Bold and Dutiful
There were a few confounding trends in the jewellery scene this past year. Fashion brands (Saint Laurent, Chanel, Prada, Balmain, Gucci, and Hermès) stepped up their game with fine jewellery. Every major accessory brand showcased its high-jewellery collection in summer, often within days of one another as fashion editors hopscotched around Venice, Florence, Paris, and New York, desperately trying to see it all and file their findings on deadline.
So what can we conclude from the year that was? Unlike menswear, the apotheosis of loud luxury is in the ensuing pages: the size of stones and precious jewels from all the major players were big and bordering on the obnoxious; the extremity of colour, cut, clarity, and carat was palpable.
Bigger is better—that’s the gospel truth of high jewellery in the chorus line of accessories. Gone are the days of the accepted “less is more” contradiction. We are witnessing that the only way to stand out in the crowd and nudge past the others is by being big and bold, and many brands tapped into the emotional quotient of a historical legacy to help them build their presence. Sentimentality comes into play when a heritage brand is passed on from one generation to another, and nobody knows that better than Cartier, Van Cleef & Arpels, De Beers, and others of their ilk, who painstakingly record and release details of their long-lasting legend. The new kids on the block can make as much noise as they like, but they are often lost in the quiet verisimilitude of trusted maisons.
When jewellery brands tap into their own archives and bring updated versions of iconic designs to the forefront, they are all at once jogging down the memory lane of nostalgia and racing towards the future, luring in newer buyers looking for a contemporary signature to call their own. Jewellery houses are getting with the times while celebrating the past, and a younger, pan-global generation of stars and celebrities suddenly find themselves modelling for vintage brands or being the “ambassador” for noble maisons; cherub Elle Fanning is linked to Cartier, Blackpink’s Rosè has been representing Tiffany & Co., and Zendaya is the face of Bulgari.
Notably, men have entered cordoned-off sections historically reserved for women in the world of accessories—or, in some ways, returned to it. While the image of men wearing jewellery has been fairly commonplace in Asia throughout the centuries, be it in Thailand, India, or China, where such practice signals nobility, royalty, or even a harbinger of luck and fortune, this has been seen much less in the West in contemporary times. Among the shifting tides in modern luxury, men wearing pearls and sizeable gems is also a return that few could have predicted.
Despite the conjecture that high jewellery is merely a showpiece that creates buzz in media while far less expensive lines are sold to keep the brand financially fluid, this is vehemently not so. According to industry magazine Solitaire International, the most influential luxury brands in the world, “including LVMH and Richemont, the parents of jewellers Tiffany [& Co.] and Cartier, respectively, have continued to produce outsized double-digit sales gains in 2023.” Similarly, Bain & Company and Altagamma’s Luxury Goods Worldwide Market Study, released in January 2023, reveals that there is an increased appetite for personal luxury goods; the market is estimated to be worth HK$234.47 billion. All reports indicate that haute joaillerie has never been hotter.
Diamonds
Cartier Panthère Givrée Necklace
Cartier’s latest story is a travelogue, and the journey began in April at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, where the brand showcased Cartier and Women, the first major exhibition that put a spotlight on the important role and presence of women in the history of the storied brand. It continued to Florence in May with the launch of a new collection called Le Voyage Recommencé. If the Hong Kong exhibition was a moment of pause and reflection, then the Panthère Givrée Necklace necklace in white gold, aquamarines, lapis lazuli, emeralds, and an array of dazzling diamonds is also a reckoning back to the history books of the brand.
“This collection is a great opportunity to delve into the essential themes of the Cartier style,” says Jacqueline Karachi, creative director at Cartier, “to explore them in greater depth [and] take a fresh look at them, nurtured by the spirit of the time; [to approach] them with a contemporary eye to go further. [It’s] a journey back to the heart of a Cartier creation, an uninterrupted story being told over time.”
Whimsical
Mikimoto Brooch
Parts of IFC mall in Hong Kong turned into a modern seashell as Mikimoto launched Praise to the Sea, a return-to-origin story told through the release of a high-jewellery collection from the famed brand celebrating its 130th anniversary.
Among innumerable strings of perfect pearls on display, we found the brooch resting in a quiet corner. Inspired by the unusual, intricate shape of the branched murex, the brooch’s centrepiece looks like a secret treasure encased within the conch of a seashell. It’s a study in contrasts—an incredible jewel is flanked by an elaborate arrangement of an outer shell encrusted with diamonds and an interior lined with tanzanite, sapphire, and spinel gemstones. The gradation of colours deliberately evokes the hues of shallow waters to the ocean’s depths. Founder Kokichi Mikimoto placed great importance on quality; till date, some of the highest standards of luxury begin and end with his eponymous brand.
