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.
Estruscan-style gold cuffs, £30,600 each, by Van Cleef & Arpels. ‘Carla’ clip (top right) in 18ct Siam gold plate, £150; ‘Sara’ clip (centre left) in 18ct Siam gold plate, with fancy vivid blue diamonds, £420, both by Patcharavipa. ‘L’esprit du Lion’ earrings in 18ct gold, beryls and diamonds, price on request, by Chanel Fine Jewellery. Watches & Jewellery Director: Caragh McKay. Fashion: Jason Hughes
Heritage 1970s pendant in gold (top left), £22,100, by Van Cleef & Arpels. ‘Delilah’ necklace in 18ct gold and diamonds (top right), £63,400, by Boucheron. 18ct gold earrings, circa 1970s, £4,950, by Ilias Lalaounis, from Hancocks. ‘Nougat’ ring in gold, £6,100, by Dior Joaillerie. Watches & Jewellery Director: Caragh McKay. Fashion: Jason Hughes
Left, clockwise from bottom left, ‘Butterfly’ ring in 18ct Siam gold and diamonds, £1,500; ‘Reef’ ring in 18ct Siam gold and diamonds, £1,750; both by Patcharavipa. 18ct gold bracelet, circa 1970, £8,750, by Wolfers, from Hancocks. ‘Dynamic’ bracelet in 24ct gold-plated silver, €290, by Olivia Barthe Jewellery. ‘The Acrobat’ golden armpiece, £250, by Bjørg. ‘Dash’ rings in 18ct gold, from £675 each; 18ct gold band, from £980, both by Sian Evans Jewellery. Top, £250; cardigan (worn underneath), £375, both by Pringle of Scotland. Right, ‘Cyclops’ ring in 18ct gold with peridot, £10,500; ‘Eye’ ring in 18ct gold with orange spinel, £15,900 for set of two, both by Cora Sheibani. Watches & Jewellery Director: Caragh McKay. Fashion: Jason Hughes. As originally featured in the May 2019 issue of Precious Index
-
Paul Rudolph at The Met: ‘from Christmas lights to megastructures’‘Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph’ opens at the Met in New York, exploring the modernist master's work through a feast of an exhibition
-
‘London: Lost Interiors’ gathers unseen imagery of some of the capital’s most spectacular homesThis new monograph is a fascinating foray into the interior life of London, charting changing tastes, emerging styles and the shifting social history of grand houses in the heart of a fast-changing city
-
Inside the making of Loewe Perfumes’ porcelain bottle toppers, delicately crafted by LladróLoewe Perfumes’ limited edition flask toppers are crafted by Spanish porcelain company Lladró. Mary Cleary takes a look inside the making process, as featured in the October 2024 issue of Wallpaper*
-
Wild beauties: high jewellery dripping with dramaThe latest high jewellery collections are fantastic and flamboyant, drawing on a wealth of influences, from a Chopin composition and César Ritz to crocodiles and colour refraction
-
Boghossian looks to the palaces of the world for a regal high jewellery collectionBoghossian's new Palace Voyages collection is inspired by royal architecture
-
Chaumet, Cartier and Chanel up their high jewellery watch game for 2024In 2024's high jewellery watch designs, performance tech and centuries-old techniques combine to brilliant effect
-
Skeletonised watches are making a dazzling return in 2024Skeletonised watches return, once again opening up their dials, letting us enjoy mechanical watchmaking at its intricate finest
-
Van Cleef & Arpels' immersive London exhibition takes visitors inside the watchmaking worldVan Cleef & Arpels’ exhibition, ‘Poetry of Time’, at South Kensington’s Cromwell Place gallery, traces the early days of the maison
-
Dark watches show it’s time to embrace an inky paletteDiscover new dark watches from brands including Audemars Piguet, Omega, Chanel and Tudor
-
In Van Cleef & Arpels’ high jewellery, the archival meets the au courantVan Cleef & Arpels pays tribute to its rich heritage with a captivating high jewellery collection
-
L’École Van Cleef & Arpels is school of hard rocksL’École Van Cleef & Arpels recently opened the doors to its new jewellery school, exhibition space and bookstore in Paris, winning a Wallpaper* Design Award 2024
