Celebrity Life

The exhibition explores, in detail, the components that make up the iconic Kelly bag.

The post Hermès Kellymorphose: The Kelly Bag Reimagined As Jewellery appeared first on LUXUO.

Blue diamonds are rarer than the blue moon, it’s almost a miracle of nature for it to happen at all. A blue diamond of this size and calibre – over 15-carats and Fancy Vivid blue – is the rarest of them all. The De Beers Cullinan Blue, offered at Sotheby’s, is set to make history with an estimate of over US$48 million this April.

Today, Sotheby’s announced that it will be presenting The De Beers Cullinan Blue, claiming it to be the most valuable blue diamond ever to be offered at auction. Estimated in excess of US$48 million (HK$380 million), the 15.10-carat step-cut blue diamond is recently cut from an exceptional rough stone that was discovered in April 2021.

In its polished and cut state, the blue diamond is now the largest Fancy Vivid blue diamond ever to appear at auction and the largest internally flawless step-cut Fancy Vivid blue diamond that the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) has ever graded.

Sotheby’s is a purveyor of blue diamonds, having offered a number of exquisite blue diamonds in the past, but this stone, in particular, is the rarest of them all. Only five over 10-carat examples have ever come to auction, and none of them has ever exceeded 15 carats. The sale of The De Beers Cullinan Blue will undoubtedly be a landmark event in itself.

The exceptional blue diamond will go on a global tour, starting from New York, to London, Dubai, Singapore, Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Taipei, before being offered in a stand-alone, single lot live auction during Sotheby’s Hong Kong Luxury Week.

Commenting on the blue diamond, Patti Wong, Chairman of Sotheby’s Asia says, “Blue diamonds of any kind are rare on the market, but this is the rarest of the rare; nothing of remotely similar calibre has appeared at auction in recent years.”

Wenhao Yu, Chairman of Jewellery and Watches at Sotheby’s Asia adds: “The De Beers Cullinan Blue stands as a proud masterpiece that has been gifted from nature with the hues of the sky and sea, perfected through a step-cut that is bold, distinctive and masterful. Among the rarest of stones in what is arguably the most desirable of colours – powerful and vivid, but at the same time calm and majestic – it must surely rank among the greatest wonders of the natural world. It is literally irresistible.”

The diamond was discovered at the Cullinan Mine in South Africa in 2021, which remains one of the very few sources in the world for rare blue diamonds. Upon discovery of the rough, the De Beers Group worked with its partner Diacore, to cut and polish the rough and bring The De Beers Cullinan Blue to life.

The post The Rarest Blue Diamond Estimated at US$48 Million Comes to Auction appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Are jewellery brands moving beyond his and hers once and for all? Prestige speaks to brands big and small about genderless jewellery.

The topic of boys in bling isn’t new – even in this publication, we’ve noticed a rising trend in mainstream jewellery brands that, in the past year or so, have recruited male ambassadors and male models to showcase their latest collections.

Did Harry Styles start it? Some have pointed to the British singer’s red-carpet look at the 2019 Met Gala, when he paired his Gucci ensemble with a single pearl earring. Perhaps. It certainly marked a turning point for men’s accessories in recent years – since then, Styles’ sartorial sensibility has transcended the simple earring to include your grandmother’s pearls and feather boas, inspiring his peers to dress louder, bolder and more gender-fluid. The Jonas Brothers have been spotted rocking the pearl necklace, as has Shawn Mendes. Jake Gyllenhaal has been photographed wearing a simple gold chain necklace time and again. Appropriating “men’s jewellery” to simply watches, signet rings and cufflinks is no longer so appropriate.

Gender is a construct, socially imposed from the moment we’re born, divided into different things, activities, colours or careers deemed suitable for boys or girls. There’s nothing inherent in flowers and dolls that make them more appealing to girls, nothing to dictate that rocket ships and cars are made for boys (girls can play too, but they’re then labelled tomboys) – but somehow they’ve persisted well into the 21st century.

