Re: [CR]Fun with Campagnolo "Pave Style"

(Example: Production Builders:Teledyne)

Date: Fri, 13 May 2005 21:03:26 -0400
From: "Tim Victor" <timvictor@gmail.com>
To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: Re: [CR]Fun with Campagnolo "Pave Style"
In-Reply-To: <41b197$10chap4@mxip13a.cluster1.charter.net>
References: <41b197$10chap4@mxip13a.cluster1.charter.net>


On 5/12/05, velorosso wrote:
> The term Pave seems an obvious reference to the cobbles on road
> in France and Belgium. True enough, but Pave is firstly the name
> of a jewelry store in Oakland, California where my wife and I got our
> wedding rings. A signature style of theirs was a diamond-encrusted
> surface the resident master jeweler referred to as Pave Style. I don?t
> know if this is a formal term in the craft of jewelry. This style,
> however, certainly comes to mind when observing the jewel-like
> Campagnolo deraillleurs.

I got curious and tried a couple of Google searches. Found:

http://www.professionaljeweler.com/archives/articles/2002/jul02/0702pb1.htm l

The French word pavé, taken literally, means to pave like a street or sidewalk. But those who coined the word weren't referring to the material that covered the quaint cobblestone streets of old France, rather to the diamonds that covered their jewelry designs. For bench jeweler generalists, pavé is one of the more tedious setting styles to accomplish, requiring patience and good tool control.

So yes, it does seem to be a term of the craft referring to cobblestones, but describing the setting of the diamonds rather than the texture of the metal--or at least that's my reading of the page. (It goes on to illustrate how a jeweler would get all those stones set properly.)

Very much enjoyed looking at the gallery, btw.

Peace,

Tim Victor
Greensboro, NC