Cartier Libre Tutti Frutti

CARTIER LIBRE IS PUSHING CREATIVE BOUNDARIES AND PROVOKING UNEXPECTED ENCOUNTERS. DESIGNED WITH TOTAL FREEDOM BY THE CREATION STUDIOS, EACH YEAR A NEW COLLECTION DRAWS ON AN UNPRECEDENTED SOURCE OF INSPIRATION TO UNVEIL PIECES THAT SURPRISE, PRODUCED IN LIMITED EDITIONS.

Cartier Libre questions form and design, and challenges expertise and savoir-faire in a constant pursuit of innovation. These creative explorations are part of the long-standing Cartier tradition of richly inspired collections from an insatiable and powerful curiosity. Creations of pure forms that defy limits and play with new perspectives of lines, volumes, contrasts and mobility. LIBRE Watchmaking, jewellery, accessories: all of the Maison’s realms of expression are electrified, re-explored and questioned. A creative, cultured mix, for collections free to express their style and spirit.

TUTTI TUTTI, THE LATEST ADDITION TO THE CARTIER LIBRE COLLECTION, IS BOTH BOLD AND SURPRISING.

With a single twist, the spirit of things shifts and astonishes. Beauty is viewed with the lightness of a sidestep: a ring flows freely like locks of hair and a watch creates bubbles with time, while a shower of golden marbles bursts into the air like laughter. Innovative designs, bright colours, contrasts, unexpected volumes, soft lines or material effects: the creative process is amplified in every sense to combine nature and design, aesthetics and surprise, lightness and preciousness. A new kind of tension – a joyful breath that evaporates mid-air in a burst of splendour.

I find those pieces extremely special and beautiful.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Cartier
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Hublot Classic Fusion High Jewelry 2023 Watch

The latest addition to Hublot’s High Jewelry collection of watches is a Classic Fusion High Jewellery 42 mm. Combining iconic design with the most remarkable gem-setting techniques, the watch is embellished with baguette-cut diamonds and enhanced with sleek lines of white gold.


The highest form of sophistication is simplicity, so Hublot has chosen to go back to basics and to the very shape that epitomised its creation in 1980. The result is now one that offers an acclaimed expression of high jewelry, accentuating the timeless purity of the Classic Fusion model. What a stunning piece! Master gem-setters have brought this new Classic Fusion High Jewellery 2023 to life with no fewer than 431 baguette-cut diamonds—around 14.6 carats in total. These gemstones adorn the watch’s case, bezel, dial and clasp. On the dial alone, it took 120 hours of painstaking, meticulous work to set the 241 baguette-cut diamonds. That’s almost three weeks of full-time work! Then came the task of setting the 60 additional diamonds around the bezel.

The 42-mm case is set with 94 baguette-cut diamonds and contains the HUB1710 calibre, which is visible from the back of the watch through the sapphire glass. The self-winding movement oscillates at a frequency of 4 Hz (or 28,800 alterations per hour), offering a power reserve of no fewer than 50 hours.

Of course, watchmaking of this quality must be perfect in every detail: even the black rubber-lined alligator strap features a deployant buckle adorned with 36 baguette-cut diamonds.

All in all, it takes over 200 hours to set all the 431 diamonds that grace this exceptional piece of high jewellery, the perfect fusion of watchmaking excellence and jewellery artisanship. The Hublot Classic Fusion High Jewellery watch is available for CHF 330’000.00.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Hublot #Hublot
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PIAGET High Jewelry Cuff Watches

Presented at Watches & Wonders, these three strikingly contemporary PIAGET watches re-interpret the cuff watches of the 1960s-70s that became a hallmark of the Maison’s audacity and pioneering fashion-focused creativity. The organic design, innovative and unexpected, references the free-form, hyper-naturalism of 1960s and ‘70s jewelry, with the signature oval dial half-hidden by the gold work of the bracelet that appears to grow over the case and ornamental dial, emphasizing the naturalistic theme.

