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Behind the Scenes: Paris Haute Joaillerie 2013

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Maria Doulton | July 24, 2013

Maria Doulton of The Jewellery Editor, takes us behind the scenes at Chaumet, Louis Vuitton, Boucheron, Cartier & more during Haute Joaillerie presentations in Paris

Paris 2013 Jewellery Preview from The Jewellery Editor

Maria Doulton of The Jewellery Editor, takes us behind the scenes at Chaumet, Louis Vuitton, Boucheron, Cartier & more during Haute Joaillerie presentations in Paris

Bright, look-at-me colours were bursting out from the display cases of virtually every jeweller I visited in Paris during Couture Week. Boucheron’s Hotel de la Lumiere collection stood out as an exception. The cool, clear tones of white, white and more white, with a hint of nude pink or airy blue, sufficed to get across a very clear message: less is more.

The play of light and shadows that criss-cross the Boucheron boutique on the corner of Place Vendôme inspired Creative Director Claire Choisne’s newest collection of high jewels, interpreted in diamonds and rock crystal. The futuristic new collection successfully balanced designs from the house’s rich archives with a thoroughly modern twist

At Cartier, inspiration for L’Odyssée de Cartier Parcours d’un Style came from the searing golden-brown heat of an African sunset, the shimmering pulse of a city and the delicate beauty of Asian art. A breathtaking array of precious stones were mustered, including sapphires, emeralds and diamonds, alongside lesser-known gems such as rutilated quartz, mandarin garnets and obsidian.

Boucheron’s Hotel de la Lumiere collection

Louis Vuitton took us on a journey through time with designs from Lorenz Bäumer, who has been collaborating with the house for several years. Following on from last year’s Voyage dans le Temps the chief gemologist at Vuitton travelled the world to find the best examples of exceptional spinels to add excitement to the ‘Dentelle de Monogram’ rings and earrings, presented last year in diamonds.

Lilac spinels from Tajikistan, grey spinels from Sri Lanka or deep red ones from Tanzania add excitement and rarity value. I was bowled over by a neon-bright blue tourmaline from Brazil, sourced from an ancient mine that quite literally glows in the dark. This impressive, attention-grabbing stone is set into a geometric and futuristic-looking ring from the ‘Flashforward’ collection.

The intertwined ‘X’ motif of the ‘Liens’ (or ‘ties’) collection has been seen in the work of Chaumet since 1907, but this year, the highly symbolic cross steps into the limelight with the arrival of the Liens collection 12 one-off rings. An interesting feature of this collection is the fact that the colours are limited to white diamonds and blue precious stones.

L’Odyssée de Cartier ‘Solar’ high jewellery necklace

Beyond the majestic deep blue of the sapphire, aquamarines and tourmalines create an azure contrast to the icy white of diamonds. Both classic yet with a simplicity that is so modern, the structure of these rings makes the stones appear to float effortlessly above ribbons of baguettes and rows of perfect white brilliant cut diamonds. Geometric, elegant and understated, the ‘Liens’ collection enters quietly, but is here to stay.

Bulgari has launched a collection of one-of-a-kind jewels in its High Diva Collection, inspired by iconic beauties of the 1950s and 1960s. From a Serpenti necklace crafted from pearls, jadeite, rubellites and diamonds to a bracelet set with an extraordinary 243.83ct of cabochon Zambian emeralds, each jewel features rare gems in vivid shades – a trademark of the Italian jeweller.

At Dior, the mood was similarly technicolor. Following on from 2012’s explosive colours of Dear Dior, creative director of Dior jewellery and watches, Victoire de Castellane, unveiled Cher Dior, mixing up exotic influences as diverse as Mughal and Russian.

Dior’s Cher Dior by Victoire de Castellane

A new galaxy of potently coloured jewels that beam out like messengers from another world, where impossibly bright Fanta orange is best friends with peppermint green and hot raspberry pink.

These cleverly constructed jewels layer stones upon stones to create mesmerising effects that astonish with their colourful pyrotechnics. Even the back of each jewel is beautiful, where the metal openwork on display on the back of each piece echoes patterns from Dior’s archive of lace designs.


To further investigate Fine Jewellery and Timepieces on Luxury Society, we invite your to explore the related materials as follows:

- Luxury Watchmakers Focus on Sustainability
- In Conversation With Marc A. Hayek, Swatch Group
- Women’s Luxury Watch Trends For 2013

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