Setting
Chanel Tweed Royal Necklace
Creating a tweed-inspired high-jewellery collection was an improbable—if not near impossible—premise, so of course Chanel had to not only attempt it, but perfect it. Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Fine Jewellery Creation Studio, spun gold—quite literally—to create this collection, which was “inspired by the richness of the tweed weaves and transforming tweed into a precious fabric. My dream was to create a tweed set with precious stones.” And so he put thought to practice—the ambitious designer showcased an incredibly complex collection of 64 new high-jewellery pieces. Among the dazzling treasures, the Tweed Royal necklace comprises a yellow-gold weave, intricately crafted and trimmed with a chain knitting together a magnificent ensemble of diamonds and rubies. Beautiful and multi-functional, the lion’s head in the centre of the necklace is a detachable piece that can be worn as a brooch, and the magnificent 10.17-carat pear-cut diamond can also work as a ring. It’s a versatile and timeless creation that only adds to the legend of Chanel.
Icon Reinvention
Van Cleef & Arpels Dea Eterna Clip
A lot of ink has been spilt over the Dea Eterna clip from the Le Grand Tour collection by Van Cleef & Arpels. It’s the hidden-in-plain-sight elements of the jewel-encrusted accessory that require close inspection, and they have rightfully piqued the curiosity of several jewellery collectors and editors. First, there’s the colour, contours, and complexity of the accessory; then, there’s the history behind the clip, and the figurine in the centre, inspired by Hebe, the Grecian goddess of youth and the daughter of Zeus and Hera. In legend, Hebe brought to Olympus cups of ambrosia from the Fountain of Youth.
She has inspired artists of note for centuries, so why not jewellers of note? Van Cleef & Arpels launched Le Grand Tour in Rome to honour the great artistic voyages of young nobility across the European continent and “[celebrate] a tradition that has always fascinated us,” says Nicolas Bos, president and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels. “At the beginning of the 20th century, when Van Cleef & Arpels was founded, curiosity for other cultures, periods, and forms of art was a way to fuel one’s imagination and give rise to innovative creations. We took inspiration from antique jewellery—Roman, Etruscan, Medieval, or Renaissance—[and married] it with our own heritage, style, and craftsmanship” to create, yet again, a remarkable collection.
Earrings
Buccellati Ramage Earrings
For its timeless elegance, we’ve cherry-picked the drop earrings from the Ramage collection, studded with round diamonds that sit on 18-carat white gold. Handmade and hand-engraved in Milan, and designed by Gianmaria Buccellati, the earrings have been crafted with the traforo technique. Delicate lines form simple yet intricate alternations of leaves and negative space, creating the illusory effect of falling foliage, framed within an engraved border of shimmering yellow gold or white gold, a familiar trope in Buccellati jewellery, which often uses distinctive two-tone gold design. Set with diamonds, the branches and vines may exude a sun-kissed summer vibe, but these earrings are clearly for all seasons. Many rare pieces from the Italian house can be found in auctions as their value have only risen. Don’t see this just as an ephemeral accessory, but a solid investment for years to come.
Cuff Bracelet
De Beers Frozen Capture Bracelet
It was fire and ice at the launch of the Alchemist of Light collection in Hong Kong at De Beers’s new Canton Road flagship store, where the jeweller unveiled several sets of one-of-a-kind pieces. In the thick of the summer season, the impossibly cool Frozen Capture set, inspired by the play of light through frozen rivers, caught our eye (an impressive feat, considering there were about 45 resplendent designs shimmering in the light). For the first time in De Beers history, rock crystals from Brazil were used in the jewellery; each piece was cut solely for this project and even used as a diamond setting. We’re particularly drawn to the Frozen Capture bracelet—the crystal squares connect to marquise shaped white diamonds, which end in a delicate drop. Its fluid appearance is nothing short of spectacular.
Jewellery of the Year
Graff Multishape Diamond Necklace Set With a Cushion-Cut Yellow Diamond
In celebration of Haute Couture Week, Graff exhibited a collection of yellow diamonds at its flagship boutique in Paris, aptly titled Sunrise: A Celebration of Graff Yellow Diamonds. Among the designs, the pièce de résistance was indubitably the multishape diamond necklace, set with a cushion-cut yellow diamond. “Celebrating Graff’s legacy of innovation and leadership in presenting the highest-quality rare diamonds, this will be the most significant collection of yellow diamonds that has ever been brought together in one place, including a fancy intense yellow stone of incomparable beauty,” said CEO Francois Graff. Even a passing glance at the necklace in question assures us—it’s hard to argue with him. Historically, the rarest (and often largest) stones have been the starting point for many Graff creations; the brand has an unbeatable archive of unique elements studded in incomparable settings.
