For the director of Cartier high jewellery creation, Jacqueline Karache-Langane, the story of a piece begins with the stone. It is a philosophy that guides the new high jewellery collection, ‘Le Chœur des Pierres’, which unites gems, from intensely coloured Colombian emeralds, to uniquely shaped diamonds and weighty topazes.

The series is named after a play on words – chœur can mean a chorus of voices or, without the ‘h’, as cœur, refer to the heart – which reflects the multi-faceted nature of the jewellery itself. Necklaces and rings showcase the singular nature of the stones while also incorporating sculptural swirls of precious metals and vividly coloured materials.

The collection encompasses more than 125 pieces, requiring more than 85,000 hours of work. Familiar Cartier motifs are interspersed throughout, from the geometric structure of a row of diamond-studded pendants in the Olorra necklace to the Tutti Kanya necklace, an interpretation of the classic Tutti Frutti style, with an exceptional 30.33ct engraved Zambian emerald at its heart. In the Haryma necklace, a jewelled tiger skulks over five imperial topazes.

Classical motifs and stones, too, are given an avant-garde spin, demonstrated in the fluid lines of the Tellura necklace, where the unique shapes of 30 diamonds lead a design that appears to tremble on the neck of the wearer. In the Specula ring, triangular diamonds are paired with onyx for a modern take on the Toi & Moi style, while elsewhere, rare cognac-coloured diamonds sink into rings lined with brown diamond cabochons.

‘Each gemstone is an encounter, an alchemy that resonates with our vision and our quest for the Cartier ideal,’ says Karache-Langane. ‘The creation serves the stone, revealing its nuances, its brilliance, its sparkle and its inner vibration.’

cartier.com

'The connection I have with pearls keeps changing,' Melanie Georgacopoulos shares as she prepares to launch Eclipse, her first high jewellery collection. Georgacopoulos’ name has become synonymous with the renaissance of pearl jewellery, reimagining a gemstone that had previously been viewed as a dated proposition, usually inherited as a family heirloom, into modern creations that upend notions of what is not only possible with pearls, but also enduringly appealing.

Georgacopoulos was born and raised in Greece to a Greek father and French mother, where frequent trips to ancient archaeological sites and monuments were balanced by holidays in France where she first encountered the works of Les Lalanne and Lalique. 'In hindsight I would say the best thing about my childhood was that I was exposed to many things.'

This eclectic visual diet, coupled with teenage experimentation in making her own jewellery, led her to hone her creativity. Firstly, at the Mokume School of Jewellery in Athens, followed by a degree in sculpture from the Edinburgh College of Art, pursued because she felt 'frustrated by just making small things all the time [so] I broadened my horizons with knowledge', and onwards to a masters in jewellery design at the Royal College of Art, where her graduate show birthed her first of many iconic designs using pearls, the Sliced Necklace.

'I think at the beginning I was very intrigued [by pearls]. It was an opaque material, and you don’t know what is in it. And the first response to that, with my sculpture background, was to just take one and cut it and see what is inside…the moment I cut one up, I thought how much can I push this idea of cutting them and turning them into something wearable.' The Sliced collection was the beginning of her lauded collaboration with Japanese heritage house Tasaki.

In the interim years since founding her own maison in 2010, Georgacopoulos has drawn upon her vast knowledge of pearls, coupled with a desire to not only surprise herself but also her clients. 'I try to work as intuitively as possible… my focus is not on the value of the materials. I don’t start by saying this is ‘x amounts of carats of pearls or diamonds’, I go more for the aesthetic of the pearl and the size I need for the design.'

In creating Eclipse, Georgacopoulos commenced with a thesis based on both social and cultural observations and a desire to design a collection that gave her the opportunity to incorporate hard stones in her creations; principally Onyx and Chalcedony as well as diamonds. As the collection’s name implies, Eclipse is both monochromatic in hue and also informed by movement and transformation, much like the celestial phenomenon itself.

'I feel like we are either black or white and the grey zone is diminishing politically and socially,' Georgacopoulos notes. This observation finds itself in necklaces and bracelets where pearls are held in custom-carved loops of onyx, resulting in a ‘chain’ effect and offering an invitation to experience both a chain-link jewellery piece like no other and to ponder on the strength and beauty found in unity rather than division. A single cast silver cuff, plated with black ruthenium with pearls applied between the metal, is another piece with meta-meanings. A substantive statement, possessing a gentle echo to antiquity, where jewellery worn as armour was readily embraced. Georgacopoulos remarks the cuff 'is something a warrior would wear' or in a modern setting, someone wanting to imbue their adornment with a readying of their inner strength for the day ahead.

Eclipse marks an evolution, that while still centring pearls seeks to present different expressions of their possibilities in a jewellery setting. 'Somehow over the years, my work has become more autobiographical,' Georgacopoulos reflects. Yet in her candor she has attracted a cadre of admirers and collectors drawn to collections that embrace multiple themes, expand conversations on materiality and are a harmonious balance of the conceptual and covetable.

melaniegeorgacopoulos.com

Chopard began life as a watch manufacture in the 19th century, but embraced a bold and colourful new mood when it diversified into the world of jewellery in the 1980s.

Its collections are defined by playful motifs, brightly coloured stones and fluid forms that nod to the creative freedom of its watches, notably seen in the classic Happy Diamonds watch collection, where the diamonds seem to float over the dial, contained between two sapphire crystals.

This spirit of invention characterises the work of artistic director Caroline Scheufele, whose first jewellery design for Chopard was a clown pendant with a belly full of diamonds.

A sense of fun continues in the high jewellery collection. In this ring, colour is given a geometric spin, with a rainbow of agate, garnets, blue topaz and sapphires in a delicate rose gold and titanium chassis.

chopard.com

This article appears in the April 2026 Global Interiors Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 5 March 2025. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

For A/W 2025, high jewellery encompasses bold and colourful forms. From Fernando Jorge's fluid silhouettes to Buccellati's pop of colour and Hermès' intricately rendered cuff, it's all about the details.

For Louis Vuitton, silhouettes are oversized, while Cartier's delicately sized earrings champion the pared-back. Van Cleef & Arpels and Tiffany & Co demonstrate their mastery of embellishment, while Piaget's delicate watch swinging from a necklace of precious stones rewrites jewellery rules entirely. Taken together, these pieces make for high jewellery that is exciting, bold and very modern.

This article appears in the November 2025 Art Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 9 October. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

French jewellery house Messika marked two decades in the jewellery business this week, unveiling the second chapter of its Terres d’Instinct high jewellery collection at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs during Paris Fashion Week S/S 2026.

Inspired by the open planes of Namibia, the collection, composed of 23 sets, emphasises contrast in its juxtapositions of striking styles, colours and form. Nature and light are translated into bold stones, from blue sapphires, which symbolise the sky, to onyx and diamond, referencing the stripes of a zebra, and pink spinels nodding to the fiery rays of a sunset. Also featuring zingy anodised titanium in blue, green and violet, and rich coats of black and brown lacquer, the jewellery is rooted in tradition, but ultra modern.

Says Valérie Messika, founder and creative director, ‘Instinct guided me here. Namibia showed me that beauty is born of contrast, brilliance against colour, power against softness. This chapter dares with new shades, but always keeps Messika’s light at its core.’

messika.com

Flowers have long been integral to the history of Van Cleef & Arpels, and it is a love that has bloomed outside the parameters of jewellery. In 2023, a partnership between Van Cleef & Arpels and The King’s Foundation (a UK educational charity founded by Kind Charles and spanning sectors from sustainability to agriculture, arts and crafts, architecture and urbanism) was formalised when the maison was announced as the Principal Patron of The King’s Foundation Gardens and Estates.

It is a natural move for Van Cleef & Arpels, which has marked the partnership with both a floral-inspired new collection and a commitment to preserving the natural surroundings of two of the foundation’s historic locations, Ayrshire’s Dumfries House, and The Castle and Gardens of Mey in Caithness.