Few things around us are truly gender-neutral, though with changing attitudes towards gender and deeper conversations into inclusivity and representation, this is now changing.

The concept of genderless jewellery isn’t anything new but the years 2020 and beyond have shown an evident shift from mere trend to something that’s here to stay. Previously, genderless jewellery was seen as out of the box and utterly revolutionary – Italian jewellery designer Aldo Cipullo was well ahead of his time when, in 1969 and 1971 respectively, he designed the Cartier Love and Juste un Clou bracelets. The former was inspired by everyday screws and the latter inspired by the humble nail, speaking to the designer’s minimalist and androgynous style beloved by both men and women.

These days, the concept of gender-free jewellery has become the norm. Embodying the more audacious spirit, Roman jeweller Bvlgari has arguably been a champion of this category with its bestselling B.zero1 collection. The collection debuted in 1999, when Bvlgari decided to marry innovation with one of Rome’s most historic monuments – the Colosseum – to create an entirely unconventional and avant-garde design. It was the first collection to be described as unisex by the brand itself.

A major success, it inspired more iterations, from collaborations with the late architect Zaha Hadid, who reimagined the industrial, cylindrical shape with her fluid, undulating aesthetics, to the latest B.zero1 Rock collection, which adds irreverent studs to the design’s central band.

Even pearls – not just traditionally viewed as feminine, but also decidedly old-fashioned – were given an unexpected boost of gender-free appeal when Mikimoto partnered with Comme des Garçons to unveil the fashion label’s first jewellery collection in 2020. As a forerunner of avant-garde fashion under the leadership of Rei Kawakubo, Comme des Garçons challenged the norms of beauty and tradition – why can’t men also wear pearls? Through the collaboration, both brands aimed to adorn the necks of all, regardless of age or gender. Pearls were suddenly cool again when paired with chunky silver chains and emblazoned with the Comme des Garçons logo.

Louis Vuitton’s Volt collection by artistic director Francesca Amfitheatrof is another stellar example of jewellery transcending borders and genders. The brand takes inspiration from its classic leitmotif, allowing the capital L and V letters to intersect, stack up together, or connect at the ends to form lightning-bolt and pulse-line designs – new shapes that are decidedly graphic and cool. There’s a chain-link design as well as a mesh, presenting the L and V letters in myriad textures, finishes and dimensions with great gender-neutral appeal.

Expanding the Volt collection this year, Louis Vuitton brings us the LV Volt Upside Down, playfully turning the letters L and V on their heads to form lively and energising patterns in yellow- and white-gold pendants, highlighted with diamonds. There are radiant rings and bracelets that can be stacked and layered, and even a rocker-chic ear cuff that adds a bold and modern twist to the collection.

Locally, we see brands enthusiastically dressing up our city’s most treasured male idols. Hong Kong-based designers, too, are creating for a more gender-fluid crowd, utilising abstract themes and aesthetics that are universally appealing.

ZNS Jewellery is a brand-new concept that comes under long-established Hong Kong jeweller KS Sze & Sons and is headed by co-founder and chief creative officer Alan Chan. The traditional jeweller and the well-known designer had no qualms about entering the jewellery market anew, with a new attitude and gender-free positioning they believe was still underrepresented.

A philosophy, rather than material inspiration was Chan’s starting point. “Despite my many years of experience in design, I’m a newcomer to the jewellery business and to come up with an original and unique concept in this competitive market is never easy,” he explains. “I looked back at my life to uncover the belief and values close to my heart that I wanted to crystalise in my design – the notion of “from eternity to infinity” is what I’ve instilled in my jewellery concept. This philosophy became the groundwork.”

ZNS, with an audacious motto – See No Limits – showcases jewellery that’s more abstract. “It shows the symbolic values instead of how much the diamond costs,” says Chan. The ZNS collection features the letter Z interpreted in various ways, depicting the infinity sign, or interlinked in chains. Many pieces are designed to be transformable, allowing the wearer to incorporate the jewellery into their everyday lifestyle with ease.

