Parisian jewellery house Chaumet has long championed a rich spirit of collaboration, working with an eclectic portfolio of photographers on avant-garde and arresting campaigns throughout its history. Now, for the first time, they are united in a retrospective book, Chaumet: Photographers’ Gaze which delves into the archives, featuring editorials and campaigns shot by talents including Guy Bourdin, Peter Lindberg, Mario Testino, Mario Sorrenti, Richard Burbridge, and Paolo Roversi.

Here, one of the book's three authors, Carol Woolton, discusses how photography has been integral to the high jewellery house since its inception, and how enjoyable it is to view jewellery photographed in an array of cultural contexts.

A delve into ‘Chaumet: Photographers’ Gaze’

Wallpaper*: Chaumet's rich history encompasses both jewellery and cultural references. Can you tell us a bit about how this book builds on this in celebrating the maison's artistic collaborations?

Carol Woolton: This book illustrates more than jewellery as a design vehicle for gemstones or signifiers of glamour. Through the rich legacy of photographic imagery – which really began with Joseph Chaumet himself and progressed with technological advancement and shifting fashion tastes combined with inventive artistic collaborations – it’s possible to detect the story of dress over a particular period and the changing representation of women. The style of each era, definition of beauty and how jewellery was being perceived by society at certain moments are visible through the 200 or so photographs in the book.

W*: What did you enjoy most when going through the archives? Did any imagery you came across surprise you?

CW: I’d describe the Chaumet archive as addictive. I’d spot what I imagined to be the most spectacular drawing or gouache of a jewel in the collection that would be a dream to have seen realised, let alone worn, before turning over another page and finding myself equally enchanted. The array of styles and breadth of the archive is astonishing. The beauty of the aigrettes [headdresses] surprised me and quite how many of them were commissioned at the time – one drawing stays with me in particular, which is painted with an airy lightness of touch depicting a diamond design rising up from a slender white gold headband into a fresh spray of holly with berries popping from the page with a dashing dab of red and silvery dusting of dew. Invariably for me, it’s Chaumet’s flowers that bewitch.

W*: What have you found most interesting in the way a diverse group of photographers have differed when interpreting Chaumet's aesthetic?

CW: I like the diverse aesthetics offered by a range of some of the greatest names in fashion photography, in some cases not best known for picturing jewellery, and how they’ve chosen to portray the jewels. Not only do these photographs show jewellery as an adornment for the body, but the diverse wealth of still-life styles also shows jewels as powerful objects, whilst others are seemingly in motion as the jewellery moves through a parade of backdrops, sometimes thought-provoking, often witty and always compelling. But invariably the jewel commands the image with its extraordinary desirability contributing a crucial element to the overall picture.

W*: What is some of your favourite imagery in the book?

CW: Every picture tells a story – as does a piece of jewellery, so my favourite images are the ones that leave a little to the viewer's imagination to decide what is happening in the picture. For instance, the 2006 image by Bettina Rheims of the mascara-stained face of a weeping girl with magazines lying beside her in bed wearing a tiara conjures up a complicated backstory in a single moment. I also love the mastery of Guy Bourdin’s magnificent black-clad cat burglar caught in the act attempting a daring get-away with the emerald and diamond jewelled bounty in hand. Others, like David Bailey’s 1970 glam rock silver-eyed model wearing a large geometric white gold jewel, are masterclasses in portraying the spirit of a decade.

Chaumet's new book, 'Chaumet: Photographers’ Gaze' is available at amazon.co.uk

There are jewelled watches and there are high jewellery watches. As proud symbols of technical and creative mastery, they are especially singled out by leading jewellery houses as part of their annual high jewellery collections. Traditionally, a high jewellery watch is a ‘secret’, a rare-gem-set bracelet with a tiny hidden watch dial designed to give the wearer possession of a delightful surprise. Like a hidden door, the timekeeping element of a high jewellery watch is engineered to blend seamlessly into the jewel design. This not only hides a tiny watch dial but the volume of the quartz watch movement required to power it.

This year, Cartier, Chaumet and Chanel offered particularly graphic takes in three playfully modern designs.

Three 2024 high jewellery watches

Chaumet ‘En Scène’ Tango

The jewellery house at 12 Place Vendôme has a strong history in watch design and, in this proud Paris Olympics year, it would have been a welcome surprise to see a resplendent return of Chaumet’s sporty Class 1 design – a jewelled divers’ watch for women created in the 1990s. Hopefully, it will be revived sometime soon. Today, high jewellery watch iterations are the key focus at Chaumet and the sheer simplicity and graphic pleasure of the performance-inspired ‘Tango’, in white gold, juicy rubies and brilliant-cut diamonds, makes it a winner. There’s no hiding it’s a watch rather than a bracelet, but the now-you-see-me-now-you-don’t ‘secret’ cover creates enough sparkle to make you itch to see what’s going on beneath. The diamond-row lugs and sheeny, black satin strap nod to Chaumet’s inherent French chic in watch design. Did I mention, how much I’d love to see a high jewellery return for the Class 1…

chaumet.com

Cartier 'Nature Sauvage'

The most enduring nature motif in high jewellery, the Cartier Panthère slinks into watch design with ease. In fact, Jeanne Toussaint, the woman who introduced the wild cat to Cartier in 1914, introduced it on a women’s wristwatch. This year’s 'Nature Sauvage' high jewellery Panthère watch is engaged in a gem-encrusted game of hide and seek. A tiny, bevelled watch dial is seamlessly set into the clasp of a bold, white-gold Panthère bangle, resplendent with oval Ceylan sapphires, diamonds, emeralds and black lacquer. This, of course, allows the wearer to discreetly check the time with a quick twist around the wrist.

cartier.com

Chanel ‘Quilted 2.55’

The horological star in this year’s Chanel’s ‘Haute Joaillerie Sport’ collection, designed by Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Jewellery Creation Studio, is a gently humorous addition to the jewelled-watch genre. It was Richard Mille who, just over 20 years ago, steered sport-watch design towards its luxurious juxtaposition of specialist super-tech fabrics and precious materials. Introducing that contemporary mix to the hallowed world of French high jewellery design, however, is a bold move on Chanel’s part. The ‘Quilted 2.55’ bracelet watch also bends the course of tradition in its homage to the house quilted motif, now reinvented as a performance-fabric mesh design. The perfume-bottle-stopper diamond dial with its brilliant red-lacquer hands can be worn to the front, as is the norm, or slid around the wrist and ‘hidden’ at the back. The clasp, in the classic 2.55 design, is no longer a hidden technical must but a gorgeous decorative detail.

chanel.com

High jewellery dazzles when worn against bold tones. Here, discover the intricate craftsmanship and rare forms of jewels from Chaumet, Tiffany & Co, Gucci, De Beers,  Cartier, Buccellati, Dior Joaillerie and Hermès. 

High jewellery looks to inspire

A version of this article appears in the April 2024 issue of Wallpaper* available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

Paris 2024 has revealed the high-concept medals for the upcoming Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (following the already-revealed Paris 2024 torch design by Matthieu Lehanneur). 'It was a bit of a crazy idea,' says Mathieu Prigent, Paris 2024’s special project manager of the medal concept. 'We reflected upon the meaning we wanted to convey. How a classic element can be different, or revolutionary?' The resulting idea was to inject a bit of the Eiffel Tower, the symbol of Paris since its construction in 1889, into every single medal. To do this, the team approached the Société d’Exploitation de la Tour Eiffel to obtain the ‘puddle’ iron that was removed from the body of the so-called ‘Iron Lady’ during several major renovations and has been secretly preserved. 

Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic medals by Chaumet

Once this iconic material was sourced, Chaumet, the most historic jeweller in France (the first jewellery house that moved to Paris Place Vendôme in 1812), was invited to join the project to design the medals. The choice was natural, for the house’s important role in French history, its creativity and its savoir-faire. For the last 25 years, Chaumet has been part of the LVMH family, one of the Premium Partners of Paris 2024.

'For this special commission, we looked to our patrimony for inspiration. The research was based on two principal ideas. Firstly, to transform fragments of the Eiffel Tower into a hexagon and place it in the centre of the medal,' explains Clémentine Massonat, the head of design at Chaumet. Needless to say, the hexagon represents the shape of France while the Eiffel Tower iron is an old, storied and industrial metal. 'Secondly, to surround the hexagon with faceting, like sunbeams – to put athletes in the ray of light and make France shine at the same time,' adds Massonat. 

Thibault Billoir, Chaumet’s head of archives, cites the nickname of Paris, ‘city of light’. He also referenced the Olympic Games in Paris of 1924, during the art deco period, at a time when the sunbeam was a popular stylistic motif. According to Billoir, the solar motif appears on many pieces in the house’s archives, notably on head jewellery such as Chaumet tiaras and aigrettes. (They are both iconic creations of the house).  'A tiara lights up the wearer. So does a medal.' 