Sculptural
Cindy Chao 2023 Black Label Masterpiece No. 1 Amour Butterfly Brooch
A near-annual affair, Cindy Chao released her 10th signature piece this year, once again honouring the butterfly motif. A creation Chao has brought to the forefront since 2008, with novel twists and extraordinary stones forming the body of the brooch, the iconic Black Label Masterpiece design is shaped as a delicate, vividly colourful butterfly. It features Colombian emeralds, a brown diamond, yellow diamonds, blue sapphires, aquamarines, tsavorites, and demantoides as side stones decked on titanium. As Cindy Chao celebrates her maison’s 20th anniversary in 2024, the brooch has flitted and fluttered around the world, touring in public exhibitions. Meld in Light and Shade included a stop in September at the Long Museum West Bund in Shanghai, followed by a tryst in October at the Opera Gallery Hong Kong for weeks, mesmerising one and all through beguiling presentation and extraordinary craftsmanship.
Engagement Ring
Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Setting Engagement Ring
Tiffany & Co. released a stunning platinum diamond necklace—extraordinary, stunning, and a massive statement piece. But in the melee of innumerable high-jewellery launches this past year, and indeed among the newly and otherwise engaged, absolutely nothing beats an engagement ring set in the heart of the iconic Tiffany Blue box. In Aladdin’s cave, you might find a stone the size of a pigeon, but heads will turn at the ribbon of this famed maison that Charles Lewis Tiffany—the “Diamond King”—set up in 1837. We genuflect at the altar of the famed Tiffany Setting engagement ring in platinum with a round brilliant diamond of over five carats. It’s that iconic blue box—it will take your breath away every time.
Homage
Pomellato Venetian Dream Necklace
Collaborating with an international foundation that safeguards and promotes the artistic legacy of Venice, Pomellato, the contemporary Milanese jewellery brand, faced a unique challenge: how to honour the assignment, and remain true to its unique ethos of creating modern jewellery. In response, the designers at the brand created the Venetian Dream diamond-set necklace inspired by the iconic Gothic palazzo. Drawing on the play of light, the ornate forms of the façade, including its quatrefoil openings, are decoded down to three geometrical shapes to make up the rose-gold pendant. The irregular lines and sizes of seven fancy-cut diamonds are set in a row, while the chain is studded with more than 4,000 diamonds. “The Venetian Dream necklace is a composition of mirrored elements,” says Vincenzo Castaldo, creative director of Pomellato. “The jewel captures the magical play of light and reflections on the lagoon. The airiness of the design and the unusual setting of the diamonds in the pendant capture the surreal lighting atmosphere of Venice, and its almost impossible combination of magnificent architecture floating on water.”
Technique
Hermès Clou d’H
Many luxury brands known for their clothes or accessories segued into other pockets of luxury this year, launching or heavily promoting their new jewellery lines, an aberration from their usual raison d’être. However, as fashion historians know, Hermès has had bejewelled accessories for nearly a century—scroll through the archives and find intricate pieces dating back to 1927. Here we are, 96-odd years later, still mesmerised by the dazzling lines the maison has recently released.
Designed by Pierre Hardy, the creative director of Hermès jewellery and shoes, the collection made its debut in autumn 2023 (and will be available in Hong Kong from 2024 onwards) but those who’ve returned from Paris after a viewing have raved about the pieces, and the visuals are most intriguing. The Hermès Clou d’H range includes body jewellery, a hand jewel, bracelets, necklaces, single and double rings, and an ear jewel, adding to the stellar abilities of the brand. Note the geometry of the piece, which strikes a perfect balance of lines in rose gold and silver, accentuated by a delicate diamond setting. The pyramid stud—the subject of numerous interpretations since the 1930s—has become the signature of the Hermès Clou d’H line that promises to accentuate any collector’s cache.
