The aesthetic is a combination of minimalism, bold and classic. Perfectly cut diamonds are carefully combined with handpicked fancy colour diamonds in pear, cushion and marquise shapesApart from sweeping gowns and show-stopping haute couture outfits that wowed the audience at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week in January, high jewellery maisons from Place Vendôme pulled all stops to showcase jewellery that has never been seen before.

It is rather evident that the teams at these high jewellery maisons have kept themselves busy during this pandemic, to create such inspiring pieces. From Chanel’s tribute to Venice to Boucheron’s interpretation of Art Deco, here are some collections that are spectacular.

It is not often that diamond mines, where the most miraculous phenomenon of the formation of diamonds over a billion years is celebrated. This time, De Beers, paints us a beautiful picture from Canada all the way to Botswana, with 39 spectacular pieces. From taking inspiration from the colours of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the beauty of South Africa’s Motlatse Canyon and the natural wilderness of Canada’s Ellesmere Island, to taking cues from Namibia and the Landers coral reef, these pieces best capture the quintessence of these regions where diamonds are formed.
The aesthetic is a combination of minimalism, bold and classic. Perfectly cut diamonds are carefully combined with handpicked fancy colour diamonds in pear, cushion and marquise shapes. The vibrant and plush Okavango Delta has been reinterpreted with free-flowing diamonds with a combination of rough colour diamonds (to showcase the rawness of the land). Inspired by the icy splendor of Canada’s Ellesmere Island, the white diamonds used to craft these jewels mirror the symmetry of this winter wonderland. Pieces in Motlatse Marvel brings out the allure of towering peaks and cavernous depths of Motlatse Canyon, during sunrise and sunset with the use diamonds and a smattering of fancy colour diamonds in hues of yellow, orange and pink. A natural wonder of South Africa, Landers Reef is abundant with coral and tropical fish in veritable hues. Like jewels of the ocean, shoals dart through pink, purple and yellow coral, while dolphins glide through the warm waters. A unique selection of exquisite white and fancy colour diamonds brings this exceptional scenery to life in the Landers Radiance set. Namibian desert’s distinctive ochre and red sands glow in the intense heat while at night some of the darkest skies to cloak the earth are alight with stars. Illuminated by timeless diamonds, the Namib Wonder set echoes the ancient beauty of this landscape through a unique aesthetic.

Creative director Claire Choisne and her team have gone back in time, to understand Boucheron’s interpretation of Art Déco through timeBoucheron A History of Style
true ode to the flapper era where women empowered themselves with masculine silhouettes, short hair, showing off their décolletage with long necklaces, with A History of Style, Boucheron redefines Art Déco and how? Creative director Claire Choisne and her team have gone back in time, to understand Boucheron’s interpretation of Art Déco through time. The Cravate Émeraude necklace, a piece of jewellery just like a tie, echoing to those flapper years, where women asserted their style through details gleaned from the masculine wardrobe. The necklace features a spectacular 8.02 carat emerald surrounded by diamonds that can be detached and worn as a brooch. The Ruban Diamonds set also represents gender fluidity in a sense, with baguette and round diamonds – the chevron pattern, iconic of Art Déco, this graphic line can equally be a belt, a headband, a choker, or even two genderless bracelets.

Noeud Diamants is a work of art – a bow-tie with the contrast of black and white, which can be worn in different ways, a bow-tie as well as two kinds of rings, true to the maison’s multiwear tradition. Another standout piece is Plastron Émeraudes necklace, which mimics an armour crafted in bold, voloptuous emeralds. This proud plastron borrows its grandeur from that time when men wore High Jewellery as a sign of power and glory. This statement necklace can transform into a choker and a bracelet, and its design is available as a graphic ring and two different pairs of earrings.

This collection containing 70 pieces is an unabashed tribute to Venice’s architecture, its lagoon islands and the quintessential lion that is found in many of Venice’s popular locations, coincidentally, the lion is also Gabrielle Chanel’s own Zodiac signWith four d i f f e r e n t themes, this collection containing 70 pieces is an unabashed tribute to Venice’s architecture, its lagoon islands and the quintessential lion that is found in many of Venice’s popular locations, coincidentally, the lion is also Gabrielle Chanel’s own Zodiac sign. Patrice Leguéreau, Chanel’s Jewellery head, went on a sojourn to Venice in 2018 with a sketchbook. What he saw was a romantic town of blue waters and charming edifices, a place Gabriel Chanel took comfort in, after the death of her love Arthur “Boy” Capel.