Amid the rose bushes of Dumfries House, then, was the perfect launch location for the ‘Fleurs d’Hawaï’ jewellery collection.

‘We are really always celebrating our heritage, at the same time as bringing a touch of modernity and a contemporary eye to a new collection,’ says Catherine Rénier, Van Cleef & Arpels’ CEO. ‘This collection presents a very naturalistic expression of flowers, in the flow of the petal and the colours.’ The collection is also a tribute to the maison’s ‘Hawaii’ jewellery, first introduced in 1938, and now rethought with new workings and a modern design.

‘Our heritage [is preserved in] our archives, which are our source of inspiration,’ adds Rénier. ‘It comes back in cycles and rhythms, and there is always a new way for us to express ourselves. Here, a new setting protects the stones while leaving them to be free and light, so they look really like petals and the gold disappears.’

There is a fluidity to rings, necklaces and earrings complete with rhodolite, citrine, amethyst, peridot and aquamarine petals. The pear-cut gems, in sorbet shades, appear to float over their reworked settings, encapsulating a lightness and easy wearability.

Also joining the jewellery is a ‘secret’ watch, composed of citrine petals clustered around a mother-of-pearl dial. The strap can be easily slid off, with the jewelled dial also able to be worn separately. ‘The maison looks at watchmaking with the eye of the jeweller,’ says Rénier. ‘We like our watches to be an expression of jewellery. And it's the case here, where you can also wear it as a pendant. We like our watches to tell stories. We can choose if we want a watch, or if we'd rather have a jewel.’

vancleefarpels.com

In the 1930s, Gabrielle Chanel was tasked with transporting a Parisian elegance across the Atlantic. Requested in Hollywood by movie studio United Artists, Chanel was to bring her chic signature designs to the movie industry, lending a glamorous boost to the movie stars, both on and off screen.

With the designer keen to return to Paris, it was a short sojourn, but one with a lasting impact, felt in both the streamlined silhouettes of Chanel’s clothes and the bold designs of her jewellery. It is an era revisited now in a new high jewellery collection, ‘Reach for the Stars’.

Old and new references unite in the pieces, which rework familiar motifs. In her only high jewellery collection in 1932, ‘Bijoux de Diamants’, Chanel celebrated the spiky outline of the star, a symbol she considered ‘eternally modern.’ Here, the comets are lengthened, outlined in gold and onyx on the ‘Blazing Star’ set, while two diamond pendants bring a fluidity to the ‘Dazzling Star’ choker. Transformable jewels, such as the ‘Twin Stars’ necklace, which can become two bracelets and two short necklaces, add another facet.

As well as the comet, Chanel’s much-loved astrological sign, the lion, is also featured here. Drawn with a mane of dazzling stars, and set in a cloud of white and yellow diamonds in the ‘Strong as a Lion’ set, the lion also presents a more sculpted side in the striking ‘Embrace Your Destiny’ necklace.

For the first time, the wings motif is translated into high jewellery, in tribute to Chanel’s philosophy: ‘If you were born without wings, do nothing to prevent them from growing.’ In the ‘Wings of Chanel’ necklace, diamond wings unfold to embrace the curves of the neck, while the asymmetry of the ‘Pretty Wings’ earrings brings a cool modernity.

For Patrice Leguéreau and the Chanel Jewelry Creation Studio, it is a glamorous vision distinctive to Chanel. ‘We wanted to create pieces of jewellery that are illuminated by the rays of the sunset and beyond, with those colours blazing across the horizon. Capturing that magical moment between day and night when high jewellery sparkles on the skin.’

chanel.com

The snake is a symbol that transcends times, places and cultures. Its universal significance is reflected in Bulgari’s serpent motif, which it has employed in various manifestations since 1948. ‘Serpenti Infinito’, which has been a travelling exhibition since 2023 (the 75th anniversary of Bulgari’s Serpenti), explores some of these manifestations.

In its latest iteration, the exhibition launched in Shanghai at the start of January 2025 to coincide with Lunar New Year, and will show until 16 February. To celebrate this chapter of the exhibition, a new work, Infinito: AI Data Sculpture by Turkish artist Refik Anadol, was unveiled.

Elsewhere, the exhibition features 28 artworks by 19 Chinese and international artists, 11 of which were created for the occasion. These are displayed alongside a selection of Bulgari’s Serpenti creations, including watches and jewellery from Bulgari Heritage and some unreleased, one-of-a-kind pieces.

The exhibition unfolds in three chapters: the first, Crafting Serpents in History, focuses on the mythology of the snake which, in Chinese culture, symbolises good luck, wealth and vitality.

These meanings have inspired the Serpenti collection ever since Bulgari launched its first snake-themed jewellery-watch in 1948. Since then, the emblem has undergone many transformations – an evolution narrated via pieces from the Heritage Collection, ranging from the Tubogas jewellery-watches of the 1960s to a five-coil Pallini bracelet-watch, created in 1955. These are shown alongside traditional artworks such as ink paintings from artist Qiu Anxiong.

The second chapter of the exhibition is called Snakes in the Arts. In art, snakes have symbolised wisdom, protection and power, expressed through ceramics, glass, stone, sculpture, painting, sound and video, as expressed in calligrapher Xu Bing's Square Word Calligraphy: Serpenti and filmmaker Luka Yuanyuan Yang's Ring of Life.

The third part of the exhibition, Contemporary Transformations, thinks about how the snake exists across cultures, times and places, and into the future. This chapter explores contemporary representations of the serpent: the ‘data sculptures’ of Refik Anadol use machine learning, while Utopic Arabia's Serpenti Odyssey comprises computer-generated artworks.

Contemporary manifestations also take shape through Bulgari high jewellery creations, unveiled exclusively for the exhibition. The Serpenti Infinito necklace, bracelet and brooch are set with onyx elements, buff-top rubies and pavé diamonds. A 140.53-carat rubellite is set at the heart of the Serpenti Rubellite Crown necklace, held by a pavé-set prong. The Serpenti Emerald Nimbus necklace in white gold, meanwhile, features a 12.73-carat emerald from Zambia.

This is not just an exhibition about jewels: it is an exploration of how Bulgari taps into timeless emblems, and how wearable symbols garner meaning.

‘Serpenti Infinito’ is at Zhangyuan, Shanghai, until 16 February 2025, bulgari.com

This month, Solange Azagury-Partridge, the self-confessed self-taught jewellery designer celebrates three shining decades of her eponymous brand in the first book dedicated to her career, Solange: Jewellery for Chromantics. The book traces the creative journey of the former languages student who blagged her way into the London fine jewellery scene almost by mistake.

It started with a kiss. In the mid 1990s, having become engaged to her now husband, Murray Partridge, the nascent designer decided she would create her own ring. When, at last, she held out her hand to reveal a large, rough diamond precariously perched on the side of a big, bombé-style gold band, friends and acquaintances could not get enough of it. They began asking if she might turn her eye to unique jewellery designs for them, too.

With a stint as Boucheron creative director, under the auspices of Tom Ford during his Gucci era, between 2001-2004, Azagury-Partridge has continued to innovate in her own cheeky way. Producing seriously precious topsy-turvy collections and striking one-off pieces, each is dipped in a mélange of wildly conflicting cultural references, from biblical symbolism to the thrill of visual chaos and words that harbour multiple meanings.

Today, that ‘first kiss’ has become a brand all its own. Hotlips by Solange is a gorgeously glossy ode to to the designer’s signature jewel: a chubby smacker of a kiss produced in sterling silver and enamel. There’s even a whole shop and a sweet range of merchandise dedicated to Solange’s semi-precious pout. 'Today, because I am able to produce the pieces in a more inexpensive way, Hotlips is available to everybody,' says the designer. 'That is such a pleasure for me, because my jewellery can be pretty inaccessible to most people.' Hotlips by Solange has, in turn, introduced a new generation of fans to the designer's work. It's a win-win situation for designer and jewellery lover alike because, as the designer Phoebe Philo puts it: "Solange is a true original”.

