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France: Special Report- By Victoria Townsend – Arabian Watches & Jewellery Magazine
Outstanding High Jewellery collections presented in Paris
Paris was host city once again for the presentations of outstanding new high jewellery collections during July Haute Couture week.
The eight leading jewellery houses officially registered on the Haute Couture calendar: Boucheron, Buccellati ( for the first time), Bulgari, Chanel, Chaumet, Dior, Louis Vuitton, and Mellerio dits Meller were joined by almost 30 other brands showing off their creativity and technical prowess, among which were Alexandre Reza, De Grisogono, Tiffany, Repossi, Wallace Chan, De Beers, Damiani, Versace Fine Jewellery, and jewelry artist Cindy Chao from Taiwan who created her company in 2004.
Some of the Houses presented part or all of their collections in anticipation of the much awaited Biennale des Antiquaires scheduled to take place in Paris from Sept 11 – 21. This year, the highly prestigious event will showcase Boucheron, Bulgari, Cartier, Chanel, Chaumet, Dior, Graff Diamonds, Piaget, Alexandre Reza, Siegelson, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Wallace Chan.
Among the highlights of the week:
Boucheron presented its “Dreams of Elsewhere” collection “filled with beauty, emotion and poetry”, representing “an international journey through (our) history”…Inspired by five destinations: Treasure of Persia; Shores of Japan, Splendours of Russia, Flowers of India, and Chinese Ink Brush, each chapter of this collection reflected its dream of origin, with breathtaking pieces composed of diamonds, sapphires, rock crystal, chalcedony…
Celebrating its 130th anniversary, Bulgari hosted one of the finest receptions of the week to launch its new MVSA Collection, inspired by the 9 muses and beauty of the arts. VIPs, international editors and trendsetters gathered at the fashionable Apicius restaurant to view the private jewelry fashion show in the presence of live muse Carla Bruni Sarkozy. Models exhibited the modern collection of strong colour combinations, unexpected shapes, large volumes and technical mastery, composed of twenty-six pieces of rings, necklaces, bracelets and earrings in blue topaz, amethysts, citrine, chalcedony, onyx, rubellites, tourmalines, prasiolites, tanzanites, mother of pearl and diamonds in pink and white gold, with the special ‘takhti’ cut for egg-shaped luminescence. Nine breathtaking and colourful one-of-a-kind pieces were also created, inspired by the 9 muses.
The“Café Society” collection presented by Chanel is an ode to freedom, inspired by the aristocrats, bourgeoisie, socialites, poets and musicians whose lives resembled a long voyage from the Riviera to Long Island, punctuated with dinners, balls, concerts, and cruises. Reminiscent of the the 1910s and Roaring Twenties, this collection consists of avant-garde geometry, pure clean lines and fiery audacity, with sets comprised of sautoirs, plastrons, brooches, rings, bracelets and headpieces under such themes of ‘Charleston’, ‘Broadway’, ‘Morning in Vendôme’, ‘Tuxedo’, ‘Bubbles’ or ‘Jazz’ in forms of squares and rectangles made of diamonds, yellow sapphires, and onyx.
Chaumet continues to play with its colour blue, this time with its collection “Lumières d’eau”. Designed to reflect water in its many forms, whether flowing, frozen or cascading, ‘Lumières d’eau’ evokes running streams, ricochets, rainy skies and sun-lit lakes, where light pure lines and movement come together. Twelve chapters in a total of 53 fluid and elegant pieces, from fountain-like necklace to cuff bracelet, designed in ribbons, bold angles, and curls, present an alliance of softness and strength composed of tourmalines, lapis lazuli, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds and rock crystal cabochons.
Dior Jewellery presented their latest high-jewellery collection ‘Archi-Dior’ in a fun and original way. Inside the Dior boutique on avenue Montaigne, doll-size versions of couture pieces designed by Mr. Christian Dior from 1947 (his first collection) until 1950, were displayed alongside pieces of the ‘Archi-Dior’ collection created by Victoire de Castellane.
Inspired by the architecture of the fashion pieces, she seemed to “transform fabric into precious stones, and High Fashion into High Jewelry” as if the jewels were“sculpted, flounced, pleated, belted or draped fabrics”. Rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces composed of white gold, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, tourmalines, garnets and rubies were as sumptuous and graceful as haute couture gowns.
In 2013, Mellerio dits Meller celebrated its 400 years of existence with a high jewellery collection dedicated to Marie de Médicis, Queen of France and patron of the arts who in 1613 granted the rights by royal decree to the Mellerio family to sell their creations throughout France. Inspired by her passion for diamonds, pearls, and the emblematic ‘fleur de lys’ of France, the collection boasted original and transformable pieces highlighting these 3 elements.
This year, the theme is taken even further, with 3 high jewellery pieces that include earcuffs, a long sautoir necklace that can be worn in 3 different ways, designed with articulate arabesques of diamond-set platinum surrounding a central 11.56 carats oval jonquille diamond, and a more graphic, cascading necklace composed of baguette diamonds and pink sapphires that can be worn in 8 different ways, from brooch to bracelets to earrings to necklace variations.
Louis Vuitton presented its ACTE V collection, with 36 pieces of high jewellery inspired by the Art Deco period and its rigourous construction. Based on the letter “V” as in the 5th high jewellery collection, and as in the Maison’s signature sylised by Gaston-Louis Vuitton in 1925, pure lines of diamonds and black onyx met extraordinary gems including an 87.92 carat Australian opal, a red Tanzanian spinel of over 20 carats, and a 20.94 carat blue grey Burmese sapphire. Mounted in rings, necklaces, cuff bracelets and earrings of precise lines, the collection showed perfectly calculated proportions and geometric harmony.
The House of Alexandre Reza will be back at the Biennale after an absence of 14 years.
A legendary gem connoisseur, Alexandre Reza was known for his artistic, traditional and passionate approach, creating designs to further enhance the beauty of his fully natural precious stones.
Now run by son Olivier, who accompanied his father on his searches for gems, the house presented a beautiful collection of necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings featuring the famous ‘trembleur’ construction that allows precious stones to‘tremble’ at the slightest movement, for a captivating and powerful reflection of light.
Exceptional and colourful pieces including earrings composed of 4 oval-shaped Columbian emeralds weighing 51.84 carats mounted with baguette, square-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds on platinum, and the ‘Turban’ ring featuring an unheated sugar-loaf Ceylon sapphire of 27.74 carats surrounded by baguette diamonds.
Haute Couture Week in July 2014 saw not just an increase in the number of jewelry brands eager to present their latest collections; it was also witness to unsurpassed levels of creativity, irreproachable technique, and exceptional stones that truly raise Haute Joaillerie to the state of art.