Billoir describes the graphic effect of a tiara design that caught his attention in the archives: 'The successive lines that vary in size, shape and thickness, create a rhythm and reflect the vibrant light.' A second inspiration was found in a bracelet project from 1950s or 1960s, with a hexagon-cut emerald placed within a circular motif. Billoir continues: 'Its sunbeam radiance is extremely dynamic, giving the impression that everything originates from the hexagon.' The iron geometric piece was then encrusted in the medal by a Chaumet’s highly skilled craftsman using a ‘claw-setting’, as if it were a gem. 

Turning the Olympic Games Paris 2024 medal over reveals that the Eiffel Tower has been added to the Parthenon in the background, and that in the foreground Nike of Samothrace, the goddess of victory, is featured in line with the Olympic Committee’s specifications. For its counterpart of the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 medals, Massonat explored the Iron Lady from a different angle. 'The bottom view of the tower is quite graphic and recognisable,' she muses. Within the arched square, lines of small geometric motifs give an optical effect of infinity, suggesting the top of the 300m tower. 'I wanted to bring life to a static object,' says Massonat.

Each medal, gold, silver and bronze, of 85mm in diameter and 9.2mm in thickness, weighs around 500 grams, including 18 grams of iron. After several months of intensive dialogue between Massonat and Benoît Verhulle, the head of Chaumet’s workshop, the design of the medals was perfected and its resin finished. Now, the Monnaie de Paris is manufacturing the 5,000-plus medals. The entire team of Paris 2024 and the house of Chaumet are looking forward to seeing the medals shimmer in the sunlight around the necks of the winners, with the Eiffel Tower as a backdrop.

The Olympic Games Paris 2024 will take place from 26 July through 11 August, followed by the Paralympic Games Paris 2024 from 28 August through 8 September

paris2024.org

When chunky chains started dominating this year’s high jewellery collections, the electro-hop beats of Salt-N-Pepa’s 1987 hit Push It pumped around my brain for days. The musical connection also struck a chord with Ehssan Moazen, creative director of Chaumet, one of the oldest jewellery maisons on Paris’ Place Vendôme. ‘Our ‘Tulip’ necklace does have a hint of 1980s streetwear and a touch of punk to it,’ he says of the heavy diamond-set piece from this year’s Le Jardin de Chaumet collection.

Yet it’s rare for a jeweller whose business is seriously precious materials to create big, bold pieces that might be confused with street ‘bling’. After all, high jewellery is, by its very nature, designed to last. ‘Being recognised as a traditional house for our history, craftsmanship and the quality of our jewels is important – it’s in our DNA,’ says Moazen. ‘But it becomes a challenge if we only lean towards our past.’ As such, he sees the voluminous ‘Tulip’, with its off-centre 10.70ct Tanzanian red spinel, as Pomellato championed fashionable chains ‘the right inspiration to convey contrasting from the off, applying its fine, 18kt gold influences in a highly sophisticated way’.

If there was ever a moment for the  exclusive world of high jewellery to embrace broader cultural inspirations, that time is now. Global high jewellery sales boomed throughout the pandemic, with the-then-necessary direct-to-client video calls now seen as a highly effective norm for some brands. Recent surveys expect the market for highly precious designs to grow exponentially by 2025, as clients bask in the exclusivity of one-off creations and the rarity of earth-born gemstones. Then there’s the overriding influence of today’s music megastars who prefer real diamonds and pearls to the comic, overblown street versions of yore.

For Milanese jewellery house Pomellato, it has always been thus. The house is not new to fashion, nor the chain game. But it is a newcomer to the high jewellery arena. Established in the Italian city in 1967, Pomellato championed fashionable chains from the off, applying its fine, 18kt gold flavour to the symbolic pendant designs preferred by the hippie movement. The sounds of the times have also played their part. In 1960s music subcultures, a swinging pendant or two spoke of a subversive, sensual power, particularly for men. As Pomellato’s creative director, Vincenzo Castaldo, says: ‘Our dialogue with fashion always makes its way into chain design – it becomes more rock ‘n’ roll and openly seductive.’

The starting point for the high jewellery Castello chain, a sensational addition to Pomellato’s latest high jewellery collection ‘Ode to Milan’, was a 1970’s choker from the archives. “It had this neo-medieval look reminiscent of the dominating architecture of the Castello Sforzesco,” Castaldo says. “We were looking to find a link between Milan’s history and Pomellato’s heritage, so we took its essence of power and invincibility and added a softer contrast with the stones” – five rubellites and 28 carats of diamonds, to be precise. 

So far, so classic, but the addition of velvety rubellites and the sheer inventiveness of the Castello design – diamond-set angular baguette cuts on rose-gold plaques, linked by chunky diamond-set gourmette links – shows how Pomellato has appropriated the house motif as a playground for serious high-jewellery techniques.

The non-gender street appeal of chains was never lost on Alessandro Michele, Gucci’s former creative director, whose inventive high jewellery collections became quite pendant- focused. The emerald-eyed panther necklace wouldn’t have looked out of place on Neneh Cherry’s 1989 Raw Like Sushi album cover. The poppy hip-hop star stands defiant, dripping in urban-jeweller’s gold – pendant around neck, bangles stacked on wrist. “I was influenced by the idea of mixing the resilient and the classic, using urban street style with classic items,” Cherry told a newspaper at the time of the album’s re-release in 2020.

At Chaumet, Ehssan Moazen and his Paris team are also busy conflating the resilience of high-jewellery tradition with contemporary mores. The Tulipe design started as a chain, which, Loazen says, “simply became the extension of the abstracted tulip.” But there is a more philosophical bent to the story: “We liked the notion of a single concept coupled with an outstanding gemstone. Here, it is a feeling of ‘power’.”

The Chaumet Tulipe undoubtedly captures the style mood, but the high jewellery expression offers a level of sophistication and intricacy that, like any pop diva worth her gold-plated microphone, absolutely demands a double take.

A version of this story appears in the January 2024 Next Generation Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today!

Our top 10 watch and jewellery stories from 2023 are chosen by watches & jewellery editor Hannah Silver. From unexpected watch partnerships to a host of artistic references, designers this year have enjoyed breaking new ground. Enjoy our favourite watch and jewellery moments of the year with these standout stories (in no particular order) celebrating a spirit of collaboration.

Top 10 watch and jewellery stories of 2023

01. Saint Laurent partners with Girard-Perregaux for first watchmaking foray

Girard Perregaux’s original Casquette watch, launched in 1976, broke traditional watchmaking codes with its tubular LED display and quartz movement, while its avant-garde shape was a refreshing antidote to the classic dials prevalent at the time. Although not officially called the Casquette, it was quickly dubbed so by a legion of loyal fans eager to see its return. 

Following Girard-Perregaux’s 2022’s re-release of the Casquette watch, the brand this year unveiled its latest iteration, the result of a collaboration with Saint Laurent. Saint Laurent creative director Anthony Vaccarello has rethought the futuristic watch in black ceramic and PVD-treated grade 5 titanium, making for a result both strong and light. Designed to arch comfortably around the wrist, the watch sees the addition of a chronograph and a time display showing the time in a different location, a new and useful feature.

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02. Six artists interpret Repossi’s ‘Antifer’ jewellery collection with new works

To mark the tenth anniversary of the launch of its ‘Antifer’ collection, Italian jewellery house Repossi created five new designs, as well as three pieces of high jewellery. In the set of rings, stacked rows of precious metals cut asymmetrical silhouettes for the first time, while the classic proportions of the ‘Antifer’ motif are teased into an elongated peak. Hoop earrings and a long pendant necklace with a fully pavéd symbol are elegant new additions, while a chain necklace in pink gold playfully works the motif into its links. Repossi also collaborated with six artists, who interpreted the collection to create artworks for a Paris exhibition.

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03. Pin your hopes on Chanel’s new watch

The humble pin cushion is behind the latest watch from Chanel, with Arnaud Chastaing, the director of Chanel’s watchmaking studio, taking inspiration from objects whose architecture centres around their function. Chanel watches traditionally take their design cues from the French maison’s world – from the winding of a distinctive embellished leather handbag chain around the wrist to evoking the form of a No. 5 perfume bottle stopper or imprinting tweed on a dial. 

With the Mademoiselle Privé Pique-Aiguilles watch, it’s the pin cushion that Gabrielle Chanel often toted on her wrist in her role as seamstress that acts as muse. Cutting a playfully oversized silhouette, the tweed motif version features the pattern of a tweed jacket, trimmed with 92 diamonds, underneath a domed case evoking the shape of a pin cushion. It’s dotted with the tools of an atelier, such as thimbles, scissors and tape measures, all drawn in sculpted gold. 

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04. Completedworks turns its reductionist vision to bags

A preoccupation with the relationship between form and function meant a move into fashion accessories was perhaps inevitable for London-based jewellery and homeware brand Completedworks. For the past decade, its artistic director Anna Jewsbury has infused ceramics and jewellery with a sculptural sensibility, presenting everything from vases that appear to have been casually scrunched in the hand to offbeat, playfully proportioned earrings. Now, she turns her sharp eye to bags.

