Sandra‘s Closet

When Gabrielle Chanel adopted tweed as her own, it was to gift its comfort to elegant, sporty and resolutely modern women. When Patrice Leguéreau, Director of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, took his inspiration from it in 2020, it was to create the first High Jewelry collection dedicated to tweed, with as its central masterpiece the « Tweed Couture » necklace.

Positioning the elements of the strands of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace on the sheet before setting.

Re-created today, this technical and aesthetic tour de force now forms part of the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine. And it assures tweed a definitive place among the major inspirations of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Creation Studio.

Assembly of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

Taming tweed. Transforming its softness, reinterpreting its weave and the irregularities that deepen its fleecy qualities, and mastering its suppleness in gold, pearls and gemtones. This is the dream that is realized in the « Tweed Couture » necklace. Unfolding in a host of radiating lines of varying lengths, it evokes a dense yet astonishingly light weave, created through a number of innovative processes.

Threading the chain that creates the horizontal weave of the tweed through the strands. First mounting of the chain before dismantling it for setting of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

The first of these is the articulation of rose gold and platinum threads to create minuscule hinges, rings and joints that infuse the whole structure of the necklace with suppleness. They are complemented by settings of equal lightness, in which each stone appears to be freed from claws or beads, to be fully revealed in the light.

Assembly of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

Rows of infinitely delicate pink sapphires, intense and crystalline red spinels, velvet-smooth pearls and diamonds of dazzling clarity weave the warp and weft of the tweed to re-create its downy thickness. A row of pearls, meanwhile, punctuated in the center by a 10.20 carat DIF type IIa cushion-cut diamond, delicately accentuates the base of the neck. Finally, the back of every element has been polished to ensure the necklace is as light and comfortable as tweed.

Adjustments of the center stone, a cushion-cut diamond of 10,20 carats of the « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

In its perfect embrace of the curve of the neck and its re-creation of the tweed weave, the « Tweed Couture » necklace elevates suppleness to the level of a creative principle, as exalted by the mastery and savoir-faire of the CHANEL Fine Jewelry Atelier. In its freedom and inventiveness, it celebrates the uncompromising boldness of Mademoiselle and takes its place in the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine.

«The « Tweed Couture” necklace, which combines most of the technical challenges we had to face in 2020, was the most ambitious piece in this High Jewelry collection. For example, more than 980 articulations were assembled to create the exceptional suppleness of the necklace. That’s why today, CHANEL is proud to donate this exceptional piece to the Patrimoine department as a precious testimony of our creativity and savoir-faire.» – Patrice Leguéreau

Gabrielle Chanel and the tweed jacket of her English Duke lover changed fashion for ever. The fabric was also the inspiration for Virginie Viard’s F/W 2022 collection for CHANEL.

TWEED BY CHANEL

In the 1920s, Gabrielle Chanel had a love affair with the Duke of Westminster and discovered the lifestyle of the English aristocracy.
The Duke had an indisputable influence on the designs of Mademoiselle, who notably borrowed his tweed jackets to offer reinterpretations of them in her collections.
Tweed is a thick, soft woolen fabric that takes its name from the River Tweed in the Scottish Borders. While it has been part of the CHANEL vocabulary of style since the 1920s, it entered the Maison’s world of jewelry in 2020, with an initial collection of 45 High Jewelry pieces.

Work on « TWEED COUTURE » Patrimony necklace.

The most expensive piece in the 2020 collection, the « Tweed Couture » necklace has been reproduced for the occasion in order to join the pieces in the CHANEL High Jewelry Patrimoine department, such as the « 55.55 » necklace from the “N°5” High Jewelry Collection.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © CHANEL #TweedDeCHANEL #CHANELHighJewelry
DISCLOSURE: We may earn commission from links on this page, but I only recommend products I love. Promise. 

“I started with 16,000 Swiss francs, 20 years ago, and the success of de Grisogono is a miracle, in every sense” says Fawaz Gruosi. “I simply saw another way of doing things in the jewellery world. I was lucky, a little crazy, I worked like a madman and still do.“

You have to meet Fawaz Gruosi to understand his power over women, he might be the most charming man on earth. He knows what women want, especially when it comes to jewelry design. The president, owner and founder of de Grisogono likes to push the limits and break the rules to come up with the most amazing pieces.

Last week, de Grisogono celebrated the launch of its new Crazy Scull watch at Hotel Costes in Paris which shows the most outstanding artisan jewelry and horology. It took over one year of research to create this one of a kind timepiece.

Being entirely hand-set with white diamonds, pink sapphires, rubies and also the black diamonds, the stones the Geneva based jeweler is famous for, this dual time watch comes on a galuchat strap.

I am a huge fan of jewelry that offers a certain twist, that is provocative and different. How much fun are those baguette-cut diamond teeth and the ornate gemstone tongue?!

The Crazy Skull is available from around €500.000 depending on the stones you choose at de Grisogono boutiques.

And I couldn’t agree more with Karlie Kloss who said at last week’s party, it is “the most extravagant Halloween accessory” you have ever seen.
Speaking of which, happy trick or treating!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of de Grisogono and © Sandra Bauknecht

During my visit to the Baselworld 2012, the world watch and jewelry show, I came across some very amazing creations that I would love to share with you.

One that has absolutely overwhelmed me with its beauty is Chopard‘s High Jewelry collection “Precious Temptations”. Jewelry gourmets are in for a treat! Chopard has concocted a banquet of sweet delights, freely combining the most precious stones with more unusual gems to create a scrumptious array of pink sapphires, amethysts, rubellites, tsavorites, tourmalines and opals.

This delicious collection of eye candy appoints one of the biggest S/S 2012 fashion trends – pastel – as the master of ceremonies, inviting the most exquisite colours to its dessert buffet.

Bon appétit!

LoL, Sandra

Necklace in 18ct white gold set with diamonds, a cushion-cut peridot (5.6cts) and a pear-shaped amethyst of 32.7cts – Ref. 819158-1001
Earrings in 18ct white gold set with diamonds, 2 cushion-cut peridots (11.4cts) and 2 pear-shaped amethysts of 38.3cts – Ref. 849158-1001

Earrings in 18ct white gold set with diamonds and composed of 2 briolettes aquamarines (25.4cts) and 2 oval-shaped tanzanites of 13.7cts – Ref. 849151-1001

Ring in 18ct white gold set with diamonds, 2 half-moon shaped diamonds and an emerald-cut tanzanite of 12cts – Ref. 820621-1001

Ring in 18ct white gold set with emeralds, 2 heart-shaped pink sapphires and a heart-shaped emerald of 31.3cts – Ref. 820614-1001

Earrings in 18ct white gold set with emeralds, 4 pear-shaped pink sapphires and 2 heart-shaped emeralds of 21.7cts and 23.7cts – Ref. 840379-1001

Earrings in 18ct rose gold composed of 2 drop shaped amethysts for a total of 63cts, 2 fancy-cut toumalines (14.4cts), 8 torumalines beads (11.2cts), 2 fancy-cut morganites and diamonds – Ref. 849154-1001

Long necklace in 18ct rose gold composed of tourmaline beads (116cts), opals (139cts), amethysts (45cts), morganites (13cts) and diamonds – Ref. 819154-1001

Photos: Courtesy of Chopard and © Sandra Bauknecht