Each cuff is hand-engraved with different patterns and textures, highlighting Piaget’s expertise in the art of engraving and dedication to Métiers d’Or. The different styles of engraving demonstrate the combination of dexterity and artistic sensibility mastered by each individual artisan.

The gold is incised, by hand, one line at a time, using the sharp tip of a burin, the lines varying in depth, width and direction to obtain the desired effect. Gold shavings are gently blown away from the surface by the goldsmith after each gesture. No two patterns of engraved gold are the same.

The golden bracelet is streaked with diamonds emphasizing the linear fluidity of the engraving, and inset with a diamond-framed case and dial of white opal, its scintillating rainbow colors as if moving with the ebb and flow of the goldwork.

The rugged, bark-like texture of the second cuff contrasts with the classical oval dial of exquisite, intense, velvety Sleeping Beauty turquoise, framed by sapphires in color gradation.

The third cuff in white gold evokes a frosty landscape, patterned with delicate ice crystals that creep over a dramatic dial of black opal, flashing with green and blue lights, echoed in the frame of graduated emeralds.

I have always been a huge fan of cuff watches and find these models incredibly beautiful.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Piaget
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Louis Vuitton High Jewelry Collection Spirit

The very essence of Louis Vuitton’s spirit is captured in the boldness, novelty and singular intensity of the fourth High Jewelry collection designed by Francesca Amfitheatrof, the Maison’s Artistic Director for Watches and Jewellery.

Spanning 125 spectacular pieces, Louis Vuitton Spirit is an initiatory jewellery odyssey, infused with the power of mythological creatures that the contemporary Louis Vuitton woman will recognize herself in. True to the Maison’s pioneering spirit, capacity for innovation and constant desire to explore new territories, the Louis Vuitton Spirit collection brings together concepts held dear by the Maison. Not only liberty, strength, and the notion of infinity, but also the ideas of destiny and of soaring to new heights.

Francesca Amfitheatrof has taken the mythology around fantastical creatures and transposed it to the 21st century, creating allegorical High Jewellery pieces infused with her highly contemporary vision of the symbols showcased in the collection.

«Like a phoenix rising from the ashes to take flight, or a dragon breathing protective fire, the Louis Vuitton woman exudes amazing strength, energy and optimism. It is that very femininity – so emancipating and emblematic of the Maison – that I wanted to embody in Spirit. To express all the vitality that drives this adventure in jewelry, triangle shapes and Vuitton Vs are omnipresent, forging a new, modern and high-impact visual language. I used this shape in many pieces, playing with triangles of different sizes,» says Francesca Amfitheatrof. «It reads as the Vuitton V and resembles an arrow, which was the earliest graphic symbol ever created by humans – pointing the direction, it constantly urges us forward

This provides Spirit with a graphic purity whose aesthetic force runs through every design, linking them like a precious, live energy.

Louis Vuitton combines its unique designs with extraordinary gems. It took three years to source and bring together a magnificent tsavorite weighing over 65 carats with such a selection of perfectly matched sapphires from Sri Lanka, emeralds from Colombia, rubies from Mozambique, and diamonds of flawless purity.

This astonishing collection is set in five universes, each reflective of the Maison’s values: Liberty, Grace, Fantasy, Radiance and Destiny. Louis Vuitton Spirit comprises more pieces than any High Jewellery collection in the history of Louis Vuitton, making it the Maison’s largest ever. It required over 40,000 hours of work in the Parisian ateliers, which yet again outdid themselves in their levels of mastery and technical prowess.

The freedom to explore, to discover new worlds, to express one’s innermost nature: with this constellation of 22 pieces, Louis Vuitton’s creative boldness breaks free of High Jewellery’s conventional design codes. The incredibly regal star piece is an armor-like necklace with a secret message hidden within it. Louis Vuitton created a fresh interpretation of its Damier pattern in a mosaic composition of square and triangle custom-cut diamonds, then superimposed the hinge motifs from its iconic trunks. This fully articulated matrix of rippling geometries is brought to vivid life by an outstanding selection of emeralds from Colombia – the largest of which weighs 8.90 carats – and a 2.60-carat D VVS1 diamond in the Maison’s signature Monogram Flower cut.