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05. ‘Bauhaus goes American!’: Louis Erard and Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry’s playful new watch

A bold geometry defines the watches created in a collaboration between US-based Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry, Swiss watchmaker Louis Erard and French watch designer Alain Silberstein. Alain Silberstein’s love of primary colours meets playful details – such as the smileys rather than the traditional date in the date window – in new watch sets, which include 72 Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein for Stephen Silver La Semaine watches. Special box sets also contain both Louis Erard x Alain Silberstein for Stephen Silver Le Régulateur and La Semaine watches.

‘This piece is a great representation of the sensibilities of Alain Silberstein, the renowned French watch designer,’ says Jared Silver, president of Stephen Silver Fine Jewelry of La Semaine. ‘It is bold, playful, and whimsical. We wanted to collaborate with him because he shares much in common with the attitudes of our collectors here in Silicon Valley, who enjoy their watches with a sense of fun. As the watch's USA edition, we wanted to bring in the quintessential Americana colours.’

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06. Björn Weckström’s epic sculptures and chunky jewellery shine a light on the human condition

For Finnish sculptor and jewellery designer Björn Weckström, the frailties of the human condition are a lifelong preoccupation. His sculptures, which expose the challenges facing mankind, are epic in scale and cast in an eclectic mix of materials: marble, bronze, glass and resin. The 88-year-old artist draws on both his Nordic heritage and the decades he spent in Italy, as a lecturer at the University of Pisa from 1979, for works that capture his fascination with Greek mythology, imbuing the familiar forms of the gods with an empathetic humanity.

While Weckström has always been intrigued by the possibilities offered by materials, he originally manipulated these on a smaller scale, beginning his career as a jewellery designer. ‘I always wanted to be a sculptor, but, the fact is, my family was very much against it,’ he tells us from his home in Espoo, Finland. ‘My grandfather was a jeweller, but I wasn’t so interested. We made a compromise and I went to the [Finnish] Goldsmith School and started with the small things – it was a good time. I could make things look different. I wanted to take it to a higher level where it’s so free, you don’t have any function. It’s like a piece of art.’

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07. Reimagined Cartier Baignoire watch is a fitting homage to the original

With its minimalist mood and simple silhouette, the reinterpreted Cartier Baignoire is part bangle, part watch, and references key moments in Cartier’s design history. Originally conceived in 1912, the Baignoire is commonly thought to take its name from the French word for bathtub, but it actually refers to VIP seats at the opera. ‘It was where the wealthy people sat,’ explains Pierre Rainero, Cartier’s image, style and heritage director. ‘There were six seats together, with a kind of barrier around them.’

Reinvented numerous times since its inception, today’s Cartier Baignoire subscribes to the poetry of reduction in its elegant play with precise geometrical forms. Designed to be worn as close to the wrist as possible, the flat face is a sleek foil for the contours of the bracelet. The design ‘is linked to our culture as a jeweller’, says Rainero. ‘When you’re a jeweller, [you are considering] the right fitting to the body, and beyond that, the way an object that you have on your body accompanies your movements, so it’s not a constraint, but, on the contrary, it adds magnificence to your movement. That is the key. This is the essence of being a jeweller, and in our way of creating watches, we always have it in mind – it’s second nature and obvious for us to stay true to it.’

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08. Chaumet spotlights the golden age of jewellery design in Paris

To step into the Chaumet exhibition, ‘Un Âge d’Or’, in Paris is to step back in time, into an era where avant-garde design entered the jewellery mainstream. Held in Chaumet’s home on the Place Vendôme, the exhibition, curated by Vanessa Cron, celebrates designs from the period 1965 – 1985, with jewellery from the brand joining exquisite objets d’art.

Furniture by Pierre Paulin, tapestries by Victor Vasarely, a ‘Togo’ sofa designed by Michel Ducaroy with Floraly fabric, a Gavrinis rug, fashion by Dior and Paco Rabanne and lithographs by Andy Warhol set the scene for the jewellery, which was in its most experimental era. In a direction spearheaded by René Morin, who joined Chaumet in 1962, and later by Pierre Sterlé, who joined the maison in 1976, jewellery became playful. 

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09. Aymer Maria jewellery gives historical references a modern spin

‘I have always been fascinated by the concept of wearing a piece of art as jewellery. I remember looking at my mother’s 1980s costume jewellery pieces by Yves Saint Laurent, Butler & Wilson and that sort of stuff. The big shoulder pads, the style, the red lipstick was a real wow for me as a child,’ relates Ruth Aymer, founder of Aymer Maria, a contemporary jewellery house that takes the built environment in all its iterations as a muse and conduit to deeper truths.

Aymer, who was raised in London and is of Dominican and Sierra Leonean heritage, didn’t immediately actualise her observations into an intention to found a jewellery house. However, the seeds of ambition were further germinated by childhood walks in London’s Pimlico and Belgravia, where Thomas Cubitt’s terraces ‘were so pleasing to see, from the symmetry of houses to the stucco fronts and columns’. Only as an adult, after the pandemic provided the necessary pause, did her ideas finally percolate. ‘I thought, “If I don’t start now I never will!'” 

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10. Feast your eyes: Nadine Ghosn brings cutlery-inspired jewellery to the table

Everyday items take on a precious significance in the hands of jewellery designer Nadine Ghosn – featured in our Wallpaper* USA 300 – who brings a mischievousness to eating and drinking accessories in her recent collection, Youtensils. A spoon dipped in diamond-encrusted Nutella, gold straws that wind their way around the wrist, and a name spelt in alphabet-soup letters comprise a playful take on the quotidian, all in Ghosn’s signature tongue-in-cheek style.

‘I am attracted to the things that we may not notice or honour daily that help us to live a better life – the hidden, the unrecognised,’ says Ghosn. ‘I didn’t come from a conventional jewellery background. When I first shared that I wanted to explore jewellery, I was led to two limiting beliefs: that the competition is fierce, and that I would fail. I had nothing to lose and everything to prove. 

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To step into the Chaumet exhibition, ‘Un Âge d’Or’, in Paris is to step back in time, into an era where avant-garde design entered the jewellery mainstream. Held in Chaumet’s home on the Place Vendôme, the exhibition, curated by Vanessa Cron, celebrates designs from the period 1965 – 1985, with jewellery from the brand joining exquisite objets d’art.

Furniture by Pierre Paulin, tapestries by Victor Vasarely, a ‘Togo’ sofa designed by Michel Ducaroy with Floraly fabric, a Gavrinis rug, fashion by Dior and Paco Rabanne and lithographs by Andy Warhol set the scene for the jewellery, which was in its most experimental era. In a direction spearheaded by René Morin, who joined Chaumet in 1962, and later by Pierre Sterlé, who joined the maison in 1976, jewellery became playful. 

Flora and fauna, delicately drawn in precious materials, made for unexpected motifs alongside musical instruments, birds of paradise caught in flight and unicorns carved from blocks of lapis lazuli. Morin’s unique vision can be admired in his exceptional series of Baccarat crystal blocks, which he translated into his ‘Bestiaire Fabuleux’ series, comprising 37 animals brought to life in textured gold and crystal – some of which are able to view at the show.

Previously unseen pieces have been called in from around the globe, including from the collections of Annick Morin (wife of the late René Morin), the Mobilier National, Ligne Roset, the Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, the houses of Baccarat, Dior and Rabanne, and the Mahnaz New York, Kimberly Klosterman and Faerber collections. They come to life against a backdrop of advertisements of the time, which placed the model as the powerful centre of the image, facing the camera and adorned with offbeat jewels.

It was a change of direction encapsulated in the opening of Chaumet’s boutique next to its home at 12 Place Vendôme in 1970. Bernard Cognard was at the helm of L’Arcade, a clean modernist space that made a natural home for the more avant-garde designs that were being produced. Traditional techniques were rethought, with gold reworked into brutalist, rougher forms in an elegant alternating of matte and rough surfaces, or forms so polished they become mirror-like in their brilliance. In other pieces, a bronze panther clutching a mother-of-pearl flower in its mouth takes on a rich patina, while a military trophy in coral, carnelian and malachite, with gold and diamonds, celebrates the introduction of bold new colours.

‘Chaumet Un Âge d’Or’ is at 12 Place Vendôme, Paris 1er. It is open to the public from Thursday 5 October to Sunday 5 November 2023, 11am to 7pm, Tuesday to Saturday inclusive, reservation required: www.chaumet.com/fr_en/golden-age 

Chaumet draws on its heritage as a naturalist jeweller with a new high jewellery collection encompassing natural motifs in precious materials. The pieces, divided into four chapters, look to flowers, fields and undergrowth, and around the world.