The collection is divided into four ‘chapters’: La Sérénissime (dedicated to the architecture of Venice), Gran Canale (inspired by the city’s famous waterway), Isole Della Laguna (an ode to the lagoon islands surrounding Venice) and Spirito di Venezia (introducing the lion synonymous with both Venice and Coco Chanel). In Eblouissante, the pastel colours and geometric aesthetic of a Venetian palaces come alive, with a necklace crafted in soft pink spinels, white diamonds and pearls set in pink gold and platinum, in cascading geometric motifs.

In Serenissime, (a French word for Venice), black onyx are juxtaposed alongside pastel pink, yellow and orange sapphires, and spessartine garnets to mimic the Byzantine-era mosaics. At the heart of the necklace is a large 27.09 carat oval mandarin yellow sapphire. The show-stopping piece of the collection, however, is the Constellation Astrale chapter of the Spirito di Venezia set. Carefully cut shards of lapis lazuli act as a backdrop for yellow sapphire studded stars, with white diamond accents in a jawdropping necklace, bracelet, earrings and cocktail ring. The set is an ode to Venice’s beautiful star-studded indigo sky at night and the legendary winged lion on a mosaic sky that features on St Mark’s Basilica.

The Halley transformable necklace and ring is inspired by the passage of Halley’s Comet, visible from Earth every 75 yearsVan Cleef & Arpels Sous Les Étoiles

The poetry of Cosmos has been eloquently expressed with 150 pieces in this grand savoirfaire redolent with handpicked gemstones. The Halley transformable necklace and ring is inspired by the passage of Halley’s Comet, visible from Earth every 75 years. The Maison interprets it here in a radiant composition, accentuated by a contrasting interplay of white and yellow diamonds. The creation is illuminated by a fancy vivid yellow diamond weighing 11.29 carats, mimicking the head of the comet. that disintegrated into a diffuse and radiant cloud after passing too close to the Sun in 2013. Diamonds provide a dazzling accompaniment to Mystery Set™ rubies, in an association that is characteristic of Van Cleef & Arpels. The rubies were recut individually by hand, before being placed into gold rails that follow the shape of the bracelet. The fruit of a close collaboration between jeweler and lapidary, the set surfaces display a brilliantly uniform shade of red. Another highlight from this collection is the Céphéide transformable necklace. Brighter than the Sun, Cepheids are giant stars whose intense radiance differs rhythmically every week. The necklace depicts the radiance of these heavenly bodies in a bold gradation of shades. Punctuated by mauve sapphire, tsavorite garnet and diamond motifs, the necklace showcases eleven chalcedony cabochons, weighing a total of 159.72 carats.

Pomellato Kintsugi
Pomellato’s Kintsugi capsule collection consists of just three styles in two colour tones – inspired by the ancient Japanese tradition of mending. Crafted using jet and kogolong along with pavé diamonds in yellow gold, the collection was created by repurposing damaged stones, repairing them with gold to create extraordinary and gorgeous pieces that thrive because of their imperfection.

Pomellato collaborated with a Tokyo-based kintsugi master to create these pieces which were finished at its workshop in Milan. The collection that looks to traditional Japanese repairing technique of kintsugi uses gold resin to fuse together shattered pieces of porcelain. In today’s time where minimalism and sustainability are cornerstones of every brand’s ideology, this collection inspired by themes of upcycling and multiculturalism, is a representation of everything that the brand stands for.

Cartier (Sur)naturel
The collection which made its debut in July 2020, is Cartier’s expression of Nature, its veritable creatures, colours, shapes and forms. The collection takes inspiration from the earthy and aquatic tones with emeralds, rubies, diamonds and other gemstones.

The Tillandsia necklace inspired by the plant of the same name carries two stunning, oval-shaped green beryls weighing 83.23 and 81.09 carats respectively, with a smattering of pink rutilated quartz and bright yellow diamonds. The maison’s signature combination of black, white and green has been used in many pieces, particularly the Orpheis necklace crafted in diamonds that are set in a staggered manner, onyx triangles (to represent the creature’s spine) and an enormous 53.94 carat intense blue-green Zambian emerald, in an unique rectangular cabochon shape. Another standout piece from this collection is the Hemis necklace that is crafted in ink blue opals, which have been cut in a way to mimic Cartier’s signature panther spots. The necklace is a kaleidoscopic treat, where the blue has a smidgen of purple and grey as well. At the centre of the necklace is a 71.80 carat intense pink kunzite.