Material Innovation
Anna Hu Siren’s Aria Seashell Brooch
Since her eponymous jewellery maison’s inception, the themes of Anna Hu’s pieces have involved nature, each with an underlying thread that leads back to historical Chinese arts and culture. Her latest collection is no exception as Hu sails the seven seas for inspiration. “[For my] first collaboration with sculpture artist Jothi-Sèroj, I used natural shells as the base for gemstone inlays, mimicking the under-ocean world with flowy seaweed diamonds and bubble-like pearls.” In past interviews with Robb Report Hong Kong, Hu has stated that she finds art and jewellery inseparable. “I was deeply attracted to Zhang Daqian’s Orchid painting when I first saw it; it brought out memories of my mother since she used to put a pot of orchids in my study room. The brooch’s soft petals are handcrafted with different postures to showcase a smooth and poetic charm. Each orchid stamen is decorated with spinel, giving it vitality; the plump leaves pay tribute to Chinese splash-ink paintings and calligraphy.” A worthy investment, the rarity and exceptional provenance of the stones make Hu’s work a coveted collector’s item.
Shapely Chic
Gucci Allegoria Earrings
When a fashion house makes a lateral move to the confines and rare air of high jewellery, legacy brands of note raise their eyebrows with unfiltered suspicion. As we go to print, we got word that Gucci received the Gem Award for High Jewellery Excellence for its “bold jewellery design aesthetic.”
Well, then, time for a closer look. It was the summer of high-jewellery launches as Gucci unveiled the Allegoria collection, “capturing nature’s glorious transformations and ephemeral beauty through the unrelenting changing of the seasons.” Featuring the emblematic flora motif, many of the pieces obviously complement the wardrobe of the fashion brand, but independently, they are a sight to behold. One necklace features 226-carat cushion-cut green tourmaline, punctuated with star motifs and diamond baguettes on the chain, another boasts 78-carat yellow sapphires, surrounded by a colourful array of tourmalines and diamonds—these statement necklaces go for bold. In the veritable smorgasbord of shimmering jewels, however, our eyes were caught by these drop earrings. Presenting one-of-a-kind European-cut antique diamonds, the stones dazzle with unsubtle, kaleidoscopic colours.
Statement Bracelet
Mouawad Aphrodite Emerald and Diamond Bracelet
In every collection, there are one or two pieces that are known as a “statement piece,” an extraordinary accessory that subsumes all attention. At Mouawad, every piece looks like the pride of a treasure trove, breathtaking in size, scope, and intricacy, a testament to the strength of the family empire that has run the brand for five generations, upholding a legacy of over 130 years. For its extraordinary mastery and details, we picked the mighty Aphrodite Emerald and Diamond bracelet. Borrowing its name from the Greek goddess of love and beauty, the diamonds and emeralds embody poetry in motion. From the radiant glimmer of green to the reflective white, this is a piece that elicits a feeling of true majesty.
Statement Earrings
Harry Winston The Court Earrings
Since Harry Winston opened his eponymous shop in New York in the 1930s, the roots of several palatial jewels can be traced back to the auspices of his once-humble jewellery studio. Fame, fortune, and royalty have knocked on his doors so many times, his archives are filled with tales of imperial intrigue, having been commissioned to create jewellery for the crowning heads of state and country the world over. A century later, we bear witness to the regal resplendence of Harry Winston once again as the brand aptly launches the Royal Adornments collection. It’s almost impossible to pick just one, even if you were to throw a blind dart at any piece in the line, but for the sheer depth of rich colour, we’re going with the Court earrings. Featuring two emeralds and clusters of round, pear-,and marquise-shaped gemstones, the creation of the earrings was inspired by an emerald necklace that once belonged to the Maharajah of Nawanagar, which was bought by Harry Winston in 1956. Also of note: the diamonds surrounding the near identical emeralds total almost 36.31 carats.
Colour
Chopard South Sea Pearl Necklace
A month ahead of most jewellers, Chopard premiered some of its high-jewellery pieces on the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival in the middle of May (other brands chose summer or September to release their lines). As a major sponsor of the gala nights at Cannes for the past 25 years, it may have been the maison’s silver anniversary with the film festival, but the Red Carpet collection clearly showed it was a diamond-, pearl-, and rubellite-studded affair. In happy symmetry with the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, Chopard created 76 unique pieces, which many celebrities chose to wear to the aforementioned event. Designed by Caroline Scheufele, co-president and artistic director of Chopard, so many of the accessories are praiseworthy for their ingenuity, brilliance, and value, but for its colour, vivacity, and role in bringing back pearls to the red carpet, we hail the South Sea pearl necklace, which features 18-carat gold with multicoloured sapphires, diamonds, green tourmalines, opals, beryls, and pink peridots.
