High jewellery is the pinnacle of luxury, elevated from its fine jewellery counterparts in price, design, innovation, stones and skill. Varying hues of precious stones and diamonds in their most esteemed and desirable forms are harmoniously blended in each collection to create a symphony of show-stopping pieces. With these exquisite pieces, the development process involves more than intricate craftsmanship and sourcing the world’s most beautiful stones. Each of these dazzling displays requires a lot of thought, interpretation, and personality to achieve artful designs that possess the ability to act as a storyteller, illustrating the inspiration behind each collection without words.
That being said, many houses have used technicolour stones and glowing golds in their high jewellery collections to pay homage to the rich history of their hometown or to embody distinct traits of a particular place or period that hold great importance. To truly embrace the feeling of wanderlust and warmth at this time of the year, LUXUO has gathered the latest six of the most extravagant and artistic high jewellery collections inspired by iconic places in the world.
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France
Louis Vuitton: Awakened Hands, Awakened Mind
Louis Vuitton’s “Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds” is their most opulent one yet. Designed by Francesca Amfitheatrof, the artistic director of the house’s watches and jewellery, it drew inspiration from the transformative period of 19th-century France with its flourishing flair of French savoir-faire and inventiveness. “France in the 19th century was a phenomenal time of incredible change, and when Paris became the centre of the world,” says Amfitheatrof. “The design language of ‘Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds’ reflects that all its intricacies, complications and innovations turned into incredible jewels.”
Paying tribute to the most iconic French landmark, the works of art pictured above emulate the unparalleled grandeur of the Eiffel Tower. Most notably, the dazzling design of the Cœur de Paris necklace inspires new perspectives, intended to replicate the view of standing underneath and looking up at the French icon. Placed front and centre, an astonishing 56.23-carat diamond nestled among diamond-lit baguettes. The medallion transforms into a detachable
France
Chanel: Haute Joaillerie Sport
Chanel’s sports-centric high jewellery embraces this year’s current sports craze with high-profile events like the Paris Olympics and Football’s UEFA Euro Cup. While not directly drawing inspiration from these big events, its timely release is undoubtedly suitable for the buzz surrounding the upcoming Paris Olympics. Chanel Jewellery Creation Studio creative director Patrice Leguéreau infuses the iconic hallmarks of the house, taking the quintessential aesthetic codes to the fields, courts and pitches with team emblems, patriotic colour combinations, stripes and numeric insignias.
While the visuals fit the form of a sports-inspired collection, inspiration also took form throughout the entire design process in creating functional pieces that more closely align with the anatomy of the human body. Various sporting motifs are secured with quick-release clasps and diamond-encrusted cords designed to mirror the drawstring of a hoodie. They are modernised with colourful gemstones woven throughout the collections with high-tech lacquer and carbon fibre.
Italy
Gucci: Labirinti
Gucci’s most recent high jewellery collection, “Labirinti Gucci” takes us on a visual journey through a vibrant, blooming Italian garden. At the heart of Labirinti Gucci are three captivating themes: symmetry and ordered beauty, geometric splendour, and blooming nature. In this collection, Gucci celebrates the spirit of creativity, where instinct and passion play with aesthetic clarity and refinement to capture the essence of an Italian Garden.
The collections’ focus on symmetry and ordered beauty is shown in full bloom, illuminated with Ethiopian opals, mandarin garnets, yellow sapphires, and an ultra-rare Paraiba tourmaline — “Labirinti” is populated by precious, vertigo-inducing gemstones. To truly showcase the fertility and vibrancy of an Italian garden, Gucci introduces a new dragonfly motif, symbolising grace, rebirth, and freedom. The delicate creature is brought to life in a series of brilliant brooches and mismatched earrings.
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Italy
Pomellato: The Dualism of Milan
Italian Jewellery house Pomellato embraces and honours Milan’s vibrant multi-dimensional spirit. Divided into two separate parts: “Monochromatic Treasures” and “Milanese Colour Prism”, the house pays homage to its hometown by drawing inspiration from contrasting characteristics of the iconic city. The former exudes the simplistic beauty of Milan’s quieter, understated side, with elegant white diamonds, Tahitian pearls and grey sapphires. They focus on the refined design and subtle use of colours and discreet details. The latter emulates the radiance of Milan’s bustling culture, amping it up with bold diamond pavé pieces, coloured cocktail rings and large cabochons in rainbow varieties. The flamboyant attitude of Milan shines through with an interplay of hues and light; brightly coloured gems take centre stage to reflect the artful irreverence of Milanese design.
Creative director, Vincenzo Castaldo goes on to say, “It rests on what is tangible — perfect knowledge of artisan jewellers, Pomellato’s complete mastery of all the steps involved in creating a piece of high jewellery — and what is intangible in the creation, where the colour of a stone or the shape of a jewel evokes an emotion.” These dual spirits embody the versatility and immortalise the city’s beauty and dynamism in the most precious materials.
South Africa
De Beers: Forces of Nature
The De Beers Forces of Nature collection consists of two collections inspired by the animal kingdom and the native fauna of South Africa. The renowned South African-British jewellery house celebrated its intimate affinity with the natural with exuberant jewels and incredible artistry to embody the natural beauty of a country so close to the heart of the brand. Adding to the dazzling January launch of eight solitaire diamond rings, all of which can be effortlessly transformed into a crown or jacket, De Beers added some remarkable pieces to complete the meaningful ensemble.
Pictured above are the “Individuality” and the “Protection” sets. In the “Individuality” set, the unique stripes of a zebra are projected through geometric glamour in alternating Asscher-cut diamonds and luxurious black lacquer. The zebra symbolism pays homage to the untamable beauty of the and singular spirit of the enigmatic animals. The extraordinary protection set pictured on the right represents the unwavering qualities associated with lions, wise, courageous and majestic. The talismanic set comes to life using warm-hued gold beads and yellow diamonds to emulate a lion’s full-bodied mane and the energy it conveys.
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Brazil
Fernando Jorge
Brazilian-born jewellery artisan Fernando Jorge encapsulates the vibrancy and fluidity of Brazil’s nature with his 2024 high jewellery travelling exhibition in collaboration with renowned auction house Sotheby’s. Pushing the boundaries of what the world of high jewellery would define as precious, Jorge incorporates materials from different parts of the world and different layers of the earth, using complex and uncommon processes to accentuate the true beauty of the stones as per Sotheby’s.
The introduction of brightly coloured Brazilian Pebbles, marble, and fossilised amber, along with the classic golds and diamonds, adds a unique characteristic of softness and playfulness to his designs. The humble materials inspired by his Brazilian roots, when used in tandem with the high jewellery staples, lend a more organic yet showstopping appearance.
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