by Smitha Sadanandan
There was nothing diminutive in the high jewellery offerings last year. Luxury maisons wowed us with volume, luscious stones, dreamy designs, and innovative techniques as they celebrated their commitment to the craft. We hunt down some of the memorable designs.
TIFFANY & CO.: Flight of Fancy
The Bird on a Rock is one of the most iconic creations dreamed up by Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co in 1965. Last year, these signature cockatoo brooches – crafted as limited editions – morphed into stunning suites: diamond encrusted cockatoos now soar and flutter across necklaces, pendants, bracelets, rings and earrings.
These highly stylised vision of joy in platinum and 18k yellow gold feature aquamarines or morganites as the hero stones. Jewelled timepieces sport beady-eyed birds perched on the dials and the innovative mechanisms allow the gemstones and bird motif to gracefully spin around the dial. In its new avatar, Schlumberger’s feathered muse outfitted in green paillonné enamel is seen clutching a luscious amethyst, while another avian friend hops atop a green cuprian elbaite tourmaline.
FENDI: Study in Geometry
The Fendi Triptych, designed by Fendi’s Artistic Director of Jewellery Delfina Delettrez Fendi, explores high jewellery through a neoclassical lens that hinges on graphic abstraction. Historic elements from Fendi’s design lexicon evolves into artful wearables that translate the calligraphic FF motif across gold.
Influences from Roman architecture, asymmetry and symmetry converse in delightful shapes as the artistic director effortlessly codes the FF motifs into the DNA of her debut high jewellery line. While cascades of gold and diamonds in articulated chain necklaces are reinterpreted into tennis bracelet, drop pendants and cocktail rings, Fancy Intense yellow diamonds infuse an unexpected splash of brightness to the sparkle of all-white diamonds. What’s not to love about this collection?
CHOPARD RED CARPET COLLECTION: Ode to the Seven Arts
In keeping with true Parisian spirit, Chopard demonstrated its expertise in haute joaillerie through the Red-Carpet collection for 2023. Artistic Director Caroline Scheufele designed a collection of 76 pieces, all informed by the world of art. For inspiration, she delved into the seven arts: architecture, sculpture, painting, music, literature, dance – and cinema, a perennial favourite. Unconventional materials like titanium, used alongside fair-mined gold and platinum, reflect Caroline’s desire to bring together materials to realise elevated jewels. She experiments with novel techniques to cut the precious stones and uses mixed cuts to achieve stunning results.
Pear-shaped yellow diamonds set the stage for some of her marvellous creations; rather joyful to behold is a necklace radiating with yellow diamonds and looking as though it were drenched in sunshine. The richness and intricacy of jewels referencing a feather, butterfly, or a ballerina conjure up gem encrusted dreams. The maison explores carefully preserved tradition with a fresh eye, capturing an avant-garde spirit, while ensuring the pieces brim with life and colour.
LOUIS VUITTON DEEP TIME: A Voyage with Exceptional Stones
Francesca Amfitheatrof’s unflinching commitment to daring designs comes to the fore with Deep Time. “At Louis Vuitton we are as ever adventurers, travelling to extraordinary, unexpected places,” says the Artistic Director for Watches and Jewellery. Explored through two acts, geology and life, it encompasses 16 themes, narrating the tale of transformation, life and interconnectedness. “We have this incredible ambition to find the most beautiful stones, which in Deep Time are all connected to a theme, whether formed from lava, hail from different continents, or symbolise an idea,” she adds.
Deep Time, LV’s largest high jewellery collection to date, features over 170 striking pieces and a record number of precious stones. Illustrated through a beautiful pairing of diamonds and ruby, Flight forms the largest suite and evokes the lightness of feathers: it captures that moment when a bird takes flight. Transformable cocktail ring – set with a 7.67-carat pigeon’s blood Mozambique ruby – is one of Deep Time’s most important stones. Several earrings and brooches, and two necklaces featuring strings of rubies took years to colour match to perfection.
BULGARI Mediterannea: Tales from the Mediterranean
Bulgari journeys through history, culture and beauty and retraces an imaginary trip across the Mediterranean Sea. “This High Jewellery collection is an homage to the Mediterranean beauty and essence in all its forms. For me, being in the Mediterranean region is an awakening of all senses, and a real inspirational experience. The architecture, the nature, the people, I am eyeing beauty everywhere is an inspiring melting pot, where many different cultures and societies have mingled and enriched each other over centuries,” says Lucia Silvestri, Creative Director of Bulgari Jewellery.
The Mediterranea captures the intricate architecture, sunny coastlines, lush gardens and a powerful telluric nature – everything that makes Southern Italy truly unique. Stunning gems in a range of blue tones are deployed to evoke the depth of the blue seas: the Sapphire Wreath Necklace, with its wreath-like composition of braided white diamonds and intense blue sapphires, celebrates the Hellenic aesthetic and natural beauty of Greece’s jewel-like isles. The necklace, sprinkled with diamonds, features motifs that resemble leaves, gently ruffled by the wind on the edge of the cliffs. The matching wreath earrings are set with cornflower blue sapphires from Sri Lanka and white diamonds, while the ring nestles a Sri Lankan blue sapphire, weighing over 10 carats, on its shank diamond accented with chevron mosaic details.
CHAUMET LE JARDIN DE CHAUMET Fields Feuille De Vigne Collection: Botanical Explorations
Chaumet plays with volume in its high jewellery collection Le Jardin de Chaumet. Here, realism forms the canvas for naturalistic explorations and botanical perspectives. Plants, wood, bark transform into vibrant earrings and majestic necklaces, as bandeaus and rings become part of Chaumet’s stylistic repertoire.
The parure Feuille de Vigne – composed of four pieces – showcases an incredibly fine assortment of Mozambique rubies. Resembling fleshy vines, just before the harvest, diamond encrusted leaves glow with cushion-cut Mozambique rubies set on a short necklace, ring and earrings. Realism is affected through white gold tendrils and beautifully textured leaves – black spinels, grey spinels and rubies subtly accent the design – and airy lace-like openwork on the back of the leaves that exemplifies the artistry. In Le Jardin de Chaumet, the vine leaves are infused with an air of modernity with pendants transforming into ear motifs.
