After Dior and Louis Vuitton, let’s dive into the fine jewelry collections of Fendi, Chanel and Van Cleef & Arpels to discover collections which continue to shake up the obvious and play with the codes of style.
Fendi is thus launching its first fine jewelry collection of diamonds, inspired by the fountains in Rome. Meanwhile, Chanel takes a look back at the first collection which Mademoiselle Chanel designed and captures the movement of celestial bodies and bodily freedom. As for Van Cleef & Arpels, the fine jeweler, it begins with the very essence of a jewel: an exceptional stone, the Lesotho Legend, which has been transformed before our astonished eyes to embody the 25 Mystery Set Jewels collection
Flavus, Fendi’s first fine jewelry collection, a blend of water, movement and light
From ancient to modern Rome, the birthplace of Fendi, Delfina Delettrez has chosen movement and light as the themes for the first fine jewelry collection of the Italian fashion house which had a long and proud association with Karl Largerfeld.
The Fendi Flavus set (flavus means yellow in Latin), comprising a necklace (made up of around a thousand stones), a cocktail ring and earrings, is adorned with cascading white and yellow diamonds in brilliant and baguette cuts. An imposing yellow, emerald-cut diamond sits at the heart of the necklace. The reversed FF logo works perfectly in this subtle yet modern interpretation.
Sparkling diamonds come into their own here, artistically enhanced by the Maison’s craftsmen and women, whose skill is also honored.
You will think you are before the fountains of Rome watching water glittering in the sun as it gushes out!
Chanel from 1932 to 2022, the movement of celestial bodies elevated by diamonds
Chanel and its design studio, led by Patrice Leguéreau, have decided to go back to their roots, with this new collection of fine jewelry. 1932 is directly inspired by the first fine jewelry collection designed and invented by Coco Chanel, who was never behind the times!
1932 plays with the style codes of the Maison, to ‘go back to basics’ and turns to celestial bodies and three of their key symbols: the Stars, the Moon and the Sun.
It is easy to recognize the language of Chanel in this 77-piece collection (13 of which can be converted) which blends white, yellow and blue diamonds, rubies and sapphires to “distil a certain idea of movement, freedom and femininity” so dear to the Maison’s rebellious founder. The movement of celestial bodies, the orbits of the planets and the stones are elevated through the magic of diamonds interpreted by Chanel…
On this occasion, it is particularly interesting to look at Diamond Bijoux, the first fine jewelry collection that Mademoiselle Chanel designed to be devoid of clasps, and so free, “a simplicity highlighted by the perfection of the diamond, which gives priority to feminine allure“ to quote the Maison. This collection resonated with an extraordinary time, one that was both somber and thirsty for light, and was created with the intention of returning all the ‘luster’ to the diamond industry, so that its history would be beautiful and luminous… You can discover it here.
Van Cleef & Arpels, the story of a legendary diamond
In an unexpected yet deeply meaningful approach, Van Cleef & Arpels has created its new fine jewelry collection using the Lesotho Legend. This exceptional stone of 910 carats, notable for its weight (it is the 5th-largest rough diamond ever discovered), its color and its purity (D color, type 2a), gave birth to the 25 Mystery Set Jewels collection.
25 unique pieces of fine jewelry have therefore been created from the Lesotho Legend. The 67 white diamonds cut from the 910-carat rough, elevate these pieces – brooches, necklaces, rings, and earrings – to make each more incredible than the last.
All the specific features of the rough stone had to be analyzed to be sure to get the best out of it and consider how to cut the most beautiful diamonds from this legendary stone. The result includes equally exceptional diamonds such as the oval DFL, type 2a diamond of 79.35 carats (57 facets) which adorns the Atours Mystérieux necklace or the two emerald-cut DFL type 2a diamonds of 51.14 carats and 10.52 carats of the Collerette Mystérieuse convertible necklace.
In all, it took four years of work to create this collection, from the work on the original stone up to the design of the 25 pieces of fine jewelry. Van Cleef & Arpels has invested all its expertise and know-how into this collection, working with exceptional cutters, craftsmen and women and specialists. The Serti Mystérieux plays a major role in this collection, creating lightness and fluidity in the bows and ribbons of stones, where oval, emerald, pear and Asscher-cut diamonds interact majestically with rubies and sapphires. Many of the jewelry pieces can be converted, in the tradition of Van Cleef & Arpel’s creations, like the stunning Chevron Mystérieux necklace which offers no fewer than six different possible metamorphoses!
This collection is a tribute to the incredible complexity and magnificence of diamonds, a tribute to the technical virtuosity of the craftsmen and women and, finally, a tribute to fine jewelry expertise.
Source Rubel & Ménasché
Photo Courtesy of the brands © Fendi, Chanel, Van Cleef & Arpels
