Bernese beret necklace

Tradition

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Bern's goldsmiths and silversmiths alone have a long tradition dating back to the 14th century and experienced their heyday in the 18th century.

In the Ancien Régime, the Bernese government was elected on Easter Monday. The ceremony began in the town hall and ended with a festive church service in Bern Cathedral. On this occasion, the councillors always wore the "Berner Schultheissen Tracht", which included a beret (headdress) adorned with a gold chain. The female offspring of these politicians were called "Barettli daughters" and were considered the best marriage partners.

After the fall of the Ancien Régime, the beret was abolished in 1798. The gold chains were made into jewelry by the aldermen, who often bequeathed them to their wives and daughters. These chains have always been popular with Bernese women.

The complex production

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How is such a chain made and what should it look like? According to the chains in the Natural History Museum in Bern, the chain contains two different eyelets made with two different wire profiles.

The procedure is as follows:

• First, one of the two wires is formed into a star and the other into a triangle;
• The star wire is then twisted and bent into an oval shape. This is done so tightly that a sheet of silk has to be placed between the metal and the gold, which can later be burnt to remove the gold from the wire;
• The necklace or bracelet is now finished with the last step, soldering the individual parts.

The clasp consists of two cast (formerly chased) gold hearts and forms the crowning glory of the piece of jewelry. The two hearts are also part of the former alderman's chain.

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This is how unique Barettli necklaces and bracelets are created in our workshop, a selection of which you can also find on our website:

• Beret chain
• Barettli bracelets

If you have any questions about our beret jewelry, we will be happy to provide you with further information in the store or by other means.