“With growing trends of brands positioning themselves around their values or attitudes, I envisage that gender-free or gender-specific will no longer be an issue,” Chan says of the future of jewellery design. “Only the ideas matter.”

And not just in fine jewellery. Boucheron has emerged as one of the traditional jewellery maisons to wholeheartedly embrace gender fluidity in its high-jewellery collections. The brand’s highly regarded Quatre fine-jewellery collection was already deemed unisex when it launched in 2004.

“High jewellery shouldn’t just be for women,” Claire Choisne, the house’s creative director said. “Boucheron wants men to wear our jewellery because we also design pieces for them. In fact, high jewellery has always been something for men: it was initially created for men, who adorned themselves with jewels at the time of the kings and maharajahs. It’s therefore quite natural to create high-jewellery pieces for men. Jewellery is not about gender, but about style. It allows everyone to express their unique personality.”

Choisne believes there should be no boundaries when it comes to who can and cannot carry her jewellery – this was evident in her jewellery campaign for her latest collection, where both sexes were dressed based solely on what looked good on them, regardless of their gender.

“We create jewellery for women and men who love freedom and independence and know what they want, and that best reflects their personality and taste,” says Choisne. “We want to enable them to tell their story in their own way. Creative freedom is at the heart of our philosophy. This means that our customers are free from any constraints when they wear our pieces … We want women and men to be able to wear our creations as they see fit.”

The post Genderless Jewellery: Going Beyond His and Hers appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Immortalise the love for the lady of your life with this new fine jewellery collection from Dior.

The post Rose Dior Couture: Best Rose This Valentine’s Day appeared first on LUXUO.

This year, the American jeweller is working with fellow New Yorker, Curtis Kulig, for its Valentine’s Day campaign.

The post Tiffany & Co. declares that “Blue is the Colour of Love” appeared first on LUXUO.

Rings that promise, rings that bind – Austy Lee’s latest toi et moi rings celebrate love that’s different, unique and all-encompassing.

Love is a funny thing. For some, it’s meeting their best friend, a soulmate, someone whose thoughts and actions are so like their own that they immediately click. For others, it’s an attraction to the unknown, meeting someone wildly different who thrills and excites them, drawing them out of their comfort zone and opening them up to new things.

Austy Lee’s latest jewellery rings are for the latter coupling, jewellery inspired by falling in love with someone who’s the complete opposite of you. Like yin and yang, concave and convex, somehow opposites attract and fit together naturally, complementing each other perfectly.

The Obliquity Temples Ring in the Dizygotican Collection almost looks like two halves that have been broken apart and melded back together again with its corners unaligned, conveying a sense of jarring togetherness. In yellow gold, the ring is set with two centre stones – a Zambian emerald and a spessartine garnet. Edged in mother-of-pearl, fancy orange-yellow diamonds, champagne diamonds and white diamonds decorate the intricate base plate of the ring.

The Acrossing with Rainbow earrings is another jewellery piece that depicts how colours on opposing ends of the spectrum wheel actually look really pleasing to the eye when they come together. From Austy Lee’s 10th Dimension Collection, the earrings in rose gold are set with vivid neon pink and green ceramics in a cross motif, with champagne diamonds glittering in the centre.

From the Jade Dynasty Collection is the Flowers Between Spring and Winter Ring, a poetic composition that juxtaposes the cool of an unheated Sri Lankan blue star sapphire with the fire of a vivid Zambian emerald. Surrounding the sapphire is a ring of black enamel, while the emerald is encircled by unheated Mozambican pigeon-blood rubies.