The crowning jewel in this necklace is an extremely rare sapphire from Sri Lanka weighing 18.08 carats and of an unparalleled royal blue. Complementing the Liberty necklace is a ring fashioned from triangle-cut diamonds around a 10.41-carat sapphire. Two additional sets of jewellery in diamond, emerald and sapphire – designed with a more minimalist aesthetic – complete the Liberty theme.

Two phoenix wings unfold around the neck as a metaphor for the Louis Vuitton woman’s capacity for renewal, soaring off to discover new lands
and reach new heights. This perfect balance between strength and grace gives rise to a stunning winged necklace. An ode to the virtuosity of the Maison’s High Jewelry ateliers, the design is formed of a double V – one V made of custom-cut baguette diamonds, the other a twisted metal torque of round diamonds that curves around the top of the neck, thanks to the consummate artistry of an articulated setting in white gold.

The curvilinear Grace necklace culminates in a breathtaking 65.26-carat tsavorite from East Africa. Forming a detachable pendant to the necklace, this perfectly crystallised gemstone radiates such a pure shade of green that it seems almost unreal. As companions to this masterpiece, which took jewelers more than 2,000 hours to craft, Louis Vuitton also created two other jewelry sets, monochromatic diamond compositions whose graceful outlines make up chokers, rings, earrings and bracelets.

In perpetual movement, the wanderlust so prized by Louis Vuitton is made manifest here in a virtuoso interlacing of yellow gold chevron motifs with diamond paved triangles and Vs in white gold. This two-tone contrast of textures plays out on a two-row necklace whose hypnotic design seems to course across the skin in a dazzling, unstoppable stream. The flawless geometry of its chevrons amplifies the Vuitton V and acts as a callback to the arrowheads that Louis Vuitton showcases in its High Jewellery collections.

Spotlighting a 2.56-carat Monogram Flower-cut diamond, this necklace can be worn in three different ways. It is paired with a spellbinding ring, whose body of gold chevrons rises to a crowning 8.73-carat round D FL diamond that seems to be gazing at the woman wearing it… The same design principle is carried over to the sautoir necklace, earrings, rings, and cuff bracelets that complete the Fantasy family.

This opulent necklace is intended to act as protection for a woman as she makes her way through life, like a second skin of gold and platinum that simultaneously speaks of the untamed, mysterious nature dormant inside each of us, and the fire and ardor that erupts from within. Every scale that makes up this piece is individually mounted, so that its masterfully concave checkerboard pattern sits perfectly on the skin.
A pyramid construction brings out the radiant gleam of each mirror-polished yellow gold section, while their collective brilliance is heightened with diamond tips. In the center of the necklace is a 10.99-carat mandarin garnet whose bright orange fire sets it ablaze.


Radiance’s raw power also infuses the matching cuff, pendant and sets of earrings. This striking family of jewellery is completed by two rings, each adorned with a mandarin garnet (weighing 14.73 carats and 18.72 carats respectively).

This strikingly architectural jewellery set magnifies the power of Louis Vuitton’s legacy, revealing the fullness of its spirit through a repeating pattern of triangular shapes and the ever-present letter V. Destiny’s ultra-graphic necklace construction plays on solids and voids, teaming diamond-encrusted triangles with Monogram Flower-cut diamonds, while the whole piece is brought to life by a number of fiery rubies from Mozambique. Preeminent among these is a ruby weighing over 10 carats and displaying an emerald cut, which is extremely rare for this stone. Its characteristic red is totally pure, both bright and intense at once. As it is detachable, this ruby can also be worn on the specially designed accompanying solitaire ring, which comes with a detachable diamond that also hangs from the necklace.

Alongside this outstanding central piece, Louis Vuitton has crafted other jewels in the realm of Destiny – an additional three-row diamond and ruby necklace, a variety of earrings, rings and bracelets, as well as a brooch. The constellation also includes a matching set of jewellery in monochrome diamonds, where triangular shapes give rise to pieces of consummate elegance such as a solitaire ring set with a 10.88-carat emerald-cut D FL diamond.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton
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Sixième Sens Collection by Cartier

The new SIXIÈME SENS COLLECTION by CARTIER illustrates the soulfulness particular to high jewelry, an expression of art with the power to move like no other.

