Copyright © Françoise Herrmann
La Rose des Vents (The Wind Rose) is a Dior jewelry collection launched in 2015. The collection includes rings, necklaces of various lengths, and bracelets with the Rose des Vents pendant, consisting of a plain stone side and a Rose des Vents side. The pendant is also surrounded by a twisted row of gold beads.
The plain stone side includes lapis lazuli, turquoise, onyx, pink opal and mother-of-pearl. The Rose des Vents design side includes a diamond at the center and an eight-pointed star in yellow, pink or white gold. The design was created by Dior’s jewelry Creative Director Victoire de Castellane.
The inspiration for the Dior Rose des Vents design is said to come from Christian Dior’s childhood seaside residence at Granville, in Normandy, on the west coast of France. The house was called “Les Rhumbs”.
Rhumb or rumb is the English term used to designate 11.25 degrees, or one of the 32 intersecting areas on a vintage compass. The terms are used in a nautical context to steer ships and to designate changes in the direction of the wind. Nowadays, the term wind rose refers to a computer-generated circular plot of wind speed and direction in a particular location.
Dior’s Rose des Vents design was awarded the US design patent USD762510S1, titled Jewelry Item. As a reminder:
“a utility patent” protects the way an article is used and works (35 U.S.C. 101), while a “design patent” protects the way an article looks (35 U.S.C. 171) [MPEP Chapt. 1502.01; [R-07.2015]].
One of the patent drawings is included below, together with an image of the Rose des Vents side of the marketed Dior pendant, in turquoise and yellow gold. The images of a modern computer-generated wind rose plot, and a vintage nautical compass with 32 rhumbs, are also included above.
Reference
Dior
MPEP – Chapt. 1502-01 – Distinction between design and utility patent
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