Amoebas are strange, shape-altering organisms that have captured Austy Lee’s attention – he created the Neon Amoeba ring in the 10th Dimension Collection to pay tribute to its fluid and inconstant beauty. The between-the-fingers ring showcases an oval-shaped yellow sapphire at one end encircled by red and turquoise enamel, while at the other end, in complete contrast, is an emerald-cut Zambian emerald, with straight-edged orange and royal-blue enamel.

So enamoured is Austy Lee of amoebas that there’s a second between-the-fingers ring in the same collection. This ring features more unusual stones: the fiery iridescence of the Australian black opal is contrasted with the translucent blue-green of the apatite. The irregular shapes of the stones are outlined by rings of green and red enamel, fancy pink diamonds, fancy coloured diamonds and white diamonds.

[Hero image: Neon Amoeba ring in the 10th Dimension Collection]

Discover the full collection on Austyleeartjewellery.com.

The post Celebrate Love with Austy Lee Toi et Moi Rings appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

There’s something about gifting jewellery that’s incredibly intimate and emotional.

Sure, chocolates and flowers are classic Valentine’s Day gestures, but if you want your significant other to feel like the kings or queens of the world, then there’s nothing like a jewellery gift, something you know they’ll treasure for all the years to come. From fun and flirty, elegant pieces, to bold and strong symbolic jewellery and big brand names, here is our selection of the best jewellery pieces your partner will love.

Chopard

The happiest diamonds are the ones that are free. So let your loved ones know just how happy their love makes you with Chopard’s Happy Hearts collection. The open-ended rose gold cuff comes with heart charms on both ends, one with a glossy red stone and the other a sapphire crystal glass case holding a free-moving 0.05-carat diamond. Available at Net-a-Porter.

Yvonne Léon

Yvonne Léon’s jewellery is Parisian chic, inspired by the life and the stylish women in the French capital who wore colourful and bold jewellery most effortlessly. This heart-shaped signet ring is handmade from 9K gold, with a rope-effect setting that holds a heart-shaped malachite pierced with a singular diamond. If you don’t enjoy your heart-shaped jewellery in pinks and reds, this might steal your heart instead. Available at Net-a-Porter.

Sorrellina

Sorellina is a jewellery brand is founded by sister duo Nicole and Kim Carosella, whose aesthetic leans towards bold statements with a hint of vintage charm. This beautiful heart-shaped locket comes with a pink mother-of-pearl centre that’s framed with diamonds and rainbow-hued sapphires. And like any functional locket, it opens up to store a tiny photo of a loved one close to heart. Available at Net-a-Porter.

Cece Jewellery

Emerging British designer and goldsmith Cece Jewellery combines a love for retro tattoos, enamel art and goldsmithing to create these wonderfully whimsical pendants and signet rings, which tell the tales of nautical adventures, mythical creates and animal totems. This piece depicting a pierced heart has our attention. Each jewellery is made from recycled yellow gold and hand-engraved and hand-painted by one of London’s most renowned enamellers.

Graff

Feminity is in full bloom at Graff, whose new Wild Flower collection brings a vision of carefree irreverence and unencumbered self-expression to the playful diamond pieces. Arranged in an open-worked pavé setting, the diamonds appear incredibly light yet full of life – the perfect gift for a loved one.

Boochier

Melinda Zeman turned to jewellery design to satisfy her pursuit of interesting and unique jewellery pieces that incorporate nostalgic elements of her childhood rather than the more run-of-the-mill flora and fauna. Boochier is fun at heart, crafted in diamonds and neon-coloured enamel. This ring in particular is inspired by a childhood favourite, the Slinkee, perfect for the fun-loving partners this Valentine’s Day.

Mateo

Pearls are making a comeback – we’ve not seen pearl chains look as stylish as when strung around Harry Style’s neck. For designer Matthew Harris, pearls are the significant of his brand Mateo. The designer is drawn to the iridescent stones since they’re also his birthstone, and makes use of the cream-coloured jewels in the most classic and wearable ways. Available at Mr Porter.

