In the world of high jewellery, craftsmanship transcends the mere creation of baubles; it’s an exquisite fusion of elegance, ergonomics, and eternity. Every piece tells a story of meticulous design, where form meets function with grace, and where timeless beauty becomes a testament to the enduring legacy of highly skilled jewellery artisans. Join us on a journey through the enchanting realm of jewellery design where opulence meets practicality, and where each piece is not just a masterpiece but a promise of eternal allure.
CARTIER
Pure lines, accurate shapes, precise proportions, precious details. For centuries, these have contributed to Cartier’s signature – underpinning a collection of cult jewellery and watchmaking designs. The secret is in the structure. Pared-down simplicity ensures that each line is instantly recognisable. In jewellery, think Trinity, Juste un Clou, and Love. The Maison uses perspective to create depth and the curved lines to create movement and reinvent them in a new form as time dictates – modernity steeped in classic elegance – eternal and essential. The shape must be comfortable, details must exist for a reason, and proportion must depend on technical innovation, ergonomics research and understanding of the piece’s function. Beyond the aesthetic beauty of these pieces, they also have cachet as heirlooms.
MESSIKA
Valérie Messika’s new campaign with Kendall Jenner was shot in the Palm Springs desert (as opposed to last year’s Saint-Tropez location), enabling the designer to play with more cinematic style and themes of great American classics. The campaign features three collections: D-Vibes, So Move, and Move Link. “D-Vibes is a collection that puts a spin on the famous diamond necklace. We have designed these pieces as jewels for the skin, hugging the body’s every contour. The two new sets in the campaign are the So Move and Move Link collections. In these designs, we’ve reinterpreted the Maison’s great classic, the Move, with its motif pushed to the limit. We wanted to lean into an excess of shapes and lines – an XXL design – and play with chunky gold and angular edges. Our iconic design is in its prime, only growing in status.”
CHOPARD
Caroline Scheufele’s Happy Hearts collection is a Chopard icon with its signature heart and dancing diamonds. The symbolic shape features regularly in the creations by the Maison’s Co-President and Artistic Director. Fashioned from ethically sourced gold, the Happy Hearts collection exudes a delightful, airy charm, ranging from vibrant, swirling designs to those adorned with dazzling diamonds. Whether worn individually or layered, these pieces radiate a sense of lightness and joy. Until now, the line featured malachite, white or Tahitian mother-of-pearl, onyx, carnelian, and sparkling diamonds. It is extended with pink opals found mainly in the Peruvian Andes worked into a pendant necklace, bracelet, ring and earrings design.
POMELLATO
Handcrafted in the firm’s Milan atelier, the Pomellato Together collection of rings and bracelets is conceived as wearable sculptures that express the enigma of love in its many forms. Continuous lines, soft finishes and perfect diamond and gemstone settings capture the ties that bind, be they as lovers or friends through sisterhood or family ties. Rose gold brings out the white and brown diamonds, blue sapphires or white diamonds contrast with the white gold pieces, while emeralds and rubies embellish the rose gold rings. Double bands of smooth gold, embellished with diamonds and gemstones, are linked as if in an embrace, and may be worn revealing or concealing that link. The simple, gender-fluid lines have universal appeal.
BULGARI
The new Diva’s Dream 18kt rose gold necklaces and matching earrings are as graceful as Bulgari’s muse, Anne Hathaway. The openwork design is slightly smaller than previous iterations, featuring a drop-shaped tanzanite, green tourmaline or rubellite for a flash of colour at the heart of a fan-like diamond frame. The necklace can be worn long or embracing the neck with a section of chain detached and worn separately as a bracelet.
LOUIS VUITTON
The Louis Vuitton Blossom jewellery collection, inspired by the Maison’s monogram flower, features 11 new pieces in pink or white gold ranging from delicate, stackable rings and pendants to an eye-catching overlap hoop and oversized, diamond-studded earrings. Solid and graphic but equally organic and wearable, they are designed to inspire creativity and personalisation to suit various moods and occasions. The rings and earrings are available in two sizes – the smaller creations are more classic and delicate, and the larger versions are more statement-making.
A version of this article appeared in the annual edition of Modern Luxe magazine.