This wonderful 'Touch Wood' ring by Van Cleef & Arpels is made of 18 carat gold and amaranth in the 1970's. The ring is signed, dated 70 and numbered 112998.

Wood, the tree, is said to be the eternal reservoir of life. It used to be believed that dryads, fairies, lived in the forest. If you wanted to make a wish come true, you went into the forest. You knocked on the wood of the tree and asked the fairy to make your wish come true.

In the 1920's Van Cleef and Arpels started to create 'Touch Wood Lucky' jewels. This is the post World War I era, the time of the roaring twenties. 'Les annees folles', these years were called in France.

Jacques Arpels said 'pour avoir de la chance il faut croire à la chance', if you want to be lucky you must believe in luck. By giving a Touch Wood jewel to a loved one, they would be protected during the day and they would feel the luck.

Courtesy of the l'Ecole School of Jewellery Arts, klick here .