Samantha Tea

Let Samantha Tea spell it out for you – love should be all year round, not just on Valentine’s Day. The All in Love! Ring is made from solid rose gold, with the world LOVE standing upright and paved in white diamonds in the front and cognac diamonds at the back.

Eden Presley

Bold and daring defines the designs of Eden Presley, who combines classic and traditional motifs with unusual elements and semi-precious stones for a distinctive take on fine jewellery. The Rainbow Love Transformer Earrings features heart hoops in multi-colour gemstones and comes apart so the first heart can be worn as a stud and the second heart as a pendant. Jewellery should be fun and Eden Presley for sure brings it out.

Mikimoto

Love doesn’t have to be loud – this delicate 18K white gold bracelet with an Akoya cultured pearl and a ribbon motif in white gold and diamonds is perfect for those looking for something subtle, less in-your-face, more pure this Valentine’s Day. Ribbons is a precious symbol, according to the Japanese jeweller, who believes it symbolises the unbreakable bond uniting those who love each other.

De Beers

There’s nothing like receiving your very first De Beers jewellery. My First De Beers collection comes in modern and versatile designs that will surely become treasured pieces in anyone’s collection. For Valentine’s Day, pick up a heart-shaped diamond pendant or a tear-drop shaped one – each centre diamond is encircled by a halo of micropavé diamonds to accentuate the diamonds’ romantic shapes.

Stenzhorn

This Valentine’s Day, German jeweller Stenzhorn’s released a fun new collection titled Honey Honey, bee-inspired jewellery to celebrate the joyous occasion with levity and affection. The Honey Honey Collection earrings features baguette diamond links in a geometric honeycomb pattern to represent the sweet connection. A modern silhouette that any chic woman would love. Available at Emperor Watches and Jewellery or online.

Marla Aaron

Marla Aaron has got your heart under lock and key with her fun signature heart pendants, an industrial design that’s inspired by the New Yorker’s passion for bridges, hardware, and jewellery. Shop her fun pieces at Lane Crawford, or online at Farfetch.

Fred

In pink gold and rubies, Fred’s Pretty Woman collection celebrates love in all its forms. The collection, inspired by the movie of the same name starring Julia Roberts, comes with a heart-within-a-heart design for the vivacious and energetic women in your life.

Bvlgari

Snakes are not the slippery cunning creatures you might think they are, on the contrary they represent fertility, rebirth and eternity – strong symbolic jewellery that’s well-suited for your partner in life. And when it comes to serpentine jewellery, no one does it better than Bvlgari.

[Header image: De Beers’ Valentine’s Day Campaign, showcasing the Enchanted Lotus collection]

The post 15 Valentine’s Day Jewellery to Treasure Forever appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

This immersive exhibition will showcase the inspirations behind some of the Maison’s iconic pieces in four themed galleries.

The post Van Cleef & Arpels: A Journey Through the Poetry of Time appeared first on LUXUO.

The pandemic has allowed this local jeweller to explore new territories including her own Peranakan heritage.

The post Singaporean jewellery designer, Marilyn Tan, finds inspiration closer to home appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

The world's largest known cut diamond went on public display for the first time ahead of its sale, when it is expected to reach five million dollars.

The post Black diamond, largest ever cut, goes on show in Dubai appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

Founder of Revival Jewels predicts which four artist-jewellers will be highly sought-after in the future.

The post This is what vintage gem specialist, Brenda Kang, has to say about collectible jewellery appeared first on The Peak Magazine.

L'École School of Jewelry Arts shines a spotlight on Lacloche, once one of Paris' most revered jewellers before its demise in the 1960s. We talk to curator Laurence Mouillefarine and Managing Director Elise Pon-Gonnet to discover the captivating creations of this long-lost jeweller.

