Orb
The orb is the emblem of Vivienne Westwood: the orb of the British crown jewels, circled by a ring like the one around Saturn. It was designed in 1985 to 1986 as part of a knitwear design and became the house logo, and it appears on labels, buttons, hardware and, above all, jewellery.
Definition
In the house's own heritage account, the orb is a symbol of "taking tradition into the future": a royal object combined with a satellite ring from the space age. On objects it takes many forms, from a flat printed logo to a cast pendant set with stones, but the elements are constant: a globe, a cross on top and a tilted ring around the globe.
Origin
The story is told by Ben Westwood, the designer's son. In 1985 to 1986, after Westwood's separation from Malcolm McLaren, the World's End shop was closed for a year and she spent time in Italy with Elio Fiorucci, who supported her and gave her access to his facilities. She was working on a collection about royalty with a futuristic touch, influenced by astronomy magazines her son had lent her, with photographs of galaxies and deep-sky images.
One design was a knitted jumper carrying the insignia a British prince might have: griffins, a coat of arms, the thistle, the leek and the shamrock, a chain, the crown and the orb from the crown jewels. To make it futuristic she added a satellite ring around the orb, like Saturn's, together with the phrase Deep Sky and some radar dishes. Seeing the design, her friend Carlo D'Amario, later the house's business manager, told her the orb was perfect for her logo, at a time when she was paying someone else to try to design one.
The account matters because it explains the form. The orb is not a decorative globe borrowed at random: it is one object from a set of royal insignia, chosen for a collection about monarchy, and the ring is the single addition that turns it from heritage into science fiction. Read on a pendant or a button, the two halves of the idea are still visible.
Key facts
| House | Vivienne Westwood, London |
|---|---|
| Designed | 1985 to 1986, on a knitwear design |
| Elements | Royal orb, cross, Saturn-like satellite ring |
| Meaning, in the house's words | Taking tradition into the future |
| Where it appears | Labels, buttons, hardware, jewellery, embroidery |
How to identify it
- The ring. The satellite ring is tilted around the globe, as Saturn's ring is drawn. In our handling it is cleanly formed on genuine cast pieces, front and back.
- The cross. A small cross sits on top of the globe. Check that it is cleanly formed on cast pieces.
- The finish. In our handling, genuine orb jewellery is crisply cast, with even plating and clean stone settings; soft detail and loose stones are warnings.
- Packaging. Jewellery usually comes with branded boxes or pouches and cards; their presence helps, but the object must be read first.
- Labels and buttons. On clothing, the orb appears on labels and buttons. A Red Label tartan jacket with orb buttons shows the button form.
Where it appears in the collection
Orb jewellery is the largest group of Westwood pieces in the house. An orb pendant in antique silver tone with red and blue stones, boxed, shows the classic form; a Mini Bas Relief orb pendant with crystal pavé shows the modelled version; and an articulated Armour ring builds the orb into a ring. The history of the house in Japan is told in our guide to Vivienne Westwood in Japan, and the jewellery sits with other houses on our costume jewellery shelf and our Vivienne Westwood shelf.
Related entries
- Medusa: another house emblem drawn from antiquity.
- Condition ranks: how plating wear is graded.
- Vintage Chanel jewellery: costume jewellery read by its marks.
- Sterling silver 925
Sources
- Vivienne Westwood, "The Orb", heritage page by Ben Westwood, 13 June 2013. viviennewestwood.com
Last reviewed 14 November 2026. The Japonista Curation and Concierge Team, Tokyo, Japan.