Vivienne Westwood died in December 2022. She was eighty-one and had been designing for over fifty years. The jewellery she produced across that time — from the punk-era found objects of the 1970s to the Orb pieces that became one of the most recognisable motifs in British fashion — represents one of the most coherent and collectible bodies of work in the vintage jewellery market. It's also one of the most counterfeited, which makes knowing what you're looking at more important than usual.

The punk era: 1970s

Westwood and Malcolm McLaren opened their King's Road shop in 1971, cycling through several names — Let It Rock, Too Fast to Live Too Young to Die, SEX, Seditionaries — before settling on Worlds End in 1980. The jewellery from this period was deliberately anti-jewellery: safety pins, bicycle chains, found metal, pieces that were about rejection of conventional dress rather than adornment. These early pieces are genuinely rare, genuinely historically significant, and genuinely difficult to authenticate without specialist knowledge. If you find something claiming to be from this period, the provenance needs to be very solid.

The historical period: 1980s

After splitting from McLaren in the early 1980s, Westwood turned to fashion history as her primary source material. The Pirate collection in 1981, the Witches collection, the Harris Tweed period — these collections established the aesthetic that would define Westwood for the next decade and beyond. The jewellery shifted from found objects to pieces that engaged with British heritage, royalty, and historical dress. Hearts, bows, crosses, crowns — pieces that quoted aristocratic jewellery tradition while maintaining the underlying subversive intent.

This is also the period when the Orb was created. Working in Italy in 1985/86, Westwood was designing a collection themed around royalty with a futuristic touch. She took the Sovereign's Orb from the British Crown Jewels and added a ring of Saturn, inspired by astronomy magazines — the idea being to take tradition into the future. The logo appeared first on a jumper designed with the idea that Prince Charles might wear it in his leisure time. From the Harris Tweed Autumn/Winter 1987 collection onward, the Orb appeared in jewellery: the three-row pearl Bas Relief choker, with an Orb pendant set with crystals at the centre of ninety-two hand-knotted Swarovski pearls, is the piece that established the Westwood jewellery identity.

The Orb period: late 1980s onward

The Armour ring — inspired by the plated, articulated jackets from the Time Machine collection of 1988 and Westwood's fascination with the Wallace Collection — became another signature piece. Four overlapping sections in sterling silver, each bearing the Orb motif. It's been in continuous production since, which means dating vintage examples requires attention to mark variations and construction details.

The three-row pearl choker is the Westwood piece that has had the most sustained cultural life. Its 1990 Portrait collection iteration introduced the pearl drop at the centre. It has been worn by everyone from the original punk generation to Bella Hadid, and its revival among Gen Z — partly driven by the manga series Nana, whose punk protagonist wears it — has made it the most searched and most counterfeited Westwood piece on the secondary market.

What the jewellery is made from

Westwood jewellery is primarily sterling silver and brass, with some gold-plated pieces and occasional use of stainless steel. The Orb pieces are typically sterling silver with Swarovski crystals — hand-finished, with traditional techniques of engraving, piercing, fine-soldering and stone mounting. The pearl necklaces are hand-strung with individually hand-knotted pearls. This level of craft is part of what distinguishes genuine pieces from the volume of counterfeits on the market.

Authentication

Westwood jewellery is heavily counterfeited, particularly the Orb chokers and Saturn rings. The following checks matter:

The Orb mark: Genuine pieces carry the Orb emblem — typically on the clasp of necklaces and on a small oval tag on the extender chain. The brand name should appear in the correct font, centred in an oval with no border. Fakes often have line borders, misspellings or misaligned lettering.

Sterling silver hallmark: Genuine sterling silver pieces carry a 925 hallmark. UK-made pieces should carry a struck hallmark — crisp, slightly recessed impression, not laser-etched. Flat, uniform engraving is a red flag.

Weight: Sterling silver has specific weight and warmth. A genuine small Orb pendant in silver should feel substantial. Pieces that feel light or tinny are unlikely to be authentic.

Construction: Check solder joints — genuine pieces show fine, consistent joins. Globular or uneven blobs suggest lower quality manufacture. Stones should be evenly and symmetrically set.

Packaging: Genuine pieces come with branded packaging — a box and dust bag both bearing the Westwood logo. While packaging alone doesn't confirm authenticity, its absence on a supposedly new or near-new piece is a warning sign.

What's worth collecting

Early Orb pieces from the Harris Tweed era onward — late 1980s — are the most historically significant and rarest in good condition. The three-row pearl choker in its various iterations is the most consistently valuable and most recognisable piece. The Armour ring is the strongest ring in the archive. Portrait collection pieces from 1990 are well documented and increasingly sought after.

Pre-1995 handmade pieces and numbered limited editions — where they can be confirmed — carry additional value. Construction quality and condition are the primary value drivers; original packaging and documentation add to provenance.

Westwood jewellery occupies a different position from the French fashion house costume jewellery that dominates the vintage designer market. It's British, it's rooted in a specific cultural moment, and it carries a design intent that goes beyond accessory into argument. The pieces that last are the ones that understood that from the beginning — and most of the best Westwood jewellery did.