From De Beers’ nature-inspired new high jewelry collection to Chanel’s high-horology watches, here are five blingy, jaw-dropping looks from the Paris Couture Week 2023 (January 23 – 26).
De Beers’ Prelude
De Beers launched the first chapter of “Metamorphosis” – the miner’s new High Jewellery collection – during Paris Couture Week.
Inspired by “Mother Nature’s transformation through the seasons [and] the transformative power of natural diamonds,” Prelude, the first part of the collection, “explores the cyclical rhythm of time, harmoniously capturing the four seasons within nine one-of-a-kind designs,” according to a press release. It includes unique diamond and gold settings – serti neige (snow setting), fil couteau (knife-edge) and perlage (gold beading). The collection combines white, yellow and rose gold with white, brown and fancy-coloured diamonds, “selected to evoke the hues of each season.”
Four of the nine pieces have “an element of transformability – a transformable necklace features four diamond strands – one for each season – strung between two removable clasps.” Another piece, an ear cuff, has “each diamond strand finished with a coloured-titanium chrysalis, hinting at the beginnings of nature’s most magnificent metamorphosis. The chrysalises can be removed and worn on a charm bracelet […]”.
Dearest Dior
The Dearest Dior collection has pieces inspired by lace and features new jewelry techniques, including mesh sheets crafted from gold.
The Dearest Dior bracelet, for instance, combines rose gold and white diamonds with a cushion cut diamond at its center. The center stone sits atop a golden filigree motif studded with diamonds. These, in turn, are encircled by two rows of diamonds. There is a “Dearest” necklace, ring, and earrings to match, too.
Louis Vuitton’s Spirit
During Paris Couture Week, Louis Vuitton released the final chapter of its Spirit collection and the fourth collection from Francesca Amfitheatrof, Artistic Director for Watches and Jewellery.
The pieces in the Spirit collection have four themes, including Liberty, with each piece dedicated to transforming iconic design elements into bejeweled pieces. There is, for instance, a diamond-encrusted pendant necklace shaped like a trunk – which then opens to reveal a sapphire hidden within.
Chanel’s Unique Watches
Chanel did not launch a new high jewelry collection, instead choosing to highlight its high-horology watches.
The Mademoiselle Privé Pique-Aiguilles Embroidery Motif, for instance, has a full diamond pavé dial inspired by black fabric embroidered with silver sequins. The white-gold dial is coated in black and fully covered in diamonds – 611 diamonds, to be precise – in a snow-setting technique which features diamonds of many different sizes set in a pattern simulating freshly fallen snow. The sides of the 18K yellow gold case are also set with diamonds.
Cartier Celebrates Loveliness
Cartier’s Beautés du Monde collection, which celebrates enduring loveliness in places, creatures, and traditions, saw its third chapter debut during Paris Couture Week.
The obi necklace on the collection celebrates Japanese fabrics embellished with a design of a rising sun, and features Zambian emeralds at the center of each sun, and onyx insets, rubies, and natural diamonds.