The first chapter, Woods and Undergrowth, marries botanical themes with twisting ribbons of diamonds. Ferns in white gold form layers in a play on texture, while articulation is considered in pairs of earrings that can be taken apart and worn several ways. A necklace featuring a spectacular opal had each vein individually modelled, in a faithful rendition of the naturalist tradition.

Fields, the second chapter, rethinks the wheat motif, famously loved by Empress Joséphine. Here, it is drawn in coppery yellow gold, its richly drawn form juxtaposed against an Asscher-cut diamond, imbuing traditional pieces with a contemporary edge.

A realistic pansy flower tiara created in the 19th century by Jean-Baptiste Fossin is the inspiration for the third chapter, Flowers. Subtle graduations of diamonds and blue, pink and Padparadscha sapphires create an exquisitely drawn tiara and brooch; elsewhere, the tulip blooms in bold red spinels.

Chaumet revisits its goldsmithing heritage in the fourth and final chapter, Bouquets of the World, with gold petals interspersed with diamonds on a graphic necklace. In a necklace, earrings and ring suite, pink chalcedony is teased into petals, curling around graphic cushion-cut Ceylon sapphires. 

chaumet.com

Historical references are woven throughout Chaumet’s new additions to the ‘Bee My Love’ collection, which translates the bold architectural silhouette of honeycomb into fluid ribbons of gold.

Rings and earrings juxtapose rose gold and pavé diamonds in a rich pattern, while a cuff, composed of individually assembled elements, encompasses a diamond-studded openwork mesh. 

‘The cuff takes more than 15 hours of assembly and soldering, as there are 45 elements to bring together and 29 different types of pieces,’ says director of the Creation Studio at Chaumet, Ehssan Moazen. ‘We are totally in the 21st century way of designing and crafting jewellery with “Bee My Love”. The design process is very much linked to mathematics and geometry, so we use 3D software to effectively design such pieces and then we have to use precision milling techniques to craft most of them. The stone setting, the assembly and polishing are done by master craftsmen. 

‘The precision required for the “Bee My Love” collection was achieved also thanks to Chaumet's watchmakers. To reach such levels of fluidity and quality we needed to push some boundaries in terms of manufacturing and craftsmanship. The effortless feeling “Bee My Love” gives is the ultimate satisfaction that makes us forget about the elaborate design and craftsmanship.’ 

The pieces pay tribute to the long relationship between Chaumet and naturalistic motifs. ‘There are two ways I link the “Bee My Love” collection to Chaumet's design heritage,’ Moazen adds. ‘Firstly, the clarity of concept, as well as the nod to nature as the primary source of inspiration; most Chaumet designs respect that, no matter what the kind of jewellery and the era in which they were crafted. Secondly, in the 1970s, a big part of Chaumet's archive from the 19th and early 20th centuries was not visible to designers, so they created some very striking pieces with little direct design influences from our long-standing design heritage. I can tell what we do with “Bee My Love” carries the audacity of the 1970s yet keeps a very clear and consistent design language.’

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High jewellery goes under a botanical lens in a new Paris exhibition, ‘Végétal – L’École de la beauté’. Chaumet has partnered with Beaux-Arts de Paris on the exhibition curated by botanist Marc Jeanson, who explores the life of plants through an eclectic collection encompassing painting, sculpture, textiles, photography, furniture, and jewellery from Chaumet and other houses.

The collaboration was a natural one for Chaumet, whose fascination with natural themes can be traced back to loyal patron Empress Joséphine, who was passionate about the natural sciences.

‘This all started with the theme of nature and plants, which echoes a quote from Marie-Étienne Nitot, the maison’s founder: “I am a naturalist jeweller”,’ says Chaumet CEO Jean Marc Mansvelt. ‘From the outset, this line has established nature’s centrality to Chaumet. So obviously we wanted to talk about it.’

In Chaumet’s practice of considering multiple perspectives and taking inspiration from other worlds in its jewellery, Mansvelt saw parallels with a botanist observing nature. ‘We had this idea of the maison resonating with other disciplines, since jewellery is closely connected to other forms of artistic creation. This is how the exhibition format came about. Talking about Chaumet and art in all its forms, highlighting how many artists have always shared the same desire to contemplate plants with the eyes of a botanist in a manner that is simultaneously humble, meticulous and intimate, creating highly different work that is yet always rooted in observation. What attracted us is that it will offer a different look. We open our eyes by offering other artistic disciplines, we create new dialogues. We cross the periods.’

Chaumet delves deep into its heritage for the exhibition, which presents the jewellery alongside species depicted in Chaumet’s high jewellery forms. Eschewing a chronological categorisation, the exhibition places plants in their natural contexts, from the forest to the reed bed and wheat field.

‘By proposing to learn how to look anew at nature and plant species in the manner of a botanist – by which I mean not as a landscape but as a sum of disparate elements – and by examining the relationship of man to nature, our exhibition is a valuable addition to the current questioning that is central in our society,’ Mansvelt adds. ‘With [this exhibition], the maison is illuminating the challenges we face today, but in its own way: not in a militant, protest or political dimension, but through art and the dimension of beauty, through the role and the contribution of artistic creation to the questions that drive humanity. We are encouraging the world to be guided a little more by emotion and sensitivity.’

Mansvelt hopes this marks a move away from the traditionally chronological exhibitions and towards a more considered perspective. ‘We’re showing that we have always dared to think outside the box, that we are not totally bound by convention, without being provocative.

‘By drawing on the incredible collection of Chaumet pieces produced across nearly two and a half centuries, we’re inviting everyone to rediscover that nature is and has always been an inexhaustible source of creation for the maison, as for the greatest artists, including many presented in [the exhibition].’

INFORMATION

The Beaux-Arts de Paris and Maison Chaumet present ’Végétal – L’École de la Beauté’, curated by Marc Jeanson, which is open now until 4 September 2022

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The historical and the contemporary unite in Chaumet’s new ‘Joséphine Aigrette’ collection, which teases Akoya cultured pearls into arresting and modern silhouettes.

Pearls have long held a place in the house’s designs, and were a favourite of Empress Joséphine. Exceptional pearl pieces in the archives include Joséph Chaumet’s ‘Curvilinear’ tiara, circa 1930, as well as the ‘Bowknot’ corsage ornament he created in 1922.

‘The new pieces of the “Joséphine” pearls collection take their inspiration from all of these elements of our history,’ says Chaumet CEO Jean-Marc Mansvelt. ‘Moreover, it’s important to remember that the pearl is also highly symbolic. Pearls symbolise love, prosperity, beauty, purity and female empowerment, which are all part of Chaumet’s codes.’

These new pieces balance pearls on geometric angles of diamonds in rings or earrings, or ride them on the crest of a glittering wave in a simply drawn tiara. The deep V of the silhouettes nods to the traditional form of an aigrette – or headdress — here embellished in pearls and brilliant-cut diamonds in a fine jewellery spin.

‘Tiaras are transformed as rings, with the new between-the-fingers “Joséphine” ring a delicate nod to the “Toi & Moi” design,’ adds Mansvelt. ‘The V and the pear shape highlight the characteristic Chaumet art of the line, but with a new dynamic that gives more movement to the pieces. Using a variety of settings – cut-down and claw – these pieces are punctuated with diamonds that almost seem suspended in the air.’

The collection intertwines this technicality with an inherent wearability: ‘The challenge was looking at pearls and reinventing them. Twisting classics and giving them a touch of modernity. By doing this, these pieces become suitable for many occasions; they can be worn alone or stacked and matched with the existing range. They can be the perfect memorable gift or the perfect bridal set. They are multifaceted jewels, much like Joséphine’s personality.’ 

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Bulgari: The rectangular form of baguette-cut diamonds presents the gemsetter with a graphic tool, here adding depth to Bulgari’s white-diamond spirals and figurative definition to the ‘Serpenti’ brooch. Pictured, ‘The Magnificent Inspirations’ brooch (far left) in platinum with 60 round brilliant- (29.28ct) and tapered baguette-cut diamonds (7.02ct); the ‘Magnificent Inspirations Serpenti’ brooch (top) in white gold, with baguette- and tapered cut diamonds (6.92ct) and standout square- (2.01ct) and pear-cut diamonds, both by Bulgari.

De Beers: Baguette-cut diamond spokes form an abstract framework for De Beers’ diamond medallion. Pictured, brooch (bottom), detachable from the ‘Elizabeth Tower’ necklace, in white gold with 356 diamonds in four cuts – round, princess, baguette, pear – including the central round brilliant (3.03ct), by De Beers. Jacket, by Christian Wijnants.

Fashion: Jason Hughes. Watches & Jewellery director: Caragh McKay

The brooch as a jewel form has been somewhat undervalued in recent years. Commonly perceived as being out of sync with contemporary tastes, its often-baroque nature is often dismissed as being too narrative rich for simpler, cleaner tastes. But brooches are best viewed beyond fashion, in high jewellery terms, as three-dimensional sculptures that push expectations of the materials used. Unlike like rings or earrings, they are not restricted to a particular part of the body – brooches allow designers and makers broader artistic scope. Toying with scale, perspective and traditional notions, as our story (first published in Wallpaper’s October 2016 issue) shows, when designed and crafted at this level, the brooch can become a powerful art object in its own right.