With a stylised feline interpretation, organic textures and shards of coloured light, shimmering gems electrify while stones in flavoursome hues of ripe fruits summon up scents of distant paradises.
Using trompe-l’œil and graphic patterns, optical illusions and the power of evocation, compositions play with earthly gravity in radiant transfigurations of reality. Quivering in the light, jewels come to life upon contact with the skin.

Accomplished actress, singer and musician, Golshifteh Farahani, is the ambassador of this amazing high jewelry collection. This multi-hyphenate creative moves with ease between arthouse films and Hollywood productions, spanning the course of her 20-year career. She has made her mark on the red carpet, where she is known for her style and elegance.

PHAAN RING

How do you add to the beauty of an 8.20 carat ruby? How do you enhance that which is already exceptional? Behind the architecture of this ring is a tiered construction that allows a 4.01 carat rose-cut diamond to be inserted directly below the magnificent stone that sits at the top. When the light hits the diamond after first passing through the ruby, its rich red hue is intensified.

The structure integrates groups of triangular diamonds while maintaining the ring’s airy appearance. Along with tiny ruby balls, diamonds surround the central stone, arranged with subtle openings to allow them to catch the light, illuminating the ruby.

MERIDE NECKLACE

The purity of the motif is also its strength. The stones appear to multiply ad infinitum an optical illusion that is made all the more striking by the relief of the piece as each element is mounted at a different level. Movement, rhythm, and all spatial and temporal references are lost in a precious mosaic of gemstones. The blurring of perspective is complemented by a play of materials and light between mirror-polished metal and graphic black onyx.

As always with Cartier, particular attention has been paid to the back of the piece, which reveals the exact reverse of the front.

PIXELAGE NECKLACE

This necklace conjures up the familiar image of the panther, so dear to Cartier, borrowing both its markings and symbolic power. A stylised play on the feline’s coat has been part of Cartier’s artistic bestiary since 1914. Faithful to the original stylisation, here, motifs make up the panther’s spots. Polished onyxes evoke the marbling of the fur, while white, yellow and orange diamonds represent the thickness of the pelt, with its golden reflections highlighted by three captivating golden topazes for a total of 27.34 carats.

Attention to the volume and articulation of the sides allows the construction to respect the vertical geometry of the collar, while preserving its flexibility.

PARHELIA RING

At its centre lies a 21.51-carat sapphire cabochon, with an intense blue hue which seems to glow from within. Around it, five parentheses of radiant diamonds and emeralds reflect the light, fanning out like the surface of a lake. Black lacquer creates shadow effects to reinforce the impression of movement, supported by the original width of the ring, which spans three fingers, with slightly mobile tips.

As an ultimate refinement, the motif can be detached and worn as a brooch.
Created at the very beginning of the 20th century, this combination of sapphires and emeralds, named the «peacock motif» by Louis Cartier, is part of the Maison’s emblematic colour palette.

ALAXOA NECKLACE

The captivating texture and chromatic intensity of this necklace belie the rigorous and precise approach of its inception.
After selecting the emeralds according to their colour and diameter, artisan jewellers carefully considered harmony, symmetry and correct placement in the composition, before assembling using the threading technique—an expertise rooted in the Maison’s savoir- faire which consists of threading the stones on a wire to form strands and fringes. Finally, the strands are linked together by tiny metal bridges, maintaining a fan shape while allowing the fringes to remain mobile.

SHARKARA NECKLACE

With a balance of straight lines and curves, the design of this piece highlights its ample and generous volume. Considered as a whole, the necklace evokes an organic shape, ripe with succulent berries.
Elaborating a colour palette as such requires total gemological mastery, while the discreet tourmaline settings and attention to detail—right down to the shape of the garnets cut to reflect curves of the piece— reveal the workshop’s expertise.