Anyone who watched Casino Royale will recall the scene when Vesper Lynd looks at 007’s wrist and asks, “Rolex?” to which Bond replies, “Omega.” A short but sweet exchange, with both brands getting a reputational boost from the 2006 film’s screening, marketing ploy or not. But now, imagine this. A similar exchange took place almost a century ago in Noël Coward’s 1924 theatrical comedy Easy Virtue, when a gentleman complimented the heroine Larita’s cigarette case. “Cartier?” he asked. “No, Lacloche. I’ve had it for years,” she replied.

Marketing campaigns hardly existed back then, which made the exchange that much stronger. These few lines reveal so much about French jeweller Lacloche’s reputation – not only was the brand known across the Channel in Britain, but it was clearly seen as a worthy competitor to Cartier and known for its enchanting cigarette cases. But what was Lacloche? Why did it disappear and what caused its downfall?

Little would have been known about this maison, one of Paris’ most celebrated jewellery houses from the Belle Époche period to the 1960s, were it not for the efforts of both journalist Laurence Mouillefarine, who co-authored the tome Lacloche Joailliers, and L’école School of Jewelry Arts, which pushed to put Lacloche back in the minds of the general public by putting together a monographic exhibition showcasing the technical prowess and impeccable taste of its high jewellery before its demise in 1960s.

“It’s the mission of L’École to welcome the public to discover unknown stories behind the arts of jewellery, from antiquity to contemporary artists and throughout the world,” says Elise Pon-Gonnet, managing director of L’École Asia Pacific. “The house of Lacloche is one of these secrets, marking jewellery history that we wish to share.”

While no archive was kept and no monograph was dedicated to the maison particularly, we do know is that Lacloche Frères, and later Jacques Lacloche, created jewellery for royals and Hollywood stars. “Their creativity was acknowledged by a Grand Prix at the important 1925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris,” says Pon-Gonnet. “Maison Lacloche was a landmark for artistic innovation and avant-garde designs.”

Léopold and Jules Lacloche, the elder two sons of a Belgian textile merchant, set off to Paris to make their fortune as jewellery traders and founding Lacloche Frères in 1892 on rue de Châteaudun in the ninth district. By way of fortuitous marriages, aligning themselves with other well-known jewellers at the time such as Gompers, and rapid expansions to tourist towns in France, Madrid and London, the brothers’ name and reputations grew, drawing a prestigious clientele of cosmopolitan bourgeoisie and members of royalty.

In France, they were next-door neighbours to Cartier and perfumer Guerlain on the lavish rue de la Paix. In London, their shop occupied a spot on prestigious New Bond Street. The jewellers were always ahead of the curve, standing at the forefront of aesthetic trends that gripped society from the fin de siècle to the Roaring Twenties, and from the naturalism of Art Nouveau, by way of Egyptomania and a penchant for the Far East, to Art Deco. Their jewellery, clocks and vanity cases – a speciality of Lacloche – were seen as some of the most fashionable items one could carry.

Says Pon-Gonnet: “The Lacloche jewellery creations mark milestones of feminine style and elegance, with a close relationship to couture and to the position of women in society. In the 1920s, when boyish hairstyles are in fashion, pendant earrings are of choice. Ladies now smoke cigarettes carry ornamented cases. And when corsets and sleeves disappeared, sautoirs and bangle bracelets would become part of the ornate outfits.”

But Lacloche’s fortunes were cut short in 1931, neither through mismanagement nor the recession of two years previously. “The 1929 stock-market crash had a terrible impact on Lacloche’s customers’ finances, even ruining them,” explains Mouillefarine. “But the downfall for Lacloche was more unusual: the firm’s owner, and above all one of his sons, suffered from an addiction: gambling. The fortune they left on the casino tables was so huge that it sank their entire company.”

Later, Jacques Lacloche Junior, who was trained by his uncles in the family jewellery business, continued the family name by setting up his own business. The Lacloche name, revived, continued to dazzle members of royalty, as well as figures in fashion and beauty. The business thrived, but Jacques’ interests did not – by 1960s, he’d become passionate about contemporary art and, in 1967, he decided to close the jewellery store to turn his attention to the world of design.