Harry Winston: A spray of knife-set diamonds forms this meditation on two classic stone cuts – round- brilliant and pear. ‘Cascading Drop’ brooch in platinum with 169 round brilliant and 16 pear-shape diamonds (totalling 35.21ct), by Harry Winston. Dress, by Boss

Tiffany & Co: Legendary Tiffany jewellery designer Jean Schlumberger was drawn to the irregularities of natural forms, slight ugliness being a necessary 
foil for an overtly romantic outcome. In turn, their intricate twists and turns allow gemsetters to display their own talents, as with 
this re-edition of a 1950s Schlumberger brooch. ‘Jean Schlumberger Guadeloupe’ brooch (top), from the 2016 Masterpieces collection, in 18ct gold with 79 round pink spinels (11.21ct) and eight round spessartites (1.37ct), by Tiffany & Co.

Cindy Chao: The freedom to express 
her sculptor’s instincts 
in various jewelled forms 
makes brooches the standout design in each Chao collection. Her 
fine art approach manifests 
in the ‘Rose Petals’ brooch, created in four parts. ‘Rose Petals’ brooch in silver and 18ct yellow gold (only two pieces shown), with central oval-cut diamonds (1.51ct and 2.05ct) and various cuts totalling 48.12ct, by Cindy Chao. Jacket, by Cédric Charlier

Chaumet: a pear-cut exclamation point highlights the vivacious character of Chaumet’s summer wheatsheaf. Its elegant nature is distinguished by exquisite craftsmanship. La Nature de Chaumet ‘Offrandes d’Été’ brooch (on collar) in white gold and brilliant-cut diamonds, with 2.21ct pear drop.

Dior Joaillerie: Interior details from the Château de Versailles are translated into tangled, sculpted jewels shimmering with sizeable velvet-hued stones. Designing the pieces as if viewed by candlelight led designer Victoire de Castellane to consider alternative materials, such as blackened silver.
Dior à Versailles ‘Salon de Diane’ brooch (left) in white, yellow and pink gold, and darkened silver, with 154 round- (6.21ct) and three pear-cut diamonds (1.51ct; 1.01ct; 0.70ct) and pear-cut emerald (2.18ct), by Dior Joaillerie.

Piaget: the watchmaker-jeweller’s distinct house engraving techniques add a lush, organic feel to this fan of red-gold palm leaves, pinched artfully together with a 2.51ct green tourmaline baguette.
Brooch (right), detachable from The Sunny Side of Life ‘Golden Palm’ necklace, in 18ct red gold with green tourmaline baguette (2.51ct), and 60 white diamonds (15ct), by Piaget. Cape; coat (worn underneath), both by Agnona

Suzanne Syz: Her pop art background and craftsman’s approach are
 the fundamentals in Suzanne Syz’s postmodern creations, 
as this grotesque mélange 
of rare materials and cartoon-
like references reveals. ‘Kermit on a Lilypad’ brooch (top) in yellow gold with chrysoprase, spessartite garnets (38.03ct), tsavorites (45.89ct), cabochon rubies (0.66ct) and diamonds (0.29ct), by Suzanne Syz.

Chanel Fine Jewellery: The ancient symbolism 
of wheat inspired Chanel’s 
Les Blés de Chanel collection, which is why 
it is quietly, beautifully rooted in Classicism. Moisson Ensoleillée’
brooch (right) in 18ct white and yellow gold, with 19 marquise-, seven pear- and 168 brilliant-cut diamonds, 209 brilliant-cut yellow sapphires and one central octagonal-cut African yellow sapphire (10.22ct), 
by Chanel. Jacket, by Victoria Beckham

Louis Vuitton: the new era of brooch designs reflects 19th-century tastes, where the highly precious nature of materials did not inhibit scale, nor restrict a brooch to a particular area of the body, as in Louis Vuitton’s ‘lace’ garland of diamonds. ‘Diamonds’ brooch (top) in white gold with diamonds (10.74ct), from the Dentelle de Monogram collection, by Louis Vuitton.

Boucheron: Designer Claire Choisne’s plush peacock plume of diamonds is crafted in two pieces, designed to create the illusion of bird feathers transforming into a flock. ‘Plume de Paon’ brooch (below) in 18ct white gold with one pear-cut diamond (0.08ct) and 499 round brilliants (3.33ct), by Boucheron
Top, £395, by Pringle of Scotland. Skirt, by Marni

Amrapali: Polished perfection is not typical of the traditional Indian fine jewellery aesthetic, where the 
visceral power of stones 
is paramount. This white-gold wreath design of 
non-uniform pearls and tumbled 45.64ct rubellite tourmaline underlines 
the organic Indian style. Brooch in 14ct gold and sterling silver, with 
128 round brilliant-cut diamonds (0.76ct); 
oval-cut emerald (1.15ct) and 14 South Sea pearls (9.46ct), with central tumbled rubellite tourmaline briolette (45.64ct), by Amrapali.

Cartier: The French jewellery house’s creative links to India 
and its particular jewellery design codes are reflected 
in the compelling nature 
of this carved rubellite. ‘Caresse d’Orchidées’ brooch of rubellite tourmaline (414.45ct), 
with one diamond pear- (0.73ct) and 186 round brilliant-cut diamonds (2.08ct), by Cartier. Jacket, by MaxMara

Graff: Gradating tiers of marquise-cut diamonds add a natural sense of movement to Graff’s magnificent ‘Bird of Paradise’ and its everlasting delivery of a 2.02ct pear drop. Pavéd brilliants add volume and texture to its narrative form. ‘Bird of Paradise’ brooch 
in 350 diamonds (27ct), including pavé set, 
pear- and marquise-cut, with central 2.02ct pear, 
by Graff. Top, by Bally

Chaumet is inspired by the fluidity of a breaking wave in the new high jewellery collection, ‘Déferlante’, which rethinks eight signature pieces, from a transformable jewellery design to a tiara and a secret timepiece. Water has long been a source of inspiration for the maison, the energy of its movements particularly popular during the Belle Époque, when its fluid form became a common motif in high jewellery. In these new pieces, which are an extension to the ‘Torsade de Chaumet’ high jewellery collection, the undulating silhouette of a wave is drawn in white gold and diamonds. On the tiara, the lightness of the gems’ mountings brings an easy elegance to brilliant-cut and step-cut diamonds.

Chaumet Déferlante collection

‘Chaumet’s high jewellery codes are embedded with the notions of light, movement and nature. The water in the form of a wave showcases all three,’ says Chaumet CEO Jean-Marc Mansvelt. ‘Water is deeply rooted in Chaumet’s history. This idea is always repeated in our stories of fine jewellery to reinterpret themes that run through our history. Water has been [interpreted] in different forms through the years, the drop of water, frozen water, stalactites, the movement of water. And this time, we [approach] the theme by bringing in the idea of movement, like “Torsade”: the wave, the energy, the force, the life.’

Creating this sense of movement with diamonds was not without its challenges. Pieces appear entirely flexible: in a three-row necklace, diamonds tumble down the neckline as if they are drops of water; in an asymmetrical ring, a glistening wave motif crests around a central diamond. ‘The challenge of “Déferlante” was to show the irregularity of a wave while keeping the movement as fluid as possible,’ adds Mansvelt. ‘Our studio and atelier have decided to mix the diamond cuts, a large number of cuts – especially on the large pieces of the collection – and the varieties of their settings. This masterful work of sculpture allowed us to interpret the organised chaos of a wave and reinforced the idea of movement and the different planes.’

The variety of diamond cuts – brilliant, princess, emerald and baguette – and the juxtaposition of geometric forms brings the immobile to vivid life. Says Mensvelt: ‘These pieces have an energy, this force of the wave. A real paradox. Hence all this work on the diamond cuts – the presence in the background of the knife edge to give depth, the play of balances and imbalances, the play of solids and voids to reinforce the impression of suspension.’

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Chaumet translates architectural codes into high jewellery in the ‘Torsade de Chaumet’ collection, which imbues the traditionally inflexible nature of precious metal with an easy fluidity. Its centrepiece is a technically accomplished Chaumet necklace featuring undulating twists – torsades in French – inspired by the frieze that winds its way around the Vendôme Column in Paris’ Place Vendôme, in a nod to the home of the maison’s first boutique in 1812.

Chaumet necklace nods to the past

The intricate négligée necklace is a contemporary play on its predecessor, initially created a century ago for the Maharaja of Indore. Rather than the pear-cut diamonds of the original piece, it comes with elegant diamond springs that form a neat end to the diamond rope. In this necklace, diamonds are caught mid-twirl in an asymmetrical pattern that spins past its elongated outlines.

