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Cartier
Paris couture had a certain frisson, a crisp and fresh mood that matched January’s sub-zero temperatures. Two noticeable high jewelry trends channeled the vibe—wearability and transformability—which in a way de-formalized high jewelry, making it finally a bit more fun and easy. Even at the maisons, glass vitrines made way for models circling the rooms draped in exquisite jewels, the gems worn as their designs intended, sparkling in the light. Pieces were increasingly transformable, too, welcoming more versatile and even fashion-forward creations, from hair and shoulder adornments to buttons and imaginative ring jackets. Upbeat and light, this was certainly one of couture’s most exciting seasons yet.
Dior
Image Credit: Dior To Paris’s 7th arrondissement and Dior Villa, where not only was high jewelry shown for a second consecutive time, but presented alongside haute couture, Baby Dior children’s wear, a Dior café and on-site artisans at their workbenches. This immersive Dior universe was the perfect setting for Dior Délicat high jewelry, which builds upon the previous couture-inspired collections of Galons Dior and Dearest Dior. Overlapping, intertwining layers – achieved through asymmetry, various cut stones and multiple strands, presented in an almost punky, chaotic way (read: wholly wearable) – comes to the fore in Dior Delicat’s hero piece: a collar-like, six-strand diamond necklace is accented with a 7.08ct pear shape diamond. Unsurprisingly, fashion feels ever more present in this collection, with new cool, rock’n’roll styles featured, think ear huggies and climbers, tiaras and hair sliders.
Louis Vuitton
Image Credit: Laziz Hamani The fashion house embarked on the second leg of Deep Time, Louis Vuitton’s epic journey through time and space that launched in July. Deep Time imagines high jewelry from the origins of the earth through to the beginning of life, through to fossils, seeds and plants. Especially hypnotic is the double-helix, DNA-like white gold and diamond Myraid necklace featuring a subtle, tactile wave of bejeweled nails that’s cinched by an exquisite diamond-set rope – the latter recalling the cables that hoisted and transported Louis Vuitton trunks. The maison is a masterclass in geometry and a new Skin suite features a checkerboard, Lego-like motif crafted from nearly 300 Umba sapphires – set into pieces like a choker and sautoir. Fans will also recall Damier, a house motif that’s showing up everywhere lately, from accessories to ready-to-wear.
David Morris
Image Credit: David Morris The elusive, mercurial beauty of the Aurora Borealis inspired David Morris’ new Skye collection, which also has a personal touch as the name of creative director Jeremy Morris’s youngest daughter. The collection explores the colors thrown off by the Northern Lights – mainly captivating greens, which are brilliantly captured in incredible emerald and diamond jewels. But also blue, a hue more rarely seen and which depends on accompanying solar activity. The Lyra collar is a real beauty to behold, its 94.95 carats of gobstopper sized Madagascan blue sapphires set among waves of diamond-set bands and sprinkled with 5.13 carats of pink diamonds. David Morris is something of a go-to for Paraiba tourmalines, and its Starbust cuff serves up another azure feast, juxtaposing 52.12 carats of Paraibas among beds of blue sapphires totaling 58.88 carats, all with a sunburst motif for added wow.
Graff
Image Credit: Graff You can always count on Graff to present some jaw dropping, mega solitaire stones, but the house undergoing a design reboot. Its unrivalled stone expertise was muse itself, with Graff design director Anne-Eva Geffroy saying that the house “needed to experiment, to push the boundaries of our design language while remaining true to our stone-led design philosophy.” The result are stylish, modern creations like a show-stopping bangle set with an incredible 118.17ct unheated Sri Lankan sapphire that rises above among layers of white gold crescents, set wall-to-wall with diamonds. Elsewhere two fancy intense yellow pear-shape diamonds dangle, floating-like, from a delicate rope-style necklace, while a bird ring brings a sense of play. Its 3.50ct oval diamond rests among a plumage of stones, an emerald eye and onyx beak just peeking through.
Cartier
Image Credit: Cartier Cartier presented chapter three of its Le Voyage Recommencé collection, first unveiled last summer. Jacqueline Karachi, Cartier’s director of high jewelry creation, described the collection as “pushing the boundaries of creation and discovering new horizons,” which is evident in the designer’s mining and exploration Cartier’s house codes. For example, the panther, which first prowled onto the scene in 1914, becomes literally a confiante feline, resting amid a lush, textured explosion of octagonal peridots, ribbed coral beads, diamond and onyx, clutching a 26.52 carat peridot cabochon. Cartier is a masterclass in blending materials and elsewhere an exquisite necklace sensually twists obsidian, jasper, petrified wood, black lacquer and diamonds that all culminate in an unexpected 45.99 carat green tourmaline drop.
Boucheron
Image Credit: Boucheron Every January, creative director Claire Choisne revisits Boucheron’s archives, and this year couture was her muse – founder Frédéric Boucheron was the son of draper – in particular the ceremonial attire of Boucheron’s royal clients. “There is a paradox between what seemed quite radical and strict at first, but looking closely, you see an accumulation of really refined and detailed ornaments,” she says. “There are lot of cultural symbols, but the final result is strong and powerful.” Her 24-piece collection captures that sense of power, and comes themed around an ultra chic, white palette of rock crystal and diamonds, as transformability and versatility add to the brand touchpoints. The Nœus bow (pictured left) is astonishing in its workmanship: 2,600 hours were required to hand-cut and set the 435 individual frosted baguette-cut rock crystals into a grosgrain ribbon, the bow further trimmed in diamonds and topped by a 4.05ct pear-shape stone. The piece can be worn six ways, including a bracelet, ring and shoulder accent. The braided aiguillette (pictured right), crafted from white gold, rock crystal and diamonds, is also a high jewelry game changer. Imaginative and refined in its craftsmanship, the piece can be worn as brooches, bracelets and even earrings of diamond-pave rock crystal drops.
Chaumet
Image Credit: Chaumet Chaumet may be among the world’s oldest and most storied houses, but it’s fast becoming the most innovative and exciting one too. Un Air de Chaumet’s eight-piece capsule collection celebrates movement and nature, in particular the birds so beloved by Chaumet’s founder. The firebird’s explosive plumage finds expression in the Parade suite featuring an asymmetrical and interchangeable earring and earcuff, and matching brooch, a pairing of textured rose gold and diamond-set white gold accentuating the design’s dynamism. That energy continues in the delicate and gorgeous Plumes d’or tiara, which throws platinum into the mix, topped with a single pear-shaped diamond of 2.30 carats. The tiara transforms into brooches and a hair ornament—so much of Un Air de Chaumet is about versatility, a huge trend across couture this year—as a pair of matching earcuffs round out the suite.
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