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From cut to setting: These are the most brilliant pieces of jewellery from the big houses
Each house has its own aesthetic. The treatment of the surfaces, the setting, the cut, the entire composition, all of this makes the pieces as unique as the jewels themselves.
The Magnificent Seven: Bvlgari
Bvlgari, the undisputed master of brilliant colour combinations, is presenting the most precious collection the house has ever produced to mark its 140th anniversary. This includes a necklace with no colours at all, but with seven diamonds set in platinum. This glorious seven was all mined from the same 200-carat rough diamond. Pear-shaped, they form a composition that rises in a crescendo towards the central stone. “Serpenti Aeterna” clings to the neck like the swell of a wave. By the way: this necklace has that too, of course; it is set with baguette diamonds and its rhythm is reminiscent of the Maison’s symbolic animal: the “Serpenti”, the eternally seductive snake. An extraordinary stone as a base, fascinating cuts, perfect pavement: 2800 hours of work were needed to capture the spirit of Bvlgari.
The Diamond Dances: Louis Vuitton
For the first tiara in the history of his jewelry collections , a craft that was very popular in the 19th century was revived: the trembleuse. At that time, this technique made women’s brooches appear almost supernaturally alive. And Francesca Amfitheatrof, the artistic director of the watches and jewelry division at Louis Vuitton , was also inspired by the house’s beginnings as a suitcase manufacturer: the Tokyo -born cosmopolitan with an American passport used an ingenious trick to emphasize the large star-shaped diamond at the center of “Élégance”. The stone is mounted on a small gold spring that is flexible enough to set it in motion. The diamond swings, vibrates, plays with the light, has a hypnotic effect – in short, it really is a lot of fun.
A Stone: Cartier
For nearly 180 years, they have explored every style, followed every inspiration, and made every technique their specialty. But at Cartier, they still manage to broaden the range of their know-how with creative ideas. In the latest Haute Joaillerie collection, it is a ring and a pair of earrings with which the Maison succeeds in reinterpreting the age-old briolette cut of a pear-shaped, fully faceted diamond. To do this, they simply took a large number of them and strung them like pearls on an XXL string. The effect is delightful: the cluster of stones makes the setting completely disappear in a playful way. The diamonds reflect the light off each other. The effect is like frozen foam that takes on a slightly milky hue: a surprise, magic in the hand.
Sprit: Chanel
Freedom of movement, awareness of one’s own body: from the very beginning, Gabrielle Chanel saw her style as a gesture of emancipation. As early as 1921, she set up a “sports” studio in her haute couture house . For the latest haute joaillerie collection, Patrice Leguéreau took this as an inspiration and translated it all into the language of jewelers. Clear, dynamic lines, functionality, sportswear codes, easy to wear: everything is there. In the “Quilted Stars” necklace, an incredible yellow diamond of over seven carats draws attention. But it’s not just its color, its shine, its emerald cut, its rarity: you can also turn it like the clasp of the legendary “2.55” bag. And it evokes the iconic sweatshirts of the 1980s.
Pirates among themselves: Van Cleef & Arpels
These pieces of jewelry are a dream, not least because Van Cleef & Arpels specializes in figurative representations. “Treasure Island,” the famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson, provided the motifs for the latest high jewelry collection – a splendid opportunity to appropriately showcase the house’s craftsmanship. The three pirate clips are named after John, David and Jim from Stevenson’s book. First, the figures were molded from wax and then melted in the three gold colors. Accuracy also plays a major role in the depiction of “Jim.” The overall composition and the setting of the stones contribute to the naturalistic illusion . The rubies, diamonds and blue sapphires are like the pattern on his shirt. The shimmer of the fabric, the headscarf, the map with Treasure Island on it, the binoculars that “Jim” holds in his hand on his lookout: pure cinema. Magnificent throw.
Iceland’s Waves: Boucheron
On a trip to Iceland, Claire Choisne had an idea: The artistic director of Boucheron thought that the island’s fascinating landscape looked like oversized jewelry. That was the starting signal for the current “Carte Blanche Or Bleu” collection. There are 26 pieces in total, based on the Maison’s historic address on Place Vendôme, number 26. The “Ondes” necklace, French for “waves”, reaches almost to the shoulders. Exactly 4542 round diamonds were set invisibly for it, along with cut and polished rock crystals to symbolize drops of water. A masterpiece of craftsmanship that harmoniously combines all timescales: the latest innovation and technology, the tried and tested savoir-faire tradition of gemstone setting. And finally, the geological layers of a breathtaking landscape , shaped over millions of years.
Natural Wonder: Graff
This name has stood for the most extraordinary stones, and has done so for over sixty years: Graff. They are often so rare that all it takes is a majestic setting to create exceptional pieces of jewelry. This subtlety gives rise to an aesthetic of its own. And to its own know-how. The Colombian emerald that gives this bangle its green light is cut as boldly as a dragon: it literally jumps out from the row of smaller baguette-cut emeralds. The emerald-cut diamonds that surround it accentuate its volume – to the point where it seems as if the green giant is not lying on the band, but floating. The contrast of colors, deepest luminous green here, clear, flawless white there, contributes to the emblematic effect of this bangle. A creation that celebrates the precious stone as such: a miracle of nature, truly inimitable in its aura and presence.
Margarita Jiménez van Gaal
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