Every summer, the great and good luxury houses of Place Vendôme and beyond showcase their most spectacular high jewellery creations to a rapturous audience of moneyed clientele, press and beautiful people.
While traditionally held in tandem with Haute Couture Week in Paris, the high jewellery circuit has taken its cues from fashion and upped the ante in recent years, transporting this select group to ever more exotic locales and crucial immersive experiences. This year alone, Cartier held their high jewellery reveal in Vienna, Bvlgari took to their birthplace of Rome, Chanel raced to Monaco and Chaumet went to Venice, to name a few.
Dazzling locales aside, the stars of the show were undoubtedly the spectacularly bejewelled creations on display—here, GRAZIA Singapore rounds up the most brilliant launches of the year.
Bvlgari
This year is a significant year for Bvlgari, who celebrates the 140th anniversary of its founding. To mark the occasion, the Roman jewellery house threw a bash for the ages, hosting a star-studded high jewellery launch at the historic Terme di Diocleziano in the presence of brand ambassadors Anne Hathaway, Priyanka Chopra, Shu Qi, Liu Yifei and Hikari Mori. The 150-piece strong Aeterna (“eternal” in Latin) high jewellery collection paid tribute to the brand’s history and was inspired by Rome’s epithet as the Eternal City, and explored the concept of time and eternity through conceptual ideas, the house’s symbols, and, of course, a profusion of exceptional stones.
Piaget
Speaking of significant milestones, Swiss luxury house Piaget also marked one of their own—their 150th anniversary!—in Paris at the Palais Brongniart with an ode to their house’s unique blend of style and substance. Their high jewellery collection, titled Essence of Extraleganza, showcased Piaget’s display of technical jewellery- and watch-making know-how, a glittering array of precious stones, and the establishment of a clearer design aesthetic for the house.
Cartier
In true Cartier style, the venerable French jewellery house brought a coterie of top clients and selected press and influencers to Vienna for a whirlwind trip that immersed guests in the sights of the city and Viennese experiences (we hear learning how to make the city’s famed Sacher torte was on the menu), before launching their spectacular new high jewellery line at a candlelit soirée with Sofia Coppola, Elle Fanning, Kimberley Anne Woltemas and Anna Sawai in attendance.
Chanel
With the Olympic Games coming up in the French capital, was it any wonder that Chanel had sports on the mind? Chanel’s Fine Jewellery Creation Studio director Patrice Leguéreau turned to their founder’s passion for the physical for their latest launch—Haute Joaillerie Sport—which was launched in Monaco in the presence of stars such as longtime house ambassador Keira Knightley. The collection comprises of six movements: Sweater Sport, Graphic Line, Chanel Print, Quilted Icons, Sporty 5 and Gold Slider—and included some appropriately sporty elements, such as the humble carabiner in the shape of the house’s emblematic number “5”.
Boucheron
Boucheron traditionally launches two high jewellery collections a year, their July launch being the Carte Blanche collection, where creative director Claire Choisne has complete freedom to push the boundaries of the house’s high jewellery creations. Choisne turned to the beauty of Iceland and its waters this year, creating some truly magnificent pieces such as a 1.48m long diamond necklace inspired by a waterfall, and bringing elements inspired by the Nordic country to its creative pieces.
Chaumet
Music, dance and magic were the three chosen artistic movements by French jeweller Chaumet to inspire their latest high jewellery collection, Chaumet En Scène. Launched in Venice with a gala dinner that counted South Korean ambassadors Cha Eun-woo and Song Hye-kyo among their guests, the glittering 39-piece-strong collection featured dynamic lines and innovative pairings of gemstones that evoked their chosen inspirations. An eye catcher of the collection is the elegant High Voltige high jewellery tiara, which was spun as if from a tightrope walker’s high line.
Dior
Victoire de Castellane’s expressiveness shone through in Dior’s high jewellery collection this year, where she unveiled two movements—Diorama & Diorigami—inspired by couture and nature. Drawing on the house’s iconic toile de Jouy motif, the bucolic scenes are rendered in precious metals and a profusion of sparkling gemstones. Key among these gems is the verdant chrysoprase, which forms the flourishing foliage in some of the pieces.
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton sailed into Saint-Tropez for their latest high jewellery launch, which was attended by stars such as Phoebe Dynevor and Urassaya Sperbund. A relatively new entrant into the high jewellery circuit, the French luxury house themed their collection “Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds” this year, which artistic director of jewellery and watches Francesca Amfitheatrof asserted was the exploration of “an amazing journey of 100 years of French history.” The collection comprises some 220 pieces across 13 themes, with the star of the collection being the Coeur de Paris high jewellery necklace—the house’s most expensive piece ever launched in a high jewellery collection.
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