The collectable and treasured champagne caps that are gifted with every bottle of bubbly are the core inspiration behind our gorgeous pieces of jewellery. However, where and how exactly they became part of champagne history remains a mystery to some.
Fear not, that is why you have us. The Muselet, which comes from the French word meaning to muzzle, was initially created to keep the cork in place and stop the carbonation from building up pressure and wasting precious drops of liquid gold!
Originally, wooden plugs sealed with oiled cloth were used and were often unreliable. It was not until the wire cage was created that the champagne caps rose to notoriety and common use!
The Muselet is made up of three parts:
A lower ring (ceinture) made in soft galvanised wire that is sometimes lacquered,
The body or cage itself, consisting of four separate wires (the legs) and a top in soft galvanised wire, sometimes lacquered,
Finally, our favourite part, a metal circular cap (plaque) in electrolytic tinplate, varnished and litho-printed or varnished and embossed
However, while the plaques look beautiful, they also have a very specific purpose in balancing the pressure between the cage and the cork to ensure the contents of the bottle are not spilled or exposed to air.
It was not until the beginning of the 20th Century that the first printed plaques appeared and become common use. The 1906 vintage marked the first in a collection of Pol Roger vintage plaques!
Today, the champagne caps are a significant part of every champagne house's branding. They are essential identifiers for all maisons and have become collectible items for champagne lovers all over the world!