We asked her to single out three design moments in her 30 year career:

Uncut Gems 1997

'My first collection featured uncut gemstones set in silver designs that I gilded because I couldn’t afford gold at the time. The look, earthy and a bit medieval, Roman, even, gave the stones a warrior-like toughness that I loved. So, this cuff, set with uncut stones straight from the earth was a big one for me. When I started designing it, I thought, “Why don’t people design with the natural shapes of the stones?”. The natural shape is just as beautiful as a man-made one, isn’t it? It has a different appeal – more chaotic, less ordered—but it’s no less beautiful. I thought I’d design jewellery with uncut gems forever. It’s one of my favorite pieces, partly because it was when I was finding my style and building confidence. Back then, I was exploring jewellery and learning as I went, looking to others before truly finding my own voice. I suppose you might say that my whole career has been an exploration, for better or worse.'

Kinetic 1999-present

'Kinetic pieces are hard to create, they are almost like watchmaking. When I introduced kinetics into my jewellery, it opened a whole new world to me. I first explored engineered movement in jewellery in 1999, and one of my favorite pieces is the Diamond Fringe ring. With its swingy, swishy movement, it’s so feminine and sensual, especially if you speak with your hands – your ring’s moving with you. It’s so nice to play with your jewellery, isn’t it? It’s essential. That added element makes it special. In 2017, I created my Moon and Stars Spinner ring, with a diamond ‘moon’ and rotating diamond stars, like planets, spinning around it.'

Family Sky, 2019

'I do these little Family tablets, and I really love them. The rings are so sweet, kind of like children’s first drawings. There’s something immersive about them. If you’re feeling down and you put a tableau ring on, you can imagine the landscape, the lovely blue sky, the green grass, the little fluffy clouds, and the sun shining. It also has an imperfect element, which I love because perfect things never appeal to me. I always end up roughing them up somehow. The colour, this turquoise, is an interesting choice for the sky. Many would use something darker, like lapis, but I don’t see it as a bright, sharp day; it’s soft and calming. To me, this ring is like a perfect English summer’s day – warm, peaceful and perfectly soothing.'

Solange: Jewellery for Chromatics;

Solange.co.uk

At the heart of high jewellery collections lies a dedication to showcasing the rarest and most precious gemstones, putting them in the best possible light. For this year’s new releases, high jewellery houses zoned in on colour, eschewing traditional pastels for a generous rainbow of hues, from the muted and abstract to the brilliant and bold.

Shimmering prisms are the central focus for Hermès’ creative director of jewellery, Pierre Hardy, who continues his exploration into the brilliant refraction of coloured stones with his ‘Les Formes de la Couleur’ collection. Hardy, who studied colour theory for his art degree, is a master of illusion, conjuring up geometric plays with architectural cuts of an array of precious stones, including rubies, beryls and sapphires. The collection marks the first time in the house’s history that such a large selection of stones has been used, with semi-precious and precious stones sitting together in a wide-ranging celebration of nuanced gradients. Teasing, modern references run throughout, such as with the ‘Color Icon’ bracelet, the hypnotic patterns of the stones coyly nodding to a pixellated, digital image.

A play on storytelling also characterises Chaumet’s offering. The ‘Chaumet en Scène’ collection is divided into three inspirations, music, dance and magic, with each drawing on the house’s far-reaching links with the arts. Chaumet’s Paris HQ is at 12 Place Vendôme, which was once home to Chopin, and it was here that he was said to have begun his last work, the Mazurka Op. 68, No.4. With this in mind, the sweeping lines of the house’s graphic ‘Mélodie’ necklace reference the grids and curves of a musical composition. For Francesca Amfitheatrof, Louis Vuitton’s artistic director for watches and jewellery, historical references are united with a freedom of spirit. Her latest jewellery collection for Louis Vuitton is epitomised by elaborate ornamentation and rich design detailing, encapsulated in pieces such as the ‘Splendeur’ necklace. Technically accomplished, it can be worn three ways.

Creative freedom also characterises Tiffany & Co’s ‘Blue Book 2024’ collection, which pays tribute to the artistic legacy of French jewellery designer Jean Schlumberger, intertwining fantasy and celestial themes in a romantic mish-mash. Peacocks, shooting stars and whimsical symbols are drawn in a juxtaposition of diamond cuts and thickly drawn gold – in the ‘Flames’ ring, the medley of cuts become a diamond firework, on the point of exploding in the sky.

Traditionally-cut diamonds are the focus of a heritage bracelet by Van Cleef & Arpels. Dating from 1923, the piece is faithful to the style of the time, when a trend for ‘white jewellery’ – a mix of diamonds and platinum – reigned. The house continues to champion these vintage designs in its ‘Heritage’ collection, which unites pieces created between the 1920s-1990s. A classic diamond bracelet is typical of its time, embracing the art deco sensibilities of clean lines and geometric forms, simplifying a floral design into an elegant arabesque.

Alongside diamonds, milky-hued pearls are perennial favourites in the world of high jewellery. They are a natural choice for Tasaki, which has cemented its status as a pearl specialist since its beginnings in the 1950s, when it became experts in both farming and selling cultured pearls. It has continued to build on this reputation in various ways, including collaborations with Ritz Paris, which began in 2016 to commemorate Tasaki’s first boutique in France and the reopening of the hotel.

The design of its ‘Lumineux’ collection nods to the Ritz’s heritage with the curved silhouettes reminiscent of the hotel’s sweeping staircase, once the centrepiece for the grand balls organised by César Ritz for the crème de la crème of Parisian society.

A European flamboyance is also prevalent in the ‘Diorama & Diorigami’ collection for Dior, designed by Victoire de Castellane, who drew on toile de Jouy, the patterned cloth featuring pastoral scenes that was popular in the 18th century and a distinctive feature in Christian Dior’s aesthetic (he clad his original boutique, Colifichets, in the fabric). In de Castellane’s collection, the flora and fauna are richly interpreted in colourful precious stones. Meanwhile, at Gucci, the mazes and symmetry of a traditional Italian garden form the inspiration for its ‘Labirinti Gucci’ collection. Striking a balance between meticulous planning and wild beauty, a form of ordered chaos is reflected in the smattering of blue-hued stones and the rigorous diamond grid.

Elsewhere, natural themes take a playful turn in Cartier’s ‘Nature Sauvage’ collection. Animals appear where you least expect them: crocodiles coil around the finger, the sinuous body of a snake splits in two to caress the curve of the neck, a snow leopard picks its way across a diamond and rock crystal icecap, while a turtle rests contentedly on a lapel. We feel the call of the wild.

This article appears in the October 2024 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 5 September on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

‘I had wanted to design a high jewellery piece for men for a while, and I thought about my brothers. What would they wear? Would they like something bright, or would they go a bit more, you know, subtle?’ When she first came upon the magnificent cushion-cut grey spinel that now reigns supreme in her latest high jewellery design, Lily Gabriella initially tended towards the quieter option.

‘Grey is a very chic shade,' says the Mayfair-based Brazilian designer. ‘It goes with everything. Spinels, of course, come in so many colours, but grey is hard to come by, and I was really taken by the strong shape and translucent qualities of this one. Grey can be dark or moody, but even considering its substantial weight (7.34ct), this stone feels light and smoky.' With the stone in place, Gabriella started thinking about the jewel design.

Lily Gabriella heralds the return of the lapel pin

A flick through her collection of art-history books found the designer homing in on colour and form. ‘I noticed that grey was often used as a neutral to offset contrasting colours in art deco architecture, when it was paired with green, blue, and also pink. Then I came upon photographs of Miami's art deco at night.'

