Oh! I thought it was just something pretty.

In the 2006 James Bond film, Casino Royale, the love-interest, Vesper Lynde, wears a particular necklace throughout the film, no matter what the occasion. Eventually, James remarks, “I know what that is?” And, he explains that her necklace is an Algerian Love Knot, given to her as a special gift. She counters with, “Oh, I thought it was just something pretty. James muses, “He must be a lucky man.”

I must say, I do like the necklace very much, and I did a bit of research about it. The Algerian Love Knot design is quite old, going back to primitive cultures, known for its magical abilities. Knots, typically, are associated with health, love, spirits. Generally, the design involves the intertwining of three chains, or wires, then flattened. Now it is locked into place. The design is also referred to as the Celtic Love Knot.

For my purposes, I looked into the 18^th Century, and found that sailors used to wear this kind of knot to remind them of loved ones back home. This not only lent it fashionable, but also popular. Known to sailors as the “True Lover’s Knot, it was woven with rope to make a “tori”: two flexible parts, but nevertheless inseparable.