Gem Paperclip
Name of Designer: Gem Manufacturing Company // Date of design: 1890/1907For around 600 years paper was fastened by making a hole in the corner of the sheets that were then tied together with a ribbon. In 1899 Norwegian patent clerk, Johann Vaaler, invented a prototype triangular paperclip, but it was the British Gem Manufacturing Company who designed the double oval Gem Paperclip used so widely today.
The paperclip is a single piece of wire bent into a double looped shape. The two loops are flexible enough to allow paper to slide between them, but strong enough to grip. The paperclip's slimline shape makes it easy to store, whether in use or not.
Made from flexible elastic wire steel, the modern paperclip has proved to be a classic of form and function. For centuries, straight pins, string and other materials were used as fasteners, but they punctured or damaged the papers. The paper clip may seem like such an obvious solution, but it was not possible until the invention of steel wire, which was "elastic" enough to be stretched, bent and twisted.
Little change has been made to the original Gem oval design and the simple function it fulfills: to hold a stack of paper securely without tearing the pages. Gem Paperclips are light-weight, easy to use, quick to apply and economical to produce and purchase.
Mass produced, cheap and re-usable, the paperclip has overtaken all other forms of temporarily fastening sheets of paper. As most paperclips are metal or plastic they last for years and can be made from recycled materials.
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