The idea of using lapis lazuli presented itself, and Gabriella's creative outlook brightened. 'Its vibrant, blue hue just feels very deco to me, and that made me think about all that South Beach neon, the Miami Vice movie and the 1980s TV show, when slim pins, on ties or on lapels, were a big trend.'

The jewellery design, to which Gabriella has given the working title ‘Memphis Pin’, sees its rare, white-gold-set gem teetering over a gold-flecked crescent of lapis lazuli, cut through with a tiny track of gold, invisibly set with pink sapphires.

It reflects a wider shift in the men’s fine jewellery revival, now tending towards the reserved proportions of vintage styles. You might see it as a natural reaction to the lumbering cluster brooches and heavy pearls that permeated film-awards seasons a couple of years ago. At this year's Screen Actors Guild Awards, actor Jeremy Allen White’s demure Tiffany & Co diamond 'Bird on a Rock' brooch, with its one pink sapphire, delicately pinned to his cream YSL suit, was a fine example.

Gabriella’s sleek ‘Memphis Pin’ ups the style game: 'I wanted to do something modern and clean, with not too much stuff on it, things hanging off, or rows of diamonds, or anything like that. Maybe that came from the architectural references I was looking at. The deco buildings in New York, for instance, used the half-crescent shape at their edges.’

Perhaps that’s why her sizeable spinel sits on the cusp of its lush, lapis half-moon, because, despite all the symmetry, that central stone is not, well, central. ‘It’s a bit off balance,’ Gabriella admits. ‘I am a stickler for detail, obviously, but I don’t enjoy perfection, so I thought I’d have a go at challenging gravity with this big, square spinel. I liked the idea of being a little playful, because I think this is one of my favourite stones that I've ever worked with.’

Lily Gabriella Fine Jewellery, 73 Burlington Arcade, London W1J 0QR

Lilygabriella.com

High jewellery can draw its inspiration from an eclectic range of sources, but for Boghossian, it has a regal flavour. The jewellery house is looking to palaces from Beijing to Brighton for the new Palace Voyages collection, with the architectural and historical details of 14 palaces translated into precious stones and metals.

‘The palaces we selected for this collection are symbolic of diverse civilisations and cultures across the globe, from East to West,’ says CEO Albert Boghossian. ‘These palaces were chosen due to their notable architecture, rich historical context, vibrant colours, and intricate designs, which we believed could be elegantly translated into jewellery. Sometimes, a particular architectural detail that was especially striking or meaningful influenced our choice. For example, turquoise, gold, chrysoprase and pink spinel come together for the Amba Arches set in an architectural homage to Mysore Palace’s columns and their characteristic colour scheme. Our Garden of the Sun pieces evoke the textural work of the Rococo era, inspired by a starburst detail in the Sanssouci Palace garden.’ Other references are more abstract, drawing on a wider cultural heritage, or the appearance of the light as it refracts around the room.

A complex vision, it was not without its challenges when being brought to life. ‘Initially, some design concepts that seemed promising on paper did not translate well into wearable jewellery, necessitating multiple iterations and adjustments,’ Boghossian adds. ‘Achieving the right balance between aesthetics and functionality was a constant challenge, ensuring that each piece was not only beautiful but also comfortable and durable. Some pieces were particularly complex and required more time and effort. For example, our Winter Roses cuff and earrings, inspired by the Jaipur Winter Gate, involved intricate design elements. We had to find the perfect green tone for the prasiolites, and the rubellites needed to be meticulously recut into flower shapes and then set onto the prasiolites to capture the desired look. This process demanded a high level of precision and expertise.

‘For our Red Fortress necklace, we used a special technique to set each diamond onto the necklace using only one prong. This innovative approach was difficult to execute and required a deep understanding of both the materials and the technical aspects of jewellery making. Ensuring that the diamonds were carefully set while maintaining the sleek, minimalistic approach we wished for was a meticulous process.’

boghossianjewels.com

The creative director of Boucheron, Claire Choisne, has long delighted jewellery lovers with her thoughtful redrawing of the parameters of high jewellery. Whether embracing unexpected materials, surprising placements or offbeat design, her high jewellery stands out for the sheer delight she clearly takes in the process of its creation.

Now, Choisne is looking into the impact the jewellery house has had on others. The new collection, ‘Histoire de Style, Like a Queen’, nods specifically to Boucheron’s royal fans. Choisne takes inspiration from the aquamarine and diamond double-clip Boucheron brooch that Princess Elizabeth – later Queen Elizabeth II – received for her 18th birthday in 1944, imbuing this historical significance with a contemporary cool.

Boucheron ‘Histoire de Style, Like a Queen’ collection

‘Three years ago, when I started looking for inspirations for this collection in the Boucheron archives, I couldn’t get my mind off that art deco double-clip brooch,’ Choisne says. ‘The severity and geometry of the art deco design, tempered by the softness and light blue hue of the aquamarines, always fascinated me. I was touched by the sentimental value of this double clip, which Queen Elizabeth II wore at pivotal moments in her reign.’

Its architectural aesthetic is here rethought in 18 new pieces of jewellery. Deep blue Ceylon sapphires, Zambian emeralds and blue, yellow and pink sapphires are framed with diamonds for jewellery that can be worn in multiple ways.

‘Being able to wear a piece in a number of ways, as well as the use of colour, were central to our work on this collection, so that both men and women may wear these pieces,’ Choisne adds. ‘We wanted these 18 variations to reflect the ease with which the original was worn, since the two clips may be attached in various ways, on their own or together. We also wanted this collection to convey the elegance distinctive of this art deco piece.'

‘On certain jewellery sets, we broke down the original geometry of the design. On others, we took the opposite approach: we compacted the art deco design. And elsewhere, we brought in another dimension by playing on the colours of the gemstones.’ 

boucheron.com

High jewellery cuts fluid forms in the ‘Luminous Lines’ collection from Marie Mas, with waves of diamonds eschewing traditionally rigid silhouettes to trace the curves of collarbones and undulate around the earlobe.

‘The collection is mainly inspired by the shapes of the body,’ Marie Mas founder and creative director Marie Cabirou tells us. ‘I love it when the sun goes down and highlights the smallest details of the body, so I wanted to spotlight those small parts that we generally don’t pay attention to, like the collar bones, the dip of the neck, the wristbone. I am also really inspired by surrealism and I loved the idea to draw lines on the body which hold like magic. The collection is a combination of those ideas.’

The collection, comprised of two necklaces, four pieces for pierced ears, an ear jewel, a bracelet and a ring, is crafted in 18ct rose gold and diamonds. Adjustable closures on the pieces ensure a slick functionality, creating pieces that appear to defy gravity in their flexible wearability. 

‘I wanted to express the fluidity by drawing on the body with lines of gold and diamonds which hold like magic,’ Cabirou adds. ‘The main challenges were more technical. The question was how to make the pieces look simple and look like they are held by magic. Also, it was important to me to keep the brand DNA of movement, and I wanted to have a balance between softness and rigidity in the pieces, so they are both designed and comfortable. I worked on different techniques so the main parts of the jewels are soft and follow the different curves of the body harmoniously.’

mariemas.com

The exquisite, artistic legacy of Tiffany & Co is once more to the fore with the unveiling of the third and final chapter of the house’s ‘Botanica: Blue Book’ collection for 2022. The ongoing Blue Book collection, a fantastical ode to the rarity and craft surrounding high jewellery, draws from Tiffany’s 185-year history to create collectible contemporary pieces, only accessible to a select few.

In continuing with the collection’s theme this year, which was inspired by floral references to symbolise the energy of rebirth as well as the transience of nature, ‘Botanica: Blue Book’ immortalises the forms of magnolias, wisterias and orchids in jewels, with each piece carrying deep technical and historical significance to boot.

