Often in accompaniment with the biannually organised haute couture week in Paris, storied jewellery maisons will take this opportunity to showcase their latest high jewellery collections to clients who are also in town for the shows. While these garments of clothing are glamorous and arresting, they will definitely be elevated to another level when paired with illuminating jewels. From household names such as Cartier to Boucheron, fashion-centric brands like Gucci, Chanel and Dior have also debuted their range of mesmerising necklaces, brooches, rings, bracelets and more.
Ahead is a round-up of the high jewellery collections:
Cartier
For the third chapter of Beautes du Monde, the natural world continues to be Cartier’s muse. In the latest collection, the storied jewellery maison unveils four high jewellery necklaces: The Ocelle Necklace, The Splendens Necklace, The Chainmail Necklace and The Obi Necklace. Encapsulating the glory of a peacock feather, the Ocelle Necklace features two opals weighing 16.59 and 6.19 carats respectively, it also has a 21.58-carat Zambian emerald. Its green and blue combination is a nod to Louis Cartier’s fascination for the Islamic arts. The colours are incorporated in the form of eyespots that characterise the peacock’s plumage.
Elsewhere, the Obi necklace celebrates the beauty of tradition. The intricacies of Japanese fabrics are reflected in this necklace as well as the signature rising sun motif. A rare ensemble composed of eight cabochon-cut emeralds takes the centre position of each motif with the 12.53-carat from Zambia the key gemstone. Punctuating the green emeralds are rubies and custom-cut onyx inserts — this colour code of green, red and black has been a chromatic harmony for Cartier since the beginning of the 20th century.
Chanel
As one of the haute couture houses with a long history, Chanel is no stranger to the world of craftsmanship and this devotion extends beyond fashion and into high jewellery watchmaking. Presenting the Mademoiselle Privé Pique-Aiguilles watch, a series of timepieces with five different dials that pays homage to Gabrielle Chanel’s illustrious career as a dressmaker. In particular, the pincushion takes the spotlight.
Arnaud Chastaingt, Director of the Chanel Watchmaking Creation Studio shares, “I am fascinated by the design of objects whose architecture is the product of a practical need. In terms of style, the pincushion commands authority on the wrist, with presence and impact.”
“I have adopted the spirit of this tool to create a watch. While its architecture has the boldness of simplicity, its oversized dial flirts with excess and offers an incredible space for expression.”
Each dial entails a different façade of the maison and its tradition. From the randomised pin design to a lace design of camellias, precious pattern of a tweed jacket and the use of sequins, the watches tell “a story of couture, and of Haute Horlogerie to which only Chanel possesses the secret”.
Boucheron
Initially, it was a gift to Princess Elizabeth (the late Queen Elizabeth II) in 1944 for her 18th birthday. The Boucheron aquamarine and diamond double-clip brooch would then become an icon for the late monarch and accompany her at various milestones of her reign. Most recently, the brooch was worn during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee on 6 February 2022.
In 2020, Boucheron’s creative director Claire Choisne took inspiration from the brooch and created a high jewellery collection: Histoire de Style, Like a Queen. Its Art Deco design is reinterpreted through a contemporary lens and in different colours ranging from monochromatic to dichromatic of white with pink, red, yellow and blue. The new collection can be worn in different styles: a brooch, ring, earring and necklace.
Dior
Released 10 years after Dear Dior and five years after the 2018’s Dior Dior Dior collection, the artistic director of Dior Joaillerie Victoire de Castellane has released a new haute jewellery collection titled “Dearest Dior”. The collection comprises 77 extraordinary creations that convey a “multi-faceted femininity, both fragile and powerful, timeless and infinitely modern.”
Aiming to accentuate the body’s sensuality, the artistic director crafted the bijou so that they can be worn as close to the skin as possible. The result of this is the use of a gold mesh where mounts used to fix the gemstones are kept to the minimum. Diamonds, rubies, pearls, tourmalines and sapphires are set such that individual gemstones’ unique shades can shimmer under the light.
These creations are a testament to the prowess of Dior’s heritage and savoir-faire as a jeweller and couture house.
Gucci
Gucci’s Hortus Deliciarum high jewellery collection first debuted in 2019 and two years later, the maison unveiled its second chapter at Italy’s Lake Maggiore. In tandem with the Paris haute couture week, the third chapter was made public at the House’s Place Vendome boutique. This release draws inspiration from the world of travel and the memorable moments that every journey can bring.
Some of the key motifs of the House like the Gucci Lion and Tiger head motifs are reinterpreted with vibrant gemstones from aquamarines to yellow sapphires. These icons find themselves in the form of necklaces, bracelets, earrings, and multi-finger rings. Often, the workmanship of these jewellery pieces can go up to 100 hours, like the 38.8-carat green tourmaline centrepiece surrounded by diamonds found on the multi-finger ring.
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