Born out of the most imaginative minds, set with spectacular gems mined from the furthest corners of the earth and engineered by the nimblest hands, the high jewelry collections you’re about to see will, quite literally, take your breath away. Our friends at L’Officiel Singapore curated and shot this selection to celebrate their ninth anniversary in 2016.
Tiffany & Co.
Jean Schlumberger for Tiffany & Co. Arrows 18k gold clip with amethysts, diamonds and sapphires.
The New York label calls this one of late French jeweller Jean Schlumberger’s most brilliant designs for the house. Handcrafted by artisans, it was, in 2014, made a part of the Blue Book, an annual high jewelry collection celebrating the setting of flawless diamonds and coloured gemstones in Tiffany & Co.’s present-day creations. A large 20.06-carat amethyst sits in the middle of the unique clip, while 18k gold arrows appear to pierce through its fully-pavéd heart.
Chanel
From top: Signature Morganite white gold secret watch with diamonds and morganite, and Les Éternelles de Chanel white gold secret watch with diamonds and pink sapphires.
What appear to be cuff bracelets are in fact secret watches, each designed after things – namely, the camellia, the comet and the feather – that inspired late founder Gabrielle Chanel. This year, the Parisian house adds a fourth piece to its Les Éternelles de Chanel collection, which, through a neat pattern of diamond-set squares, tells the story of the star quilting technique that Chanel has long been known for. At the heart of the ticker sits a 43.66-carat pink morganite pyramid that, when pressed, reveals a small, elegant dial.
Bulgari
Giardini Italiani white gold earrings with brilliant-cut diamonds and Colombian emeralds, and Giardini Italiani white gold convertible necklace-brooch with brilliant-cut diamonds and rubies.
In this staggering collection are 100 beautiful one-of-a-kind interpretations of what you’d find in an Italian Renaissance garden. Aptly named Giardini Italiani or, Italian Gardens, the Roman house’s latest high jewelry collection has reimagined Colombian emeralds, brilliant-cut diamonds, pink spinels and even a 400-carat Sri Lankan sapphire, among other precious stones, as romantic flower beds, geometric hedges and water cascading off decadent fountains.
Chopard
High Jewelry Collection white gold and titanium brooch with amethysts, emeralds, Paraiba tourmalines, spinels, tsavorites and rubies.
A year after joining the French Couture Federation as jeweller, Chopard has unveiled three unique cuff bracelets handcrafted by artisans in its Geneva Haute Joaillerie ateliers. Our top pick: an ingenious piece that the Swiss maison describesx as “a flight towards spring” – it sports a pair of transformable, iridescent butterflies decked in precious stones. The first has wings that double as earrings while the second detaches to become a brooch.
Dior
Clockwise: Granville Tourmaline Verte yellow gold ring with beryls, diamonds, iolites, spessartite garnet, red spinels, rubellite and tourmalines, Granville Peridot yellow gold ring with diamonds, mandarin garnets, peridot, sapphires, and tourmalines, and Granville Tourmaline Verte pink gold ring with aquamarines, chrysoberyls, diamonds, pink spinels, spessartite garnets and tourmalines.
Here, Monsieur Dior’s growing up years in Granville on the coast of Normandy were the source of inspiration. Head of fine jewelry Victoire de Castellane captures the playful spirit of childhood games in 12 one-of-a-kind creations. According to the designer, colorful cuts of her favorite stones – aquamarine, beryl, chrysoberyl, rubellite, tanzanite and tourmaline – are arranged with “a sense of equilibrium” in asymmetrical patterns, so no one shade dominates the other.
Louis Vuitton
Excelsior white gold ring with diamonds and indigolite tourmalines.
Fluid lines of ’30s Streamline Moderne make a sensual comeback in Acte V/The Escape, Louis Vuitton’s sixth high jewelry collection. Rounded silhouettes borrowed from aeronautics and the hulls of transatlantic steamships are incorporated into the collection, which feature vibrant-color gems (including a 32-carat Paraiba tourmaline and 30-carat Australian Lightning Ridge opal) and a specially-reworked, softer version of the French house’s signature “V” motif.
Van Cleef & Arpels
Spanish Ballerina platinum and gold clip with diamonds, emeralds and rubies, and Ballerina platinum brooch with diamonds, emeralds and rubies.
Born out of Louis Arpels’ passion for dance, many of the Parisian jeweler’s creations feature ballerinas as recurring icons. First shown in New York in the ’40s, ballerina clips – adorned in precious headdresses and tutus composed of colored gems – were a hit with collectors, who were besotted with the elegant costumes and graceful poses. A specially curated selection will be displayed at the Art Science Museum from April 23 to August 14 as part of Van Cleef & Arpels’ The Art & Science of Gems exhibition.
Boucheron
Hirunda the Swallows white gold earrings with diamonds and black lacquer, and Chinha the Eagle white gold ring with diamonds, sapphires and a cabochon tanzanite.
Rich in virtues – bravery, hope and peace – and lavish in build, with no surface left unset, animal-inspired jewel talismans are touted by Boucheron as both precious and protective companions, and have been a part of its emblematic lines since 1858. This year, the French jeweler’s ever-growing Animaux de Collection (it currently features 20 creatures) welcomes a new member, Chinha the eagle, whose regality is translated as an oversized white gold ring anchored with a large cabochon tanzanite.
Chaumet
Lumières d’Eau platinum and white gold necklace with frosted rock crystals and diamonds.
Divided into 12 sets, a number recalling the address of Chaumet’s Place Vendôme boutique, the Lumières d’Eau collection exquisitely expresses water in its various states. White Ethiopian opals, pearls, lapis lazuli and emeralds conjure vivid images of gleaming lights on the South Seas, the soft tones of the aurora borealis and crashing waves under an aquamarine sky. A highlight of the high jewelry collection, this piece – featuring blocks of diamond-set and frosted rock crystals on a sleek collar necklace – depicts icicles, and embodies the frozen strength of water.
Story Credits
Text by Kenny Loh
Art Direction by Stephanie Lim
Digital Imaging by c.w.
This article was originally published in L’Officiel Singapore
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