The choices of floral varieties in this chapter were not made by coincidence. Wisteria was an iconic feature of Louis Comfort Tiffany's table lamps from the Art Nouveau period and has been reinterpreted by Tiffany jewellers through the use of hand-carved chalcedony, pear-shaped sapphires and diamonds that nestle amongst the petals.

'Wisteria is an homage to the archive Tiffany & Co flower that also honours Louis Comfort Tiffany's colourful, leaded glass creations,' says Victoria Wirth Reynolds, the house's chief gemologist and vice president. 'The hand-carved chalcedony petals have these beautiful translucent hues with an intentional gradation of colour.'

Similarly, the magnolia flower has also been a recurring motif. From leaded glass windows to historic jewellery designs and the Magnolia vase, which was displayed at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and is now housed at The Met, the flower is a mainstay in Tiffany's archive and is reimagined through the use of tsavorite and morganite – legacy gemstones that the house popularised.

Most exquisite of all may be the series of one-off creations inspired by the pieces of designer Jean Schlumberger, who was famed for his work at Tiffany & Co. From the ‘Bird on the Rock’ brooch to the intricate ‘Vigne’ and ‘Trellis’ suites, these stunning assemblages of impressive gemstones each showcase an otherworldly level of technicality and intricacy rarely seen.

Geneva-based high jewellery brand Boghossian brings a subversive subtlety to designs that riff off both sharp technical expertise and truly luscious gems. The brand is famously audacious in its choice of design methods, in the past carving priceless gemstones into intricate forms and hovering stones in invisible settings so they appear to float, magically, in thin air.

Here, a geometric clash and a play on pastels add an edge to an earrings-and-necklace suite of aquamarines, morganites and green tourmalines. Cast in sorbet shades and sensually laced in diamonds, this is hedonistic high jewellery for summer and beyond.

Boghossian high jewellery and innovative technicality

The jewellery suite nods to the intricate technicality that has always defined the brand’s pieces, and Boghossian’s unique techniques are well-respected in the world of high jewellery.

The company’s innovative patented Merveilles technique is a unique example: ‘We have made it possible for diamonds to be set on all sides of a jewel, as if they were floating on a nearly invisible metal structure,’ Boghossian managing partner Roberto Boghossian has explained. ‘This revolutionary technique brings brightness to a whole new level because there is so little gold involved. The diamonds are the ones holding each other and sharing their light,’ he continues.

Other pieces incorporate unexpected materials such as titanium fibre, or play with volume in a tantalising marriage of precious gems and metals. ‘Designing jewellery is like painting with light,’ adds Boghossian.

‘Since gold can act as an obstacle, we aim to find new ways to part away from it as much as possible. This has been the case in all our innovative techniques: finding the best settings to enhance the gems – allowing them to shine freely. With titanium fibre, the material used is so delicate yet airy, which gives this appearance of lightness and fluidity.’

INFORMATION
A version of this article appears in the March 2022 Style issue of Wallpaper*. Subscribe here

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Chanel continues to mark the centenary of its No.5 perfume in style, most recently with the unveiling of an expansive high jewellery series, titled ‘No.5’ collection. Facets of Chanel No.5 perfume – such as the stopper, the flowers, the sillage, and the number five – are celebrated in more than 100 high jewellery pieces that form the collection. References to the fragrance are intertwined with the hallmarks of Chanel high jewellery; the sensuality that perfume and jewellery share from their proximity to a woman’s skin is reflected in droplets of juxtaposed diamond cuts. In the asymmetric ‘No.5’ drop earrings, it is the number itself that takes centre stage, its elongated curves drawn in diamond-studded white gold, from which swings a pear-cut diamond.

For director of the Chanel Fine Jewellery Creation Studio, Patrice Leguéreau, the ‘No.5’ collection is a natural continuation of both the graphic codes of Coco Chanel’s perfume and of her 1932 high jewellery series, called ‘Bijoux de Diamants’. Like the fragrance and jewellery that precedes it, the new collection brings the intangible to life with graphic design codes and a playful wearability, interpreting olfactory pleasures in diamonds and enveloping the body like a cloud of perfume.

Setting the tone for Chanel high jewellery to come

The new pieces nod to the original collection, which interpreted five themes (five being Coco Chanel’s favourite number): fringe, ribbon, feathers, the sun, and the stars into transformable high jewellery. Nodding to her childhood, the collection was very personal, with the patterned mosaics on the floor of the Abbey of Aubazine orphanage where she spent her childhood drawn in dazzling diamonds.

Other pieces, such as a diamond necklace as fluid as a ribbon, and a shooting star studded in diamonds that encircles the finger on its journey, juxtapose geometric cuts and supple curves, setting the tone for the high jewellery to follow over the next century. 

INFORMATION

This article appears in the September 2021 issue of Wallpaper* (W*269), now on newsstands and available for free download

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Inspired by the alluring scenery of Japan, Mikimoto translates the changing of the country’s seasons into a new collection of high jewellery pieces. More than a century after the company’s founder created the world’s first cultured pearl, in 1893, Mikimoto’s emphasis on exquisite craftsmanship intertwined with modern design continues.

The new collection ‘blossoms’ in a short film starring Japanese supermodel Ai Tominaga.

Beginning in the spring, a nod to Japan’s ukiyo-e art movement is brought to life through a brooch that expresses the energy of a waterfall running rapidly with melting snow. The refined column of water and the luminous green of the pine trees capture the ephemeral beauty of Japan’s floral season.  

A play on the intricacies of nature and its patterns runs throughout the collection, reflected in the akoya cultured pearl necklace and earrings framing a stylised wave pattern. The mystical glow of opals evokes sensuality and adds a layer of rich texture to the high jewellery.

An acceptance and appreciation of natural beauty runs throughout the collection, says general manager of the merchandise development department, Mr Haga. ‘As a jewellery brand founded in Japan, we created these pieces in pursuit of expressing this essence of the Japanese sense of beauty. Capitalising on this idea is the fan brooch – assembled with three motifs: a fan, the moon, and the Japanese bush clover.’

With its sculptural forms, the collection nods to both historic methods of high jewellery and a contemporary vision. Mikimoto designers, for example, traditionally draw with ink and fine-point brushes, because, says Haga, ‘ink does not deteriorate for a long period of time, and using fine-point brushes allows the designers to express intricate details’.

It’s a process referenced in a necklace and earrings from the new collection, inspired by the bokashi blurring technique in ink painting. At the same time, the company embraces computer-aided design to fully explore the potential of pearls. Here, the approach makes for a timeless take on Japanese beauty.

INFORMATION 

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Lydia Courteille brings an informed background in antique jewellery into her collections, which intertwine eclectic inspirations and offbeat designs for exciting high jewellery pieces. The jewellery designer’s new collection, unveiled at Paris Couture, draws inspiration from the history of the Silk Road and the mythical character of Iparhan, an 18th century princess who, legend has it, became the first consort of a Qing dynasty emperor.

‘This legend is very well known in China and has made its way into modern cinema and fairy tales,’ says Courteille. ‘In my research and design process, I noticed that very few designers have used jewellery and traditional materials as a means to delve into the rich history of China, though its history is as old and awe-inspiring as that of ancient Egypt. This made jewellery such an exciting medium with which to tell this story.’ The collection is a natural continuation of her ‘Topkapi’ collection, which translated the tales of the historic Topkapi Palace of Istanbul into high jewellery.

In these new pieces, Iparhan’s portrait is exhibited on a ring, framed in diamonds, sapphires, apatites, aquamarines and cavansites. History is a thread that runs throughout, reflected in the extensive use of jade, the cutting of which is a Chinese tradition stretching back 6,000 years. Rings and earrings nod to these ancient traditions, as does a pendant of a fisherman holding two koi carp, his body drawn in watermelon tourmalines, tsavorites and pink sapphires. The precious gems are embraced alongside more unusual materials, such as a dinosaur gembone, which represents the sands of the Taklamakan desert, and darkly coloured diamonds, which draw the Terracotta Army.

