The July Couture Week just ended in Paris where all of the High Jewelry brands presented their new dazzling beauties. Yet, a few brands such as De Grisogono, Messika and Chopard took the advantage of the Cannes festival to unveil their collection before that we were privileged enough to shoot !
Have you ever been in the position where you receive a PFW on the screen of your iPhone without knowing what it actually refers to ? Well – PFW is the shortcut for Paris Fashion Week – and whoever sent you this tried to tell you that he or she won’t be available nor reachable for anything else than PFW events. All Jokes aside, the Jewelry calendar works alongside with Fashion Weeks. Jewelry designers present their collections during the Ready-to-Wear Weeks in March and September when most if not all of the Institutional brands (meaning Place Vendome) unveil their high jewelry collections during the Haute-Couture weeks in January and July.
Our first stop was at Chopard who not only happens to be the official partner of the film festival but also unveiled 71 unique high jewelry pieces to celebrate the 71th anniversary of the festival. Inspired by her dreams and travels, Caroline Sheufele, co-founder of the brand unveiled her new dazzling pieces of the Red Carpet collection on the rooftop of the Martinez Hotel. Tanzanites, emeralds, Paraiba, diamonds briolettes, opals, rubies, enamel … there was a mix of colors, a mix of styles and jewelry techniques put altogether.
Our second stop was at Messika for a full diamond rendezvous – showing their Once upon a time High Jewelry collection. We spotted the sumptuous Plastron necklace from the Snow Queen inspiration setting 95 perfectly symmetrical pear-cut diamonds for a weight of almost 110 ct. The Love Knot from the Bright Falcon family collection or even the Little Mermaid necklace mounted with fringes of emerald cut diamonds exemplify the desire of Valerie Messika to transform classic diamond jewelry into modern pieces a woman could dare wear traipsing down a red carpet with a gown or entering a party wearing a pair of jeans with a tee-shirt.
Last but not least, shifting style, changing brands, and moving on to De Grisogono, a brand celebrating 25 years of creativity where opulence, colors and challenge truly define them. Large if not huge Central Stones set organically in the shape of a necklace or an earring is their signature. We could not take our eyes of some outstanding necklaces – and I honestly could have kept one of them … If not The open necklace with the marquise cut diamonds and highlighted by rubies I would not have mind the necklace set with a sapphire degrade topped with a detachable pear-cut of more than 42 carats.
