Carrie Bradshaw isn’t exactly a character we’d call utilitarian. Or practical. Or pragmatic. But during a second season episode of And Just Like That… she wears a massive carabiner—the industrial clip commonly seen in rock climbing and construction—on her neck. Today, the carabiner is no longer just an object for rappelling and sailing, as it’s cheekily turning on its gruffer roots and finding a new home in the fine jewelry space.
Carrie’s gold lock, engraved with scenes from the Kama Sutra, was on loan from designer Marla Aaron, whom many credit with starting the carabiner craze. (Sarah Jessica Parker also wore the necklace for an interview with Diane Sawyer.) Aaron, who has been making the pieces since 2003, offers them in a variety of metals and gemstones, from petite “baby locks” to grand pavé designs. And Parker isn’t the only one wearing them. Aaron also counts Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Alanis Morissette, and Queen Rania of Jordan as clients.
While the New York-based designer has been in business since 2012, the rise of the elevated carabiner is fairly recent.
“The carabiner wave has definitely been growing for the past five years,” says Kylie J., who runs the jewelry account @okay_____fine, and requested that her full name be withheld for privacy. “Jewelry design inspired by hardware is hardly a new concept, but around 2018, I feel like every jewelry account I followed sported at least one enhancer in their layers.” But with an increased interest in personalized jewelry—as seen last year with the onset of the charm necklace trend—the carabiner is playing a new role in the jewelryscape. “I do think the latest surge of charm mania has brought more attention to new ways to wear charms, and carabiners do that job very well,” she adds.
For Xarissa B., who runs popular jewelry account, @jewelboxing, and requested her full name be withheld for privacy, the current appeal is twofold: A carabiner is both an unexpected addition to a jewelry collection, and also a piece that can be customized. “Jewelry that you can play with that acts as a fidget toy or a modular element, or a way to individualize your look, gives you creativity that a tennis necklace might not,” she says. Indeed, one can add charms to the lock, or use it to modify chains.
“If you have a piece from our collection, you are able to incorporate it with your own and then it becomes a very personal experience,” Aaron says. “I love seeing young women with masses of charms, or anybody wearing their jewelry in an interesting way.” Aaron hopes that her carabiners will help revive old jewelry. (She feels particularly strongly about antiquated strands of pearls, which she offers to restring and attach to her locks.)
While many trends are fleeting, the jewelry insiders seem to think this is just the beginning of the carabiner obsession. “People are so burned out on the trend cycles," Xarissa B. says. “There’s an appeal to a functional object that humans have used for more than 100 years. It feels both new and old.” And that functionality aspect is a draw to those looking to invest in fine jewelry. “The ability to change things up is extremely valuable, especially when considering the price point of fine jewelry,” Kylie J. adds. “Any item that can inspire someone to wear what they already have differently is a wise area to invest in. Connectors act as a creative tool, rather than a ready to wear piece that can only be worn one specific way.”
For Aaron, seeing people use carabiners to broaden their jewelry horizons and find use in old heirloom pieces is the ultimate reward. “There’s something very beautiful and very poetic about function,” she says. “It’s not about what you do with our jewelry on your own. It’s about what you’re able to do with your jewelry once you have a carabiner. They are tools for creativity.”