‘I believe that nature is generous, and provides designers with natural wonders – stones that are already works of art,’ says Courteille. ‘For this collection, I loved using Deschutes jasper, and Oregon jasper, which helped to create a sense of theatre in my pieces. I was also drawn to the truly ornamental stones that we can extract from the Earth, such as the boulder opal and the rainbow chrysocolla.’

INFORMATION

lydiacourteille.com

Boucheron’s reputation for uniting technical mastery with thrilling avant-garde design is long established. Its winning collection for Best Technical Triumph in Wallpaper’s Design Awards 2021 saw the high jewellery house drift diamond clouds on a necklace of titanium mesh and envelop the heavenly material aerogel in rock crystal for a collection that looked to the skies for inspiration.

Now, Boucheron creative director Claire Choisne takes rainbows as her cue for prismatic new pieces that are inspired by the vivid colour experiments of both artist Olafur Eliasson and architect Luis Barragán. The new collection of high jewellery, comprising 25 pieces, subjects precious metals to high temperatures and sprays them onto ceramics and rock crystal, unleashing magical new hues.

Opalescent jewels play with unexpected motifs in shimmering hues. In one piece, a fish twirls over a sea of powdered opal, cradling a central opal that can be detached and worn as a brooch in true Boucheron style. In a necklace and a pair of earrings, opals paired with white diamonds form hypnotising waves surrounded by a mosaic of brilliantly coloured gems, making for coolly contemporary cocktail rings.

The natural world theme continues through to a bloom of surreal flowers, where peonies and pansies, crafted in white ceramic, are sprayed with a holographic coating. The resulting rings and brooches join other pieces created in Choisne’s favourite rock crystal, which take on a playfully dream-like quality – think bracelets and brooches set with holographic rock crystal and edged in diamonds. Arresting silhouettes characterise the ‘Laser’ set, which places pear-cut aquamarines into necklaces, earrings and a ring, enhancing them with pigmented ceramic and framing their forms in diamonds. Bold outlines are seen again in the ‘Holographique’ necklace, which joins a loop of octagonal sapphires with rock crystal and diamonds for a brilliant, otherworldly effect. 

INFORMATION

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Daniel Roseberry’s fourth collection for Schiaparelli, titled The Matador, takes inspiration from an eclectic mash-up of eras, artists, space aliens and, naturally, matadors, for joyful pieces that resist classification. His new collection is more interested in the notion of prettiness than last season’s, which flirted with extremity in a push back against the limits of couture. After a year filled with apocalyptic doom, Roseberry takes a look at what adornment can be in this new, post-pandemic world – and the result is positive, playful and poetic.

The bijoux are as bold as ever, with last year’s breastplates making room for a pair of human lungs worn against black crepe, their capillaries dipped in gold. A mould of a torso is paired with shredded trash bags woven together with silk. Body parts are viewed in isolation – a giant pair of lips become a minaudiere; a hand forms a belt that cradles the wearer around the waist; eyes, nose and stomach are handpainted in gold and set in rococo frames.

The adornments are a sensual foil for the clothes, which celebrate oversized silhouettes and reference the history of the brand. Wool crepe adorned with silk roses nods to 1937’s Jean Cocteau x Schiaparelli collaboration, while an embellished jacket in white denim is a reference to Schiaparelli’s back catalogue. Other, colourful clothing designs look to the future – a bright pink silk rose sits on a black velvet dress, while other pieces are drawn in a wealth of blues, pinks and oranges.

The collection was born out of Roseberry’s desire to celebrate the power of the imagination. He notes: ‘Here’s what I want: no more cookie-cutter fashion. No more pieces that look like they could have been made by anyone. No more cynicism. No more irony. No more timidity. No more coolness. Give me more beauty, more earnestness, more romance, more effort. I hope this collection reminds everyone who encounters it of the sheer delight that fashion can bring us in hard times, and with it, the promise of more joy when the clouds part. Give me more fashion. Give me more hope.’

INFORMATION

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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.

INFORMATION

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Bulgari Magnifica is a new collection of high jewellery and watches that sees the brand pay tribute to Milan. The city, hard hit by the pandemic, was the stage for the collection’s flamboyant launch at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, which opened with an emotive performance from Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

The Bulgari Magnifica collection is defined by a bold joie de vivre, its 350 pieces cast in vivid hues and drawing oversized silhouettes. Seductive motifs and an abundance of precious gems make for irresistible high jewellery. In one piece, a large cabochon-cut emerald is caught in the jaws of a diamond-studded snake; the world’s fourth largest spinel takes centre stage in another, from which flows a waterfall of diamond and emerald beads.

Despite the weight of the gems, the high jewellery is lightly fluid thanks to careful craftsmanship that puts the focus on wearability. Diamond petals and sapphires, teased into flexible loops, comfortably curve around the neck and rest on the collarbone. Other pieces take on changing identities and offer multiple options in terms of how to wear them – a ruby and diamond necklace can become nine different pieces, as a result of its articulated and detachable structure.

The colourful threads that run throughout the collection pay tribute to the Baroque traditions we frequently see at Bulgari, the dynamism of the movement translated into spirals of rubies, emeralds and sapphires that make for hypnotising necklaces, bracelets and rings.

It is a colourful combination carried through to the timepieces in the Bulgari Magnifica collection, which place a diamond-encrusted dial in the heart of similarly hypnotic coils. In one, rubies and diamonds encircle the dial, itself is concealed beneath an antique cushion-cut Mozambique ruby. In a diamond bracelet watch, meanwhile, the clarity of the stones becomes a waterfall of diamonds, juxtaposed against shimmering mother-of-pearl inserts.

Bulgari will be exploring the sensory allure of its most iconic motif, the Serpenti, in an experience at Harrods, London, which will run throughout July.

INFORMATION

Bulgari will host the Serpenti Maestria Pop-Up at Harrods, London, 4-30 July 2021.

bulgari.com

Gucci has unveiled its second high jewellery collection. Creative director Alessandro Michele brings his distinctive prism of colour and bold design cues to Hortus Deliciarum (Garden of Delights) for jewellery both joyful and sophisticated.

The collection, encompassing over 130 pieces, is divided into four parts and takes inspiration from the changing nature of the sky, drawing its billowing clouds, vivid gradients of colour and graphic constellations in precious gems.

The first part takes natural landscapes as the focus, outlining crashing waterfalls in a torrent of diamonds and rethinking windswept forests into seductive, curving silhouettes. In this fantasy world, leaves tremble on diamond branches and comets shoot across a diamond-speckled sky. Michele nods to the free-flowing forms of the Twenties with fringed and tassled necklaces and chandelier earrings speckled with voluptuous orbs of precious stones.

The magical hour of dusk inspires the second part, with the richness of sunset reflected in garnets, tounalines, opals and topaz for more traditionally classic gems. This romanticism is edged with a delicate femininity for the third chapter depicting the blooming of a rose garden, the flora’s velvety folds of a rose becoming delicate Padparadscha sapphires.

The fourth part looks to the animal kingdom; in one stand-out necklace, a 16 carat opal is worshipped by 22 lions, who in other pieces clasp tanzanites in their mouths. The vividity is carried through to striking pieces which put emerald-cut coloured gemstones at their heart, making a vibrant foil for a plethora of tourmalines, rosy pink rubellite, violet tanzanites, pale orange sapphires, pink topaz and mandarin garnet.

High jewellery watches complete the dazzling line-up, with Michele carrying the familiar lion head symbol through to the timepieces. Lion heads, spun to the side, reveal deep blue opal dials, whether set on bracelets studded with precious stones or as brooches which conceal their mesmerising dials. Not everything is as it first appears: diamond-set flowers form clasps and a watch doubles up as a bangle, cast with Art Deco-inspired baguette diamonds framing a secret turquoise dial.