CORUSCANT NECKLACE
A vibrant testament to the enchanting power of diamonds, this necklace features six different cuts—kite, octagonal, emerald, triangle, baguette and brilliant— certified D IF and E IF, each of which reflects light from a unique angle. Characterised by rigorous geometry, the necklace is entirely structured by an interplay of lines, with three stones—a kite of 3.00 carats, an octagon of 1.62 carats, and an emerald of 1.54 carats—emerging from brilliant interlacing to catch the eye.
The chain resembles a tight braid of gemstones, creating a path of light leading to the trio of diamonds. On the outside, brilliant-cut diamonds appear to slip underneath the inclination of the baguette- cut diamonds, radiating from the top thanks to the graphical effect of motif repetition.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Cartier

Riders of the Knights – Medieval Heroines

With this new high jewelry collection, LOUIS VUITTON pays tribute to the powerful vision that impelled so many medieval heroines to transcend their limitations and forge their own destiny. These women made a lasting mark on the man’s world they inhabited, shaping their fate. They are the very embodiment of determination and independence, values that reflect the LOUIS VUITTON woman.

In homage to them, the House conjured up a suit of armour made of light, a luminous blaze that expresses the inner radiance of she who wears it. It irradiates outwards in a luminous choreography of glittering gems and diamonds – tens of thousands of them, initially in a line of some fifty designs, to be extended in due course with fifty more pieces.

One jewel foregrounds a beautifully velvety royal blue sapphire weighing 19.31 carats, set against a luminescent mesh woven with some 1,600 diamonds. The Royaume has refined, architectural lines that borrow from design components of a medieval fortress, such as a portcullis, chains, and a drawbridge.

With a shape inspired by the gorget – a special piece of armour designed to protect the throat – the Royaume is remarkable for its exquisitely delicate enamelling and the supple way it drapes against the skin. A richly vibrant royal blue sapphire – the most regal of gemstones – takes centre stage to symbolise the protection of the Kingdom.


Another piece, the Cavalière necklace, showcases spinel, a precious gem that symbolises ardour and courage. Here, it is cut after setting to contrast with diamonds. Spinels are distinctive for their deep red colour, infused with flashes of orange.

This amulet features a central medallion of Lapis Lazuli, polished to an infinitely silky finish that sets off the emerald’s crystalline brilliance and highlights the lapidary’s painstaking work. A carefully crafted complementarity between round – and baguette – cut stones amplifies the play of light, while the intricate delicacy of a bracelet’s settings conceal the promise of love. It took many months to assemble the 70 sapphires and 100 emeralds that combine
to encircle the neck.

The narrative force of this collection gives free rein to design, in a sculptural collection that overturns all frames of reference. With its visual vocabulary of pure lines, chiaroscuro light-play, sensual loops, and rigorous symmetries contrasting with asymmetries, it directs the spotlight firmly at the spectacular gemstones.

On the Reine necklace, nine dazzling aquamarines of a Santa Maria – like blue – combined weight 153 carats – evoke the magnificence of dynastic jewels and sovereign power.

The bezels are handcrafted to precisely fit each of the stones. They feature a unique symbol, sculpted and mounted on a pavé chain set with 24 carats of diamonds. La Reine – the Queen – was a leading figure in Medieval times, and appears in this collection as an independent and determined woman in control of her own destiny.


A wealth of detailing distinguishes this new opus, attesting to such virtuosity as only the most accomplished of jewellers possess. The Riders of the Knights collection achieves an immersive aesthetic drawn from medieval codes of chivalry and heraldic crests.


Each of these figurative pieces – Le Royaume, La Cavalière, La Reine – tells a story where the House’s many creative facets find expression, whether in the architectural simplicity of a fortress, the luminescent transience of intuition, or the protective aura of a talisman.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Louis Vuitton

Net-à-Porter High Jewelry Cocktail in Paris

NET-A-PORTERicon hosted cocktails in Paris during Haute Couture Fashion Week to celebrate a collection of its high jewelry designers. Private gallery Hôtel du Grand Veneur was the setting for a beautiful mirrored spiral shaped installation which housed over 20 rare, one-of-a-kind pieces from the world’s most renowned high jewelry maisons, including Chopard, Piaget, Buccellati, Lorraine Schwartz, Boehmer et Bassenge, Boghossian, Giampiero Bodino, Nadia Morgenthaler, Ana Khouri, Repossi, De Grisogono, Bina Goenka and many more.