The necklace is a highlight of a collection that pays tribute to the history of Chaumet, in particular celebrating its significant relationship with Napoléon and Joséphine, marking the maison’s status as imperial jeweller. These new pieces, released to coincide with the bicentenary of the emperor’s death, encompass a tiara, curved in coils of diamonds, and rings that spring diamonds dynamically off the finger. Earrings coil tantalisingly up the lobe, or dangle down in a brilliant refraction of light. In a brooch, a diamond web brings a modernity to a traditional adornment.

In some jewels, deep red Mozambique rubies are knitted into the twists of a necklace in an elegant asymmetrical play. In rings, rubies nestle in between diamonds. Shades of blue, too, are drawn in cushion-cut Ceylon sapphires that weave their way under the diamond springs in necklaces, bracelets and rings. A Colombian emerald takes pride of place on a diamond tiara, and brings a vividness to stud earrings and a ring.

INFORMATION

A version of this article appears in the Design Awards February 2022 issue of Wallpaper* (W*274). Subscribe today

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The newly renovated Chaumet boutique on London’s Bond Street unites British and Parisian design codes in a nod to both quintessential English architecture and the history of the maison. LVMH architect Patricia Grosdemange was at the helm for the refurbishment of the boutique, which brings symbolic decorative elements to the calm space.

‘This London townhouse is an exceptional address, and offers the unique opportunity to the maison to express both its history and modernity,’ says Grosdemange, artistic director of architecture and design at LVMH. ‘We worked with the best craftspeople to create the embroidery; the plaster work and the concrete [using] real plant prints; and the bluish lacquers with marks of gold leaf.’

Chaumet boutique on London’s Bond Street

Design details encompass Chaumet’s history, with the decorative elements of ears of wheat and straw marquetry paying tribute to the house’s history, which is also reflected in the high and fine jewellery collections.

Touches of gold and Chaumet blue punctuate the archetypal Englishness of the space. ‘This Victorian townhouse is the opportunity to express the strong links between two cultures,’ says Grosdemange. ‘Elegance and sophistication are at the centre of our design choices, and in this decision there are a lot of obvious links between Chaumet and British culture – the intimate atmosphere, common sensitivity for nature and beautiful gardens, emphasis on craft. The Victorian style blended with a Parisian elegance makes for a very modern result.’

The space is an understated foil for the high jewellery, permanent collections and tiaras within, making it an elegant addition to Chaumet’s retail presence across Europe. It follows the reopening of its space in London’s Harrods, and last year’s renovation of the brand’s hôtel particulier at 12 Vendôme in Paris.

Ultimately, the boutique stays faithful to strong Chaumet codes: ‘We wanted to put forward the narrative universe of the house, especially nature, light and shine,’ explains Grosdemange. ‘The celestial theme, dear to Chaumet, evokes radiation and elevation and honours the most prestigious British address.’

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Wedding tiaras bring a regal edge to the romance of a wedding dress. Whether making a statement with whimsical silhouettes, or embracing the delicacy of luminescent pearls, opt for a tiara that can elevate a gown from beautiful to bridal.

If classic connotations are your bag, be seduced by the tantalisingly traditional design codes woven through Chaumet’s ‘Laurier’ head ornament. The tiara, which draws the laurel plant – rich in historical references – in brilliant-cut diamonds, brilliantly sparkles when paired with the joyful glitz of a Paco Rabanne gown.

For a spikier silhouette, consider Bibi van der Velden, who studs the peaks of her ‘Kryptonite’ tiara in brown diamonds, making it a sleek choice for the streamlined elegance of an Asceno jacket and dress.

Just as modern are the curved brass poppies of Christopher Thompson-Royds’ ‘Opium’ crown. Here, traditional flower references are turned on their head, their ephemeral nature given a permanence which makes this a chic and appropriate mark of lasting commitment. Paired with the overblown silhouettes of Molly Goddard Bridal, it is appealingly unexpected.

For a softer look, lean in to the radiance of Tasaki’s ‘Garland’ tiara, which frames akoya pearls in diamonds for a chic play on angles and curves, making a classic foil for the edgy frills of a Christopher Kane wedding dress.

For further wedding inspiration, let us introduce Weddingpaper*, Wallpaper’s first dip into nuptial nirvana, as seen in the October 2021, 25th Anniversary Issue and coming to Wallpaper.com throughout this week. Forget the conventional and the staid; here, tradition comes with a twist and frou frou frills with a velvet blue mule.

Whether it’s pairing the cool metal hues of a rose gold wristwatch with the billowing folds of an In-Grid Bride gown, or juxtaposing a luminescent Mikimoto pearl brooch against the mischievous polka dots of a Dunhill shirt, brides and grooms are sure to find something style wise to love. Wedding guests, too, take note: our chic and sculptural guide to timeless gifting puts the days of mismatched china long behind us, making for a very modern take on wedded bliss.

INFORMATION

A version of this article appears in the October 2021, 25th Anniversary Issue of Wallpaper*, on newsstands now and available to subscribers – 12 digital issues for $12/£12/€12.

Chaumet pays tribute to defining architectural codes with the release of this year’s high jewellery collection. Torsade de Chaumet is inspired by the frieze that winds its way around the Vendôme Column in Paris’ Place Vendôme, the square where Chaumet opened its boutique in 1812. The whorls that wrap around the column are translated into precious twists – torsades in French – drawn in diamonds and precious stones.

The twist becomes a fluid reference in the new high jewellery pieces, which curl around the neck and draw diamond waves in the hair; dangling precious gems from the glittering tendrils, they become flexible forms infused with light. The pieces, caught in mid-spin, appear to move and tremble with the wearer.

In the tiara, the curves of the collection are intertwined with the jewellery house’s history. The piece is a significant addition to Chaumet’s tradition of supplying jewellery to European courts; Empress Joséphine was a loyal customer, and her favourite pieces are given a contemporary rethink here, in twirling lines of diamonds.

In earrings, diamonds become dynamic, with coils appearing to jump off the ear. A tightly woven coil clings to a ring, is also seen around the diamond-studded dial of a watch, and elsewhere corkscrews its way around the earlobe. In a necklace and a bracelet, the asymmetrical patterns spin past their elongated outlines. In other pieces, coloured stones add warmth – cushion-cut Ceylon sapphires, Mozambique rubies and Colombian emeralds are a warm foil for the graphic clarity of the diamonds.

The launch of the collection coincides with the opening of Chaumet’s newly renovated store in London’s Bond Street. LVMH architect Patricia Grosdemange brings familiar Chaumet naturalistic motifs such as ears of wheat, grasses and plants to life for an elegant touch of Paris in the heart of London.

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Chaumet’s history has been intertwined with that of Empress Josephine’s since the jewellery house became her official jeweller in the 18th century. She has been the muse for myriad diamond creations since then, with high and fine jewellery collections weaving references to her into intricate patterns of diamonds over the subsequent centuries.

Now, a rethinking of Chaumet’s Joséphine collection celebrates the empress’ chameleon-like love of reinvention. It is a collection crying out to be mixed, matched and made your own. The design centres around her most recognisable piece, the tiara, adapting the pear cut at its centre into earrings, rings, necklaces and a watch.

‘Our key character isn’t Napoleon – it’s Josephine,’ says Chaumet CEO Jean-Marc Mansvelt. ‘She’s an interesting character, the central one of the maison. The pure shape is part of her story.’

In the new Joséphine Ronde d’Aigrettes collection, pear cuts form asymmetrical silhouettes, the angular lines of the rings made to be stacked. In the Joséphine Valse Impériale high jewellery collection, pear-shaped diamonds are swept into the curves of a tiara or rest lightly below the collarbone. The simple graphic silhouette of the dial takes centre stage in the the Joséphine Aigrette watch, which is held comfortably in place with an unbroken buckle-free loop of leather or satin. ‘More than ever, we wanted this connection between the jewellery and the watch,’ Mansvelt says.

Next month, Chaumet will be celebrating Josephine and Napoleon in a new Paris exhibition, ‘Joséphine et Napoléon, une histoire (extra)ordinaire’, which marks the bicentury of the emperor’s death and takes a look back through the couple’s life together through jewellery, paintings and works of art. ‘Many institutions will celebrate Napoleon the politician, or the military man. We are highlighting that Napoleon was also a man in love,’ says Mansvelt.

Adds Chaumet director of heritage Claire Gannet: ‘Nowadays, we all want to contemplate and experience beauty. The spring season overlaps with the anniversary of Napoleon’s death – starting to talk about their love story at the blooming season is a nice symbol.’

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The exhibition ’Joséphine et Napoléon, une histoire (extra)ordinaire’ will take place 10 April – 12 June at 12 Place Vendôme, Paris

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Chaumet marks its 240th anniversary this year with a new collection that draws on a host of defining cultural references from the high jewellery house’s history. The ‘Perspectives de Chaumet Skyline’ necklace takes modern cityscapes as its inspiration, rewriting their clash of geometry in warm yellow gold that has been polished, openworked, engraved and hammered.