INFORMATION

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Tiffany & Co – the storied New York jeweller – today unveils its new Blue Book high jewellery collection, Colors of Nature.

Classic designs from Jean Schlumberger, rethought for a modern age, sit alongside new high jewellery rings, necklaces and brooches in a vibrant prism of colour. The jewels nod to the heritage of the French jewellery designer, whose mischevious designs for Tiffany & Co in the twentieth century encapsulated his love of natural symbols.

Now, his designs make up the themes of this new collection – Land, Earth, Sea and Sky – in a clever twist which also interweaves in Tiffany & Co’s history of including coloured gemstones in quintessential designs. ‘Nature is deeply rooted in Tiffany’s heritage and has always been a source of inspiration,’ notes Victoria Reynolds, chief gemologist and vice president of global merchandising for Tiffany & Co high jewellery. ‘The connection to nature in high jewellery is quite timeless and it is a theme that has inspired jewellery from ancient times to today, especially inspiring Tiffany’s Blue Book collections. The overarching concept for this year’s collection, Colors of Nature, is a celebration of the colours of our world—whether deep within it to those that pervade and extend far beyond it — whereby magnificent coloured gems and diamonds become breath-taking symbols of the vivid hues and beauty all around us.’

The jewels draw natural symbols - flowers, butterflies, starfish, sea turtles - in precious stones. Some pieces specifically pay tribute to Schlumberger, such as the Twin Fish brooch studded red paillonné and emeralds, square diamonds and round brilliant diamonds. In other pieces, raindrops of diamonds create fluid silhouettes, making for playful and cheerful high jewellery. ‘Jean Schlumberger had a unique ability to transform the worldly into the otherworldly, and it is this creative spirit that is celebrated in the collection,’ Reynolds adds.

Diamonds take on a new life for Mumbai-based jewellery brand Studio Renn, whose brooches, bracelets and rings are characterised by an avant-garde experimentation. The studio eschews perfection in its jewellery designs, instead focusing on unusual materials and innovative forms for pieces that are part artwork, part adornment.

‘A strong part of our design vocabulary is intangible elements such as reflections, volume and air gaps, which take precedence over the tangible,’ say founders Rahul and Roshni Jhaveri. ‘We also study the idea of perceived value by juxtaposing precious and common materials. The materials used, expected or unexpected, are all based on realising and reflecting these elements.’

Diamonds take on new character in (An)otherness collection

The new collection, (An)otherness, is the result of a collaboration with visual artist Prashant Salvi. A fluid design process has resulted in delicious designs, with sculptural brooches, reversible buttons and puffballs of gemstones revitalising traditional high jewellery codes.

The ‘Transient’ ring, Studio Renn’s first work in concrete, was made in partnership with Material Immaterial Studio, a design practice that makes functional and non-functional objects in concrete. ‘The opportunity arose to collaborate on a piece when an architect, who had been collecting our pieces, commissioned a work. She wanted us to design a solitaire ring but nothing like what she already owned or had seen,’ the founders say.

‘She wanted to be able to wear it all the time. It needed to be strong and “genderless”. Since architecture is still a male-dominated field in India, she wanted something that celebrated her femininity, while countering perceptions of it. It took us a year to conceptualise and create this ring.’ The resulting smooth whorl of concrete is a striking foil for its gold and diamond innards.

Other pieces play with more traditional materials – the ‘Orange Peel’ collar clip in white and yellow gold is set with diamonds that form an undulating addition to a lapel. In the ‘Boletus Sp’ pieces, overlapping loops of diamonds and gold hug the fingers for a precious second skin.

‘The process of creation takes centre stage,’ the couple say. ‘The design, the jewellery, is just a physical manifestation of that ongoing study. We do not consciously take a new look at design in jewellery, because we do not start with designing for jewellery at all.’

INFORMATION

studiorenn.com

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.’

INFORMATION

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

chaumet.com

Precious minerals in their rough state have always beguiled and, sometimes, repulsed. Yet, when cut, polished and turned into rings, bracelets and necklaces, their power to seduce is universal. ‘Pierres Précieuses’, a collaborative exhibition from Van Cleef & Arpels and Paris’ Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle connects the dots, exploring the link between mineralogy, gemmology and jewellery.

The exhibition, three years in the making, has been designed with an educational bent. The collaborator-in- chief is François Farges, professor of mineralogy at the Muséum. ‘Mixing gemstones and objects is a French tradition, pairing beautiful things and placing them close to the natural minerals. People are intrigued by the wonder of nature, its different shapes and beauty. The duality of our approach helps people learn in a different way.’

The dialogue between the philosopher Roger Caillois and the Surrealist poet André Breton also informs the story. ‘Breton placed crystals above everything as the perfect expression of art,’ says Farges. Caillois, who viewed natural stones as ‘the shore of dreaming’, left a significant collection of them to the Muséum.

‘This exhibition tells a story of the creation of earth and stones, and how minerals come to life in a cut gem,’ says Nicolas Bos, CEO and president of Van Cleef & Arpels. Adding to this magical journey is the exhibition design, created by long-term house collaborators, architects Jouin Manku. ‘They have played with ancient materials and textures so it feels as if you are inside the earth, like a child going into a forest,’ says Bos.

INFORMATION

‘Pierres Précieuses’, 16 September – 14 June

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vancleefarpels.com

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

Diamonds have long held us hypnotised, their rarity and ability to brilliantly refract light captivating us since the Dark Ages. The romance in their brilliant facets – which can only be revealed by skilled gemcutters – may have made them the natural star of engagement rings, but today’s high jewellers are brilliantly rethinking the possibilities of a diamond. By playing with intricate structures and delicate patterns, classic concepts are imbued with a boldness which bring an arresting modernity to androgynous black tie.

Pictured top, ‘Avant Le Frisson’ necklace in white gold and titanium with white diamond pavé, by Boucheron. Jacket and blouse, both by Emporio Armani‘Red Carpet’ white gold earrings with emeralds and diamonds, by Chopard. Below,‘Crescendo Double Row’ bracelet (left) in white gold with diamonds; ‘Chaîne d’Ancre’ bracelet (right) in white gold with diamonds, by Hermès. Jacket, by Celine by Hedi Slimane

Buccellati weaves a delicate pattern into a cuff bracelet studded with yellow gold honeycomb rosettes, adding textured gold beads glinting into chandelier earrings for a softer take. Van Cleef & Arpels strike a more graphic silhouette in a bracelet where black spinels and onyx make a sharp juxtaposition against pink and white diamonds, a contrast we see again in Bulgari’s Barocko earrings where deep blue tanzanites take centre stage.

In other pieces, diamonds are fluid, appearing to move and breathe with the wearer. White diamond pavé trembles on titanium threads in Boucheron’s Avant Le Frisson necklace, while De Beers knit an interlocking pattern in Mosaic, playing off the uniform silhouettes of the stones to form grid-like glittering formations. There’s a softer pattern to Pomellato’s bracelet, where white, brown and black diamonds rest on their curving rose gold web; for Hermès, who marry diamonds with white gold links, the result is coolly contemporary.

Earrings in white gold set with diamonds and gold beads, and detachable pendant set with diamonds; cuff bracelet in white gold with yellow gold honeycomb rosettes, set with fancy yellow diamonds, both by Buccellati. Jacket, by Jil Sander by Lucie and Luke Meier

‘Barocko’ earrings in white gold with zircon metal elements, round brilliant-cut diamonds, tanzanites, step-cut diamonds and pavé-set diamonds, by Bulgari. ‘Mosaic’ necklace in white gold and diamonds, by De Beers. Jacket, by Brunello Cucinelli

‘Sabbia’ bracelet in rose gold with white, brown and black diamonds, by Pomellato. ‘Alta Gioielleria’ ring in white and yellow gold with imperial topaz and diamonds, by Dolce & Gabbana. Jacket and trousers, both by Peter Do

‘Extremely Piaget’ earrings in white gold with diamonds, by Piaget. ‘Tie & Dior’ ring in white and yellow gold, diamonds, white cultured pearl and spessartite garnet, by Dior Joaillerie. Jacket, blouse, shorts and belt, all by Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello

INFORMATION

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

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.

