, a new book from Thames & Hudson ($63.61 at Walmart) that traces her decades of wearable rebellion. Written by fashion critic Alexander Fury, it’s the first deep dive into the pieces that hung between punk, politics, and royal pageantry. The book follows her journey from the DIY grit of the ‘70s to the pearl-draped, planet-ringed icons of today.
Buy Vivienne Westwood’s New Jewelry Book
The photography and commentary reveal how Westwood used jewelry as both protest and poetry. Safety pins pierce through faces. Pearls sit on bondage collars. Padlocks and buckled cuffs nod to desire, control, and play. “The jewellery vocabulary of Vivienne Westwood is as distinct and immediately recognisable as that of her clothing,” Fury writes, and the proof runs through every page.
Each chapter explores a signature motif—pearls, bows, memento mori, and the handmade imperfections that defined her punk roots. Her activism shines through, too: recycled metals, political slogans, and a sense that style could carry both beauty and meaning. Andreas Kronthaler, her creative partner and widower, sums it up: “Jewellery is powerful, and it can be loaded with meaning. It marks life, and it gives importance to it.”
The book also revisits her most enduring emblem: the Orb, that gleaming collision of monarchy and Saturn’s ring. Kronthaler calls it “a jewel symbolising the world with its past, its present, and its future.” It captures everything about Westwood’s vision, blending history, rebellion, and a hint of celestial mischief.
Her jewelry never asked for permission. It existed to be noticed, remembered, and talked about. It reminded wearers that beauty could be subversive and that self-expression doesn’t require restraint.
To celebrate the release of Vivienne Westwood & Jewellery, here are five really rad Vivienne Westwood pieces you can buy right now—because a little anarchy looks better when it sparkles.
Vivienne Westwood Nana 3D Necklace Giant Extra Large Orb Silver Blue Pendant (opens in a new window)
$107.99 at eBay
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A statement piece with gravitational pull. The iconic Orb, reimagined in bold blue and silver, looks regal and futuristic all at once.
Vivienne Westwood Diamante Bracelet Heart Orb Gold Purple (opens in a new window)
$97.79 at eBay
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Gold, glitzy, and completely unserious. The kind of bracelet that says you believe in love but still carry pepper spray in your clutch.
Vivienne Westwood Bracelet Silver Skeleton Mermaid Skull Ariel (opens in a new window)
$118.37 at eBay
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Is it a fairytale? Is it a fever dream? The mermaid-skeleton design feels both romantic and eerie—pure Westwood mythology at its finest.
Vivienne Westwood Three Row Triple Layer Pearl Silver Necklace Choker (opens in a new window)
$89 at eBay
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Three tiers of pearls fit for modern royalty. This choker commands attention and turns classic elegance into unapologetic authority.
Vivienne Westwood HENRIETTE EARRINGS Silver Tone and Crystal With Box (opens in a new window)
$69 at eBay
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Linked by sleek silver chains, these earrings drape like liquid metal. Wear them when you’re in the mood to be stared at.
Vivienne Westwood’s jewelry never played by the rules. It shaped identity, provoked conversation, and turned rebellion into art. This book is a reminder that every clasp, chain, and charm she designed carried one message: fashion can be both fearless and beautiful.
The post Inside Vivienne Westwood’s New Book: Her Rebellious, Punk Jewelry Legacy appeared first on VICE.