Bangles
David Yurman Sculpted Cable Bracelet
We think of the man and legend as an artist first, and everything else as secondary, despite his dazzling career at the forefront of American jewellery design. A true renaissance man, David Yurman draws on his roots as a sculptor to create work that looks like wearable art—unique, contemporary, and so strikingly different from the hoi polloi. Any given year, at any given time, Yurman releases a collection that’s noteworthy; this year, we opted for the Sculpted Cable bracelet, a hugely versatile accessory that can be matched with a Western wardrobe or with an Asian silhouette. It can be worn as a stack of bangles, where the smooth, wave-like patterns—each ridge and curve carved by master artisans—can settle in formation with elegance.
Novel Shape
Fabergé x Game of Thrones Dragon Skeleton Wrap Ring
Continuing its collaboration with Warner Bros., the Fabergé x Game of Thrones high-jewellery collection—developed in partnership with Michele Clapton, the Emmy- and BAFTA-winning costume designer for the series—was unveiled at a private event in Dubai at the end of 2022. Independent of the television show and best-selling fantasy novels, looking at the individual pieces crafted by the deft hands of master jewellers, it’s hard not to be taken by the “chapters” released by Fabergé, and this stunning wrap ring, with a pear-cut Gemfields Mozambican ruby and diamonds, is fit for royalty. Commencing with “Chapter One: Dragon,” these new creations are rare accessories set to delight both fans of Game of Thrones and staunch followers of Fabergé’s long-lasting artistic legacy. Founded in 1842 in Saint Petersburg, Fabergé was known for its jewellery ever since Peter Carl Fabergé created the fifty Imperial Easter eggs for the Romanov family between 1885 and 1916. Now, there’s another game at play—and it continues to enthral and fascinate.
Tribute
Bulgari Serpenti Necklace
Plummeting into the depths of the ocean for its rich hues, Bulgari launched a collection that doubles as an ode to myriad Mediterranean treasures. Lucia Silvestri, jewellery creative director of Bulgari, had coastal views in mind, but with a global mindset. The sheer range of inspiration, bearing a technicolour palette, is expansive in breadth and depth, be it the Emerald Lotus necklace with a nod to Indian aesthetics and mystical spirituality, or the Southern Sapphire platinum necklace’s colour gradation, a nod to the Apulia region. Of course, there’s the undulating return of the snake motif. Celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, the bejewelled serpents have uncoiled from the archives yet again, and we were snake-charmed by the infinite swirl of the Serpenti necklace. Exhibiting a fine balance of power and beauty between the strength of the serpent and the mesmerising dazzle of the diamond, we’re stretching our necks out for this serpentine necklace in white gold with onyx elements and 92 fancy buff-top emeralds and pavé diamonds.
Design
Boucheron Solarité Hoop Earrings
Boucheron’s latest Serpent Bohème release is a nod to its own 1968 archive collection of the same name, an updated, modern look at a vintage line that has no obvious reference to its namesake serpent (a popular motif among several high-jewellery brands).
A statement piece if ever there was one, the Solarité hoop earrings dazzle as they are entirely paved with diamonds in white gold, fanning out like rays of light emerging from the central nucleus. The mastery of the craftsmanship is in making the difficult look easy; note the elegant twists and turns and the sharp, unbending lines that end in drop-shaped diamonds, both large and small. For those familiar with the brand created by Frederic Boucheron in 1858, this type of jewel formation has appeared in its illustrious catalogue before, rendered in aquaprase, rhodolite, and mother-of-pearl. Boucheron’s Serpent Bohème collection expands its horizons with new pieces that combine signature features with novel precious stones and a modern elegance.
I strive to create artworks that will outlive me. When it comes to art creation, jewellery is a form of expression. I embrace all art forms and choose not to be confined to any format. I feel that true artistic freedom means transcending boundaries, even the boundaries of art forms. I create for history, not for a man or woman. We made the Wheel of Time exhibition [in London this past year] free and open to all because we believe that everyone should have an opportunity to enjoy the pieces. I create my works in a way so that they are universal, and they communicate to people regardless of their backgrounds. At my exhibition, there were children as young as the age of three, and there were people in their 80s. It brings me joy to know that my work delights others. I have collectors from different countries in Asia and the West and I am very grateful that they generously loaned their pieces to make this exhibition possible. Change is the only constant in life; it is also an essential element in my creative process. To create is to embrace change. Change doesn’t happen year by year, but minute by minute. I do not keep up with trends in jewellery. Trends come and go—they move too fast. It is perhaps a part of the learning process to imitate what has been done before. But life is too short to live in the shadow of the past. At some point, one must create one’s own future. Every piece of mine is unique because I find it meaningless to replicate myself. Every creation should be a new challenge. My advice? Collect only what you love. Always.
Wallace Chan
Jewellery artist and sculptor