With my beloved Lupe Puerta, Global Director of VIP Client Relations at NET-A-PORTER

NET-A-PORTERicon offers great service for their EIP (Extremely Important Person) customers, now taking it one step further with EIP Privé. The new high jewelry pieces are part of this new concept that was introduced to a selected clientele during Paris Fashion Week. In general, the EIPs can request to see exquisite one-of-a-kind creations via private appointments and «try before you buy», so that the jewel might never be seen by another customer again.

With lovely Elizabeth von der Goltz, Global Buying Director of NET-A-PORTER.

To give the best service possible, NET-A-PORTERicon‘s dedicated team of personal shoppers receive comprehensive diamond and gemstone education from the Gemological Institute of America.

Amazing piece, a combination of ring and bracelet, by Bina Goenka.

Good to know is that the iconic online shopping destination adheres to the Kimberley Process, a certification scheme committed to the removal of conflict diamonds from the global supply chain. It was established in 2003 after the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution supporting its creation.

Jewelry creations by Chopard.

Since 2014, NET-A-PORTER has also been a member of the Responsible Jewellery Council – the only retailer to stake this claim. In addition, all fine jewelry sold over the site is tested, marked and certified according to the Hallmarking Act 1973, which guarantees the purity of precious metals.

A huge thank you goes to my personal shopper who does the best job! I am a huge fan of the EIP service and I can only recommend buying at NET-A-PORTER.

Enjoy more impressions of the night below!

LoL, Sandra

Alison Loehnis, President of NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER, with actress Mandy Moore.

With Alberto Cibrario, Sales Department Operations Manager at de GRISOGONO.

On display: high jewelry pieces by de Grisogono.

Chabi Nouri, CEO, Piaget

Gaia Repossi, Jewelry Designer

Ana Khouri, Jewelry Designer

Photos: © François Durand / Getty Images for Net-à-Porter
© Sandra Bauknecht

CHANEL Sous Le Signe Du Lion

As Gabrielle Chanel’s astrological sign and the emblem of her favourite city, Venice, the lion is part of her symbolic language. It’s one of her sources of inspiration and she would use it in her creations, to embellish the buttons of her suits or the clasps of her handbags.

Since 2013 the lion, reinterpreted by the Jewelry Studio of Creation, has given rise to 3 majestic high jewelry collections.

In 2018, the SOUS LE SIGNE DU LION jewelry collection opens a new chapter and presents 8 pieces inspired by the lion of Venice. The lapis blue and astral white medallions refer to the lion in St Mark’s Square and the sculptural lion, in yellow gold and rock crystal, evokes a Venetian baroque style.

Really really beautiful…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of CHANEL

Meet Monique Péan and Her Amazing Jewels

Monique Péan

Today I would like to introduce you to the New York based premier environmentally friendly fine jewelry line MONIQUE PÉAN iconthat is known for its one-of-a-kind designs, avant-garde style and unique materials, including sustainable fossilized woolly mammoth and walrus ivory as well as dinosaur bones.

Monique Péan Earrings Mammoth

Fossilized Woolly Mammoth And Opal Drop Earrings icon

Partnering with artisans around the world to support traditional craftsmanship and cultural heritage, MONIQUE PÉANicon, founded in 2006, strives to raise awareness of art, culture and global environmental issues through design. Proceeds from the sales contribute to global philanthropic organizations such as charity: water, which provides clean drinking water and basic sanitation to people in developing nations.

Monique Péan Ring

Fossilized Woolly Mammoth And Black Guatemalan Jade Ring icon

In 2009, Péan was one of the recipients of the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, and won the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award for Accessories that same year. Péan was raised in the Washington D.C. area and holds a B.A. in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics.