The Lacloche Parisian Jewelers 1892-1967 exhibition at L’École, currently running at the Hong Kong campus until April 6, wouldn’t have come to life were it not for journalist and exhibition curator Mouillefarine, who’s known for her studies into art and history of jewellery, and who co-authored Lacloche Joailliers, the starting point of the exhibition.

She tells me she first discovered Lacloche Frères and Jacques Lacloche pieces in auction catalogues and books on jewellery, but realised that little of their history had been recorded. After reading all she could in magazines and reports of the period, she eventually also got to know Francis Lacloche, Jacques’ son, who provided more helpful details about the family.

“I find fascinating the fact that three brothers who came from a modest background in Belgium managed to develop one of the most prestigious Paris jewellery companies,” says Mouillefarine. “A success story. With a sad end.”

According to Mouillefarine, the archives all but disappeared when Lacloche Frères’ stock and premises were sold at auction in 1932 and 1933. Research to put together the book almost surmounted to detective work, frustrating Mouillefarine so much that she entertained the idea of giving up, until she discovered a small catalogue that gave her a second clue.

“We found the catalogue of a retrospective held by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, in 1976, which commemorated – amazingly a year late – the 50th anniversary of the 1925 exhibition,” says Mouillefarine. “It was a very tiny, tiny catalogue with a few lines regarding Lacloche Frères, but it mentioned the presence of two gouache albums: one representing 22 clocks and the second, with 63 jewels and accessories.

“It seemed that as souvenirs of this major event, Fernand Lacloche had two albums made to illustrate the creations he presented in 1925. Each piece is painted in gouache and described in handwriting,” says Mouillefarine. “How eloquent these documents could be if we could find them! At once I launched myself on a treasure hunt to find these unique books.”

It took two years. Finding the two gouache albums proved to be a small miracle. “After Jacques Lacloche had lent the albums to the Paris Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 1976, he dispersed them at an auction in Saint-Moritz in Switzerland. They sprung up in the United States in a private collection,” says Mouillefarine. The books, miraculously, were still intact.

“These documents are so important for the history of jewellery that Van Cleef & Arpels acquired them,” Mouillefarine adds. “Visitors to the L’École exhibition in Hong Kong can see them in a digitalised version, along with the real jewels. It’s very moving.”

Following the book, the next challenge was to find the pieces to put together the L’École exhibition. “It was a challenge, as the jewels had been scattered around the world: America, Europe, the Far East … there’s no collector of Lacloche creations only,” says Mouillefarine.

“People who own Lacloche pieces usually have a passion for French jewellery and try to collect important works signed by famous brands such as Cartier, Chaumet, Maubossin, Van Cleef & Arpels and so on.”

But Mouillefarine’s connections run deep. Having co-curated an exhibition about Art Deco and Avant- Garde jewellery at the Paris Musée des Arts Décoratifs in 2009, she was able to connect with experts, auctioneers and dealers who pointed her in the right direction.

More than 40 pieces of rare jewellery, precious clocks and timepieces, compacts and vanity cases are displayed in Hong Kong, with 11 Lacloche pieces premiering for the first time following the Paris exhibition. Borrowed from collectors all over the world, these pieces are sourced from New York, Geneva, London, Paris and even locally.

The Van Cleef & Arpels name definitely helped convince collectors to lend their treasures, says Mouillefarine. But what she found most encouraging was this: “Some collectors that I got in touch with spontaneously confided in me that Lacloche was their favourite jeweller.

Lacloche, Parisian Jewelers, 1892-1967 runs from now until April 6, 2022 at L'École School of Jewelry Arts at K11 Musea. Following the latest government guidelines, the exhibition is temporarily closed until further notice.

The post Lacloche: L’École School of Jewelry Arts Showcases a Forgotten Master of Jewels in Latest Exhibition appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.