‘The work of gold on this piece is a tribute to the 1960s and 1970s, from the time of Pierre Sterlé and René Morin,’ says Chaumet CEO Jean-Marc Mansvelt. A serrated silhouette gives an illusion of chaos, a nod to deconstructivism; Mansvelt points to Irving Penn’s Collapse and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater as direct inspirations.

‘The construction of a piece of jewellery is also a question of architecture: creating balance, harmony, tension, the relationship between empty and full,’ says Mansvelt. ‘It should never be forgotten that a piece of high jewellery only exists because it must be worn and be comfortable to wear.’ The resulting asymmetrical zip of textured gold ultimately finds its own balance, juxtaposing its sharp angles against the perfectly pear-shaped orb of a Colombian emerald.

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This article originally appeared in the October 2020 issue of Wallpaper* (W*258)

Chaumet’s tiaras, a mainstay of the French jewellery house’s collections since their inception in 1780, are intertwined in historical references. The Empress Josephine was enamoured with their intricate forms and they quickly became her favourite pieces, marking the start of a fruitful relationship. Upon appointing the French jewellery house her official jeweller, the Empress inspired many of the designs which continue to endure today.

This year, Chaumet’s tiaras continue to play on the naturalist themes which have become a cornerstone of the brand’s design identity. Classic motifs such as the laurel – a favourite of Empress Josephine’s – are revisited here in Precious Foliage. Its fluid branches drawn in diamonds prove a comfortable perch for a diamond bee, who can be removed and worn as a brooch.

The pieces in Perspectives de Chaumet cut stronger silhouettes. The collection is traditionally inspired by architecture, in the past nodding to movements from the Italian Renaissance to deconstructivism and Italian futurism. The new additions develop these original influences; in its elaborate diamond mesh, Lacis recalls a twisting maze of narrow streets. The structure, rendered almost invisible in a technical feat, makes for a light and airy result. In Mirage, Chaumet plays again with the ways a piece can be worn and references fluid structures in its own form, two sections of which can be removed and worn separately.

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‘Crèvecoeur’ tiara

Chaumet captured the market in tiara design from the moment the founder, jeweller Marie-Étienne Nitot, became jeweller to Napoleon. Nitot, a die-hard royalist had a canny instinct for embellishing the Imperial aspirations of his client – Napoleon and Josephine both adopted his tiaras as power symbols. Centuries of tiara designs make up a sizeable portion of the 250 pieces on show. Here, the tiaras are endowed the status of ‘cult’ jewel. But that seems trite, a curator’s clunky modern spin, because this intimate view reveals tiaras as miniature works of art and architecture, a lasting homage to the sheer artistry and engineering skills of the dedicated Place Vendôme jewellers who sculpted and set them.

Ear of wheat, or ‘Crèvecoeur’ tiara, in gold and diamonds. 18th-century design by François-Regnault Nitot, adapted by Joseph Chaumet a century later

Hair comb

While many of the exhibition jewels are loaned by private collectors, Chaumet owns studio replicas, also made by the house-founder Nitot, of pieces from a parure for Napoléon’s second wife, Marie-Louise of Habsburg-Lorraine, Archduchess of Austria and grand-niece of Marie-Antoinette. This exquisite comb was part of a set of designs in oriental rubies and diamonds, including a tiara, coronet, necklace, drop earrings and bracelets. It was delivered to the empress in 1811.

Comb, in gold, silver, white sapphires, zircon and garnets. Designed by François-Regnault Nitot

Briar rosebud tiara

By the early 20th century, the tiara had been set free from royal circles and tradition to become a covetable fashion accessory for new societies with money to spend on status symbols. Tiaras were popular during the Belle Epoque period, when romantic motifs, such as bows and stars, were common design hooks. By the 1920s, Jazz Age socialites infused them with a pop sensibility, finishing off sleek, silk gowns with decadent tiaras at society parties. Today, a new kind of lavish lifestyle has sparked demand once again. “The tiara has very much enjoyed a revival since the beginning of the 2000s,’ confirms exhibition co-curator, the jewellery historian Christophe Vachaudez. ‘Workshops at jewellery maisons are continuously undertaking special orders.’

Tiara, in platinum, diamonds and pearls. Designed by Joseph Chaumet, circa 1922

‘Vertiges’ tiara

‘When Chaumet commissioned Central Saint Martins student Scott Armstrong to design ‘a tiara for our times’ in 2017, he imagined a light structure of criss-crossing straight and curved lines that was inspired by the geometric grids particular to French formal garden design. Its name – ‘Vertiges’ – refers to aerial shots of these gardens and, Armstrong says, ‘the lightheadedness experienced with vertigo.’ The designer subverted the romantic floral motifs that also play a key role in Chaumet’s canon, such as bouquets of hydrangeas and stalks of wheat.’ – Laura Hawkins

Tiara in white gold, with pavé and channel-set white diamonds, with green tourmalines and yellow garnets.

‘Chaumet in Majesty' exhibition runs until 28 August at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco

Precision cuts and non-precious metals are the contemporary take on classic styles
‘Ca Cartonne’ cuff in coated aluminium, titanium and diamonds, by Suzanne Syz. ‘Aria Passionata’ brooch in gold, lacquer, rubies, garnets, diamonds and central 22.51ct rhodolite garnet, from the Chaumet est un Fête collection, by Chaumet. ‘Tiare’ earrings in blackened gold, diamonds and rubies, by Reza. ‘Soothing Lotus’ necklace in gold with rough and polished diamonds and central 6ct diamond drop, by De Beers. ‘Piccadilly’ fabric, £100 per m, by Nya Nordiska. Jewellery prices throughout, on request

Beading and lattice work add a sense of lightness to hard materials
Left, ‘High Jewellery’ necklace in white gold with turquoise, emeralds and diamonds, by De Grisogono High Jewellery. ‘Feather 0011’ fabric, £70 per m, by Kinnasand. Right, necklace in white gold with diamonds and central 19.79ct Ceylon sapphire, from the Resonances de Cartier collection, by Cartier. ‘Diamond River’ earrings in platinum with diamonds, by Harry Winston. Ring in white gold with diamonds and central 4.29ct fancy vivid yellow diamond, from the Swirl collection, by Graff. ‘Feather 0012’ fabric, £70 per m, by Kinnasand

Expert gold techniques add texture to create a beautifully contemporary finish
Left, ‘Blue Shore’ cuff watch in white gold with lapis lazuli dial, from the Sunlight Journey collection, by Piaget. ‘Sailor Tattoo’ cuff in white gold with diamonds, from the Flying Cloud collection, by Chanel Fine Jewellery. ‘Feuille’ brooch in white gold with diamonds, from the Hiver Imperial collection, by Boucheron. ‘Scratch 6787/0001’ fabric, £70 per m, by Kinnasand. ‘Kito CS’ fabric £250 per m, by Nya Nordiska. Right, ‘Cachette des Coccinelles’ clip in gold with diamonds, spinels and central 10.17ct Zambian emerald, from the Le Secret collection, by Van Cleef & Arpels. ‘Divissima’ bracelet in pink gold with diamonds, amethysts and rubellites, by Bulgari. ‘Feather 0010’ fabric, £70 per m, by Kinnasand. ‘Batumi Uni CS’ fabric, £59 per m, by Nya Nordiska

Metal and stones take on the guise of fine fabrics in intricate mesh and ribbon designs
Left, ‘Les Merveilles Meche’ necklace in white gold with diamonds, rubies, pink sapphires and central 10.06ct white diamond drop, by Boghossian. ‘Feather 0011’ fabric, £70 per m, by Kinnasand. Right, ‘Elixir of Youth’ brooch in titanium with diamonds, rubies, sapphires and central 42.39ct jadeite cabochon, by Anna Hu. ‘Bosquet de l’Encelade’ bracelet in gold with rock crystal, diamonds, emeralds, spinels, spessartite and tsavorite garnets, sapphires, Paraiba-type tourmalines, turquoise and central 12.38ct black opal, from the Dior à Versailles Côté Jardins collection, by Dior Haute Joaillerie. ‘Tesori del Mare’ bracelet in white gold and titanium with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, spinels, spessartite and tsavorite garnets, Paraiba tourmalines, and pearls, from the Mediterranea collection, by Giampiero Bodino. ‘Feather 0011’ fabric, £70 per m, by Kinnasand

The sparkling history of Chaumet – the French Place Vendôme jeweller – is the subject of a new boxset trio of books by Assouline. Famed as the official jeweller to Napoléon and the Empress Josephine, since its founding in 1780, Chaumet gained a reputation for exquisite aigrette and tiara designs. 

The first book in the latest triptych – Gabriel Bauret’s ‘A Discerning Eye’ – documents Chaumet’s relationship with photography. The maison’s archive includes an impressive 66,000 negatives and 211,000 unmounted prints. Joseph Chaumet was an early adopter of photography, using it not just to document the house's designs, but also in a scientific sense.