INFORMATION

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

Disregarding traditional high jewellery etiquette, Albert Boghossian’s eponymous jewellery brand rethinks rare and exceptional gems. His innovative settings of heavy, globular stones means they appear to hover magically, as if in thin air. The results, when paired with a host of unexpected materials – think carbon mesh, titanium deposits and fibreglass – are always surprising.

The new Remarkable collection nods to and builds on what came before. A diamond, turquoise, lapis and mother-of-pearl bracelet references the Samarkand bracelet, part of 2018’s Silk high jewellery collection, and now converted into blue hues. Blues are a theme which run throughout: a spectacular moonstone cuff, when paired with diamonds, emeralds and quartz beads, riffs on this aquatic colour spectrum, incorporating barely-there tones from transparent to translucent. Smoky moonstone makes an appearance in several of the collection’s jewels: ‘Our latest attraction to moonstone has to do with their nature and that blue hue that covers its surface and gives it a very poetic colouring touch,’ Boghossian explains. ‘It is quite an unused stone in the industry and few are those who dare enough to use them.’

Other pieces embrace movement – in a pair of ruby and diamond earrings, the use of the ‘tremblant’ effect, where tiny springs cause the stones to ‘tremble,’ frees them from rigidity. Colour is bold throughout, effectively embraced in the clash of the diamonds and opals earrings. ‘First there is the contrast between the surfaces of the opals and diamonds, and also with the contrasts of colours of course, with a green opal and blue opal,’ says Boghsossian. ‘We also sought to enhance certain hues and tonalities within the opal with the central diamonds we used. We have played with contrasts to create something truly unique and different.’

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While watch and jewellery designers tended to embrace the warm, coppery tones of rose gold in the last decade, the primal power of yellow gold has risen once again. In ancient times, this gleaming earth-born metal was thought to possess mystical powers, with ancient cultures believing it to emit the energy-giving power of the sun.

Bauhaus colour theory, too, recognises the enduring allure of yellow chroma – for Kandinsky, who associated shapes with musical notes, yellow, with its bright nature, was both a middle C on a trumpet and a sharp, uncompromising triangle in form.

For jewellers such as Annelise Michelson, thick loops of golden metal pack a powerful sartorial punch when plaited into a bold cuff, while Misho’s huge pear-drop loop earrings offer a glinting fragility, showcasing a more delicate side to the metal’s tough nature.

Paris sculptor Hélène de Saint Lager, meanwhile, synthetically heightens the textural quality of gold in its raw state by way of her signature papier-mâché and resin alchemy. It's the dawning of a shining new era.

‘The Russians fascinate me,' Gabrielle Chanel remarked. ‘It is the Russians who have taught women that it is not dishonourable to work.'

Strands of Russian culture weaved through her art and life; as perfumer to the Imperial court, the Muscovite Ernest Beaux created the N°5 scent, while Chanel enjoyed an intense relationship with the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, cousin of Tsar Nicholas II. Her friendships with Stravinksy, Diaghilev and the dancers of the Ballets Russes are also well documented. Chanel was inspired by them all. Diaghilev, in turn, was drawn to the nascent designer, engaging her to create the costumes for his ‘Le Train Bleu' production. Both had an appreciation of traditional peasant costume, from fur-lined cloaks and socks to bold-hued embroidery. 

A Russian aesthetic pervaded Chanel's apartment on the rue Cambon, too; an ornate mirror decorated with the two-headed eagle of Imperial Russia sits at the heart of the it. The mirror has been replicated in miniature, as a signature jewel from the Le Paris Russe de Chanel High Jewellery collection, revealed in Paris today.  

The collection is a heady confusion of imperial Russia and Russian folklore. The elaborate kokoshnik traditional headdress, usually made in in velvet, is translated into a trellis of diamonds laced with pearls. The bright roubachkas – vividly embroidered worker blouses – are reflected in draped necklaces of yellow sapphires, garnets, emeralds and diamonds. A favourite symbol of Chanel’s, the ear of wheat, is cast in diamonds, while the folksy motifs of peasant scarves and fabric are reappropriated in ogive cuts on head ornaments, or striking pearl sautoir necklaces. And so we are presented with Chanel’s Russian love affair rendered in jewels. 

INFORMATION

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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

Bulgari began honing its creative connection to New York in 1971, opening its first New York outpost at the Pierre Hotel. By 1972, it was so smitten by the city’s creative energy that it designed a celebratory ‘Stars and Stripes’ collection. A riot of red and blue stone designs, it was created to commemorate the United States Bicentennial.

Now, to mark the re-opening of its flagship store on Fifth Avenue – reimagined by Peter Marino – it pays homage to the city that never sleeps with a celebratory site-specific jewellery collection. Sparkling with humorous riffs on classic American symbols, it celebrates the spirit of Pop Art, Studio 54 and the geometric splendour of the city's skyline. The graffiti-strewn streets of 1970s Manhattan are also a key influence in the designs.

Bulgari’s bright, bold take on traditional diamond fine jewellery combinations emerged in the late fifties, during Italy’s design-boom years. They upped the glamour factor, adding sizeable, colourful sapphires and emeralds to big-volume forms, such as giant-link gold chains. That approach still resonates today, as the new collection proves. While bold colours, strong lines, twinkling star motifs and even a graffiti-art inspired Bulgari logo speak of a seventies-era Manhattan, the collection also reflects a transatlantic exchange of creativity between Italy and America.

The house’s signature styles, including the ‘Serpenti’ bracelet (a favourite of New York-based editor Diana Vreeland) has been given a stars and stripes makeover. The American Flag also informs a cascading necklace of tanzanite, rubelite and diamonds. A cocktail ring is set with diamond stars and coloured gemstones, and in an abstract interpretation of the Star-Spangled Banner, a thick bracelet is formed from concentric circles of pavé diamonds, lapis and coral. The Roman coin ‘Monete’ designs have been crafted using not only antique Roman and Greek coins, but American money too.

Nicola Bulgari took the helm of Bulgari with his brothers Gianni and Paolo in the sixties. After visiting New York in the 1970s, he split his time between New York and Rome for more than forty years. This collection flies the flag for both his birthplace and his adopted home from home.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Bulgari website

From anchors and lifebuoys to sailor tattoos, the jaunty seafaring theme steering Chanel’s ‘Flying Cloud’ high jewellery collection might easily have tipped into the realm of whimsy. But it takes its name from a 1930s superyacht owned by the second Duke of Westminster and frequented by Coco Chanel during holidays on the Riviera.

That led to hardier, nautical rope references, as these bold, white gold, diamond and deep-blue sapphire knot earrings attest. References to seaworthy lengths – those rough, lifesaving twists of rope – that would have been handled by the Flying Cloud’s 40-man crew, are scattered throughout the collection. In much the same way, Chanel has made the softest lambskin look like seamans’ oils in its current Cruise collection.

So where better than to display the entire Flying Cloud collection this summer than Chanel’s original South of France bolthole, La Pausa (‘the pause’), in Roquebrune-Cap-Martin? Coco Chanel designed the house, which was built by 1930, as a base for her summer vacations. Having recently been acquired by the house of Chanel, it is due for extensive renovation and an interiors overhaul by Peter Marino.

La Pausa’s atmosphere of bygone sparkling summers is still potent, hence Chanel has crafted earrings, cuffs and voluminous swirls of diamond rope with an altogether fresher feel than is usual in high jewellery design. We’re most definitely on board.

A version of this article originally appeared in the October 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*223)

INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Chanel website