Jewellers are always looking for new ideas and new markets. Sometimes, this is a wonderful success. Other times… they really miss the mark. One of the ideas in jewellery which met much deserved failure were kneelaces, described by the Goldsmiths’ Journal in 1930.

A novelty for the knees

A New Excuse for Displaying Knees

‘Kneelaces is the name which has been suggested for the latest novelty in jewellery from Berlin. As will be seen from the accompanying photograph, kneelaces consist of strings of pearls which encircle the legs just below the knees, meeting immediately beneath the kneecap, and continuing up and over the knee to be affixed to the stocking top. The pearls are, presumably, strung on elastic to allow for the bending of the knees.

Kneelaces are exciting considerable comment in Berlin, but, with the rapidly increading length of the frock in this country, there seems to be little probability of their becoming popular here.’

Goldsmiths’ Journal, 1930

Even the Goldsmiths’ Journal, which was always open to suggestions that might improve the jewellery trade, seemed doubtful. The kneelaces seem to have been invented as a sort of extra decorative garter, fixed to the top of the stockings. They were taking advantage of a bit of body real estate which had previously not been catered for by the jewellery trade. However, knees are not the most obvious place to decorate. Even with an elastic cord, it’s hard to believe that those kneelaces weren’t soon snapped, dropping pearls all over the floor…. Sadly, the world was not ready for kneelaces in 1930 and probably still isn’t.

More ideas in jewellery: the signet ring with hidden key