‘It enabled him to examine and study precious stones…also making it possible to identify flaws and fakes,’ Bauret says. In 1987, Chaumet’s photographic laboratory was closed, paving the way for the house to work with a variety of artistic photographers on its advertising campaigns. These include the surreal still life images of Ola Bergengren and, more recently, fashion photographer Karen Collins' pared-back approach to Chaumet’s signature knot designs.

Drawing for a Brittle Star shoulder ornament, by Joseph Chaumet, 1900. Collection Chaumet Paris

The second book – ‘An Artistic Heart’, by Jérôme Neutres, details the history of the both the maison’s 12 Place Vendôme atelier and its rich design archive, one including silver maquettes and 56,000 drawings, gouaches and watercolours. Neutres delves into the house's artistic heritage, noting that: ‘Chaumet has always responded to the artistic contexts of each era.’

So here we have early nineteenth century pieces referencing neo-renaissance paintings by Da Vinci and Raphael, or a cubism-informed brooch from 1925, depicting enameled dolphins, influenced by Braque and Picasso.

The final book in the box-set, ‘Chaumet est une fête’ – also the name of the maison’s latest high jewellery collection – embraces the house's perennial joy in decadence, festivity and celebration. Written by Antoine de Baecque, the volume recounts a host of grand Parisian balls from the early nineteenth century to the present day

These include the Inca-inspired Mardi Gras ball in 1812, hosted by the  Empress Josephine’s daughter, Queen Hortense of Holland, who wore a costume ‘entirely covered in diamonds and pearls’. Or soirées held by Chaumet clients Charles and Marie-Laure de Noailles in the 1920's, where at their Cubist villa in Hyères, they hosted guests including Man Ray and Salvador Dalí. ‘Chaumet est une fête’ also traces the evolution of party jewels over time – the tiaras of Imperial Balls transforming into surrealist aigrettes, turbans and plumed headdresses.

A rich feat of historical imagery, photography and sketches, Chaumet: Arts, Photography, Fêtes is an artfully storied archive, designed to tuck neatly into any bookshelf.

INFORMATION

Chaumet: Arts, Photography, Fêtes, $75, published by Assouline. For more information, visit the Chaumet website

Central Saint Martins student Scott Armstrong has made a head start into world of high jewellery, designing a new headpiece for Chaumet. Since the French jewellery house was established in 1780, over 20,00 tiara designs have been crafted. Armstrong’s is the centrepiece in ‘Imperial Splendours: The Art of Jewellery since the 18th Century’, an exhibition that opened this week in Beijing, and displays the house’s storied creations from the 18th century to today.

‘As a 21-year-old designer, to be asked to create work within the context of such a noble history is incredible,’ says Armstrong of the collaboration. He was one of 60 jewellery design students at the London art school who applied to take part in the competition set by Chaumet to ‘design a tiara for the 21st century’.

Armstrong’s ‘Vertiges’ design, a light structure of criss-crossing straight and curved lines was inspired by the geometric grids particular to French formal garden design. ‘The name refers to aerial shots of those designs,’ Armstrong says. ‘It also suggests the lightheadedness you experience with vertigo.’

The young jewellery designer has translated the naturalism of the house using clusters of green and yellow tourmalines and garnets, to represent moss poking through cracks in paving slabs. ‘They soften the otherwise strong structure of the piece,’ he explains. ‘The formal garden structures take a macro viewpoint of the landscape, while the moss is the micro view of it. I like this subversion of scale.’

Armstrong also subverts the romantic floral motifs that also play a key role in Chaumet’s canon, such as bouquets of hydrangeas and golden sheaves of wheat. For the French fine jewellery house, the ‘Vertiges’ headpiece is a proud symbol of tradition and modernity colliding to create something new.

A version of this article originally appeared in the Precious Index, our new watches and jewellery supplement (see W*218)

INFORMATION

‘Imperial Splendours: The Art of Jewellery since the 18th Century’ is on view until 2 July. For more information, visit the Chaumet website

ADDRESS

The Palace Museum
Tower Gallery of the Meridian Gate
4 Jingshan Front Street
Dongcheng Qu
Beijing

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The relaxed free-spiritedness and sensuality typical of New York-based photographer Karen Collins’ work chimed with French high jeweller Chaumet. Now they have collaborated on a series of images marking the launch of its new Insolence collection, unveiled during Paris Couture week.

The series of rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces takes inspiration from historic Chaumet bowknot designs, including a corsage brooch from 1922, in white gold, embellished with diamonds and pearls. An 1895 gouache of a brooch with asymmetric ribbon also has a light modernity that easily translates to today.

Historically, bowknot designs were careful symbols of eternal and binding affection, but  Chaumet’s original 19th-century sketch evokes a more relaxed sensibility. It is that mood that Chaumet reflects in the Insolence collection, where bows are created with different sized loops, and twisted rose-gold rope is laced with gleaming diamond-set ribbons. That the rope appears to have been snipped with scissors in uneven lengths, like a friendship bracelet that never leaves the wrist, enhances the light mood.

Mixing precious metals gives the pieces everyday appeal, while Collins’ choice to shoot them on unadorned skin at an unspecified hour – be it morning, noon or night – perfectly captures the collection’s fresh, carefree mood.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Chaumet website

Historically speaking, the bumble bee has long symbolised cooperation and productivity, dating back to the victorious hive of Napoleon Bonaparte. Today, the motif has been revived both in the collections of classic fine jewellers, as well as a younger crop of creatives. And unlike its sugary sweet counterpart, the butterfly, interpretations of the bee have an air of industrious grit about them – after all their harmonious hives are often used an analogy for both a successful government and society.

French maison Chaumet has featured the bee in its collections since its founder was appointed the official jeweller to Napoleon. The emblem of the insect decorated the tomb of King Childeric I, father of Clovis, King of the Franks, which had been discovered during the reign of Louis XIV, and was chosen by Bonaparte not only as a metaphor for his work ethic but also for its historical associations. Since then the bee has continuously featured in the house’s high and fine jewellery creations, and most recently in the ‘Abeille’ collection. Chaumet’s bee appears in coloured gemstones with an oval-cut body and golden wings. In its newest iterations the bee’s body parts are more pronounced with double sets of skeleton wings in different shades of gold and fragile, pave-set legs.

For Delfina Delettrez, her use of the bee is distinctly more literal than the rest of her often surrealist work, with its classical form portrayed in gold and enamel. She explains that the motif is, ‘much more than just decorative, it is a symbol of my work philosophy, with all the bees in the colony, coming together and collaborating’.

At Dior, bees have played a supporting role in many previous collections, however this year in the newly launched ‘La Rose Dior’ the emblem takes centre stage. In highly polished gold set with diamonds, Victoire de Castellane‘s bee is said to come from a garden in full bloom.

Moving into the fashion realm, Gucci’s Alessandro Michele has also introduced the insect, this time as a new theme for the Italian brand. Michele’s often gothic aesthetic can be seen in the ‘Le Marche de Merveilles’ collection, which mixes yellow gold hardware with bees depicted in grey diamonds set with sterling silver; a pale insect against a golden backdrop.

'Both works relate to architecture and space,' Italian artist Loris Cecchini says of his current installation Resonances - two large-scale pieces produced in collaboration with the French jewellery and watch house Chaumet. 'It's an emotional integration of both,' he continues. Now on show at the brand's flagship Place Vendôme boutique, the works: Waterbones, a suspended steel sculpture that sprawls across the air, and Wallwave Vibration, a water-like formation rippling out across the back wall, are rooted in Cecchini's fascination with the mathematical formations of the natural world.

There's a natural link to Chaumet too. The house's Class One model was the first ever diver's watch designed for women: it is waterproof, which makes it a sporty everyday watch; its robust nature nonetheless brimming with French chic. So, when Cecchini submitted his ideas for the commission, they settled on 'the fluidity of time'. 'They liked the idea that my work related to phenomenical science and a water theme,' he says.

Even more compelling is the fact that Chaumet also invited Cecchini to design a new Class One watch as part of the exhibition project. Playing on the Berlin-based artist's tendency towards purity, sculptural inversion and monochromatic tones, the limited edition all-white timepiece reflects the Wallwave Vibration piece with its rippling leather strap and cut out mother-of-pearl dial. 'The strap is an extension of the case,' Cecchini explains, 'it's sculptural to touch; an almost exact translation of my work.'

It's not easy to design a watch when you don't know how, so it's intriguing that Chaumet took a risk with Cecchini, and vice-versa. The design took a year to come to fruition. 'I liked the idea of going from maxi to micro because the challenge is to keep the quality and integrity on both scales,' Cecchini told us at the opening of the exhibition in Paris this week. 'Also, a watch is not an art piece, it's a useful object, so I had to learn how a watch is made - and that brings another dimension to my work.'

ADDRESS

Chaumet
12 Place Vendôme
Paris, 75001

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