Crowning glory: a collaboration with a London art school has produced a futuristic jewel
![A collaboration with a London art school](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BfLqKKymqUfsJiUFqJGdm5-415-80.jpg)
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)
Armstrong talks through his design process
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
Wallpaper* Newsletter + Free Download
For a free digital copy of August Wallpaper*, celebrating Creative America, sign up today to receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories
-
Commune’s sustainable personal care products look ‘quite unlike anything else’
Commune’s Somerset-made products stand out in the sustainable skincare crowd. Madeleine Rothery speaks with the brand’s co-founders Kate Neal and Rémi Paringaux
By Madeleine Rothery Published
-
‘Hedonistic and avant-garde’: Rabanne’s Julian Dossena on the legacy of the chainmail 1969 bag
Paco Rabanne’s 1969 chainmail handbag encapsulates the late designer’s futuristic, space-age style. Current creative director Julien Dossena tells Wallpaper* about the bag’s particular pleasures
By Jack Moss Published
-
Postcard from Paris: Olympic fever takes over the streets
On the eve of the opening ceremony of Paris 2024, our correspondent shares her views from the streets of the capital about how the event is impacting the urban landscape.
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
Chaumet, Cartier and Chanel up their high jewellery watch game for 2024
In 2024's high jewellery watch designs, performance tech and centuries-old techniques combine to brilliant effect
By Caragh McKay Published
-
All smiles: How a grillz jewellery making class in London became an international hit
What started as a passion project quickly exploded in popularity. We get the story behind the grillz-making workshop at Cockpit London
By Elisa Anniss Published
-
Emerging jewellery designers to get to know
These independent, new and emerging jewellery designers and brands from New York to Paris are firmly on our radar
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Paris 2024 and Chaumet unveil Olympic and Paralympic medals
The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic medals designed by Chaumet are not just emblems of champions but are storytelling jewellery
By Minako Norimatsu Published
-
Year in review: top 10 watch and jewellery stories of 2023, as picked by Wallpaper’s Hannah Silver
Silver’s top 10 watch and jewellery stories of 2023 span cool horological collaborations, sculptural forms, and cutlery as bracelets
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Jewellery designers share their most precious personal pieces
A host of jewellers give us a peek at the jewellery which brings them joy and solace
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Playing it cool: pearls are having a moment
We've been deep-diving into boutiques around the world to find the very best calcium carbonate in minute crystalline form. It seems jewellers have been busy rethinking pearls, with contemporary (and often affordable) results
By Hannah Silver Published
-
Eternity rings for the modern couple
Eternity rings, whether sleekly minimalist or sprinkled in diamonds, can be a chic and contemporary love token
By Hannah Silver Published