Monique Péan Cuff Rose GoldWhite Diamond Step Baguette Cuff icon

Now, you have the chance to pre-order her exclusive Resort 2015 line until August 26, 2014 for which she embarks on an archeological expedition with these most rare gems featuring prehistoric fossils. Conflict-free diamonds shine bright in the sleek settings that bring new meaning to modern relicts.

Necklace Monique PéanOne Of A Kind Fossilized Woolly Mammoth And Dinosaur Bone Necklace icon

To pre-order, just click on the highlighted text below the photos to be transferred directly. Enjoy those rare treasures!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Monique Péan

Acte V by Louis Vuitton

Acte V Louis Vuitton

During Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris last week, I was invited by Louis Vuitton to explore the new Haute Joaillerie collection: ACTE V at their newly opened showroom at Place Vendôme. Old sketch books from the house were also on show as well as the high-finished jewels in diamonds and brilliant stones.

V as in the Roman numeral 5 is the leitmotif in the house’s fifth high jewelry collection. V is also the modern ideogram,the Maison’s signature stylised by Gaston-Louis Vuitton during the Art Deco period, in which he was a major player, chairing the Exhibition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in 1925.

Here are some of the most stunning pieces of the new ACTE V collection, of which each jewel is constructed on the basis of a V:

Louis Vuitton-Acte V-Necklace-Black Opal

The Genesis Necklace
The cornerstone of the collection is presenting the V as in the shape of this pixelated gem, a 87.92-carat triangular Australian black opal.
White Gold – 1 Australian Opal: 87,92 cts – 1 Tourmaline: 8,60 cts – 1 Sapphire: 5,07 cts – 2 LV Star Cut Diamonds: 1,04 ct / 1,07 ct – Diamonds

LV-Acte V-Genesis Ring Sapphire

The Genesis Ring
This is another amazing piece of Vuitton’s new High Jewelry collection. The exceptional 20.94-carat blue grey Burmese sapphire was extracted from the Pien Pyit mine in Mogok valley.
White Gold – 1 Burmese sapphire: 20,94 cts – Sapphires: 1,44 ct – Diamonds

Cuff bracelets were the star items of jewelry in the ’20s and for ACTE V, they are crafted with an avante-garde aesthetic transporting the idea of women travelling and breaking free:

LV-Acte V

The Apotheosis Cuff
White Gold – 1 Tsavorite Grenat: 16,51 cts – Onyx – Diamonds

Louis Vuitton-Acte V

The Apotheosis Bracelet
White Gold – Diamonds

Louis Vuitton-Acte V-1

The Apotheosis Necklace
White Gold – 1 Paraïba Type Tourmaline : 7,93 cts – 1 Emerald: 0,41 ct – Diamonds

Louis Vuitton-Acte V 7

The Metamorphosis Necklace
Platinum – 2 Panjshir Emeralds: 5,29 cts / 4,23 cts – Diamonds

Below you can enjoy some exclusive behind the scene photos of the artwork behind such a jewel.

Louis Vuitton - Acte V - Place Vendome Workshop Reportage - 11

Louis Vuitton - Acte V - Place Vendome Workshop Reportage - 13

Louis Vuitton - Acte V - Place Vendome Workshop Reportage - 14

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Louis Vuitton - Acte V - Place Vendome Workshop Reportage - 17

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Louis Vuitton - Acte V - Place Vendome Workshop Reportage - 33

In this collection, Louis Vuitton brings together extraordinary gems discovered after diligent searches the world over. This know-how is crystallised in a ring with a red Tanzanian spinel weighing over 20 carats, boasting a brilliance similar to that of diamonds:

Louis Vuitton - Acte V - Place Vendome Workshop Reportage - 21

The Metamorphosis Ring
Platinum – 1 Red Spinel: 20,03 cts – Diamonds

With ACTE V, Louis Vuitton pays tribute to outstanding and hard to find stones, their quality criteria and the emotions they arouse. They are the soul of the jewel: at the heart of the piece, they make us dream and indulge in the beauty of their colors.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Louis Vuitton and © Sandra Bauknecht