|Objects| a constant
|Objects| a constant thread, however subtle, that signals the work’s provenance to aficionados. A house’s history is written in its stylistic layers, each facet renewed periodically in fresh collections. Cartier, for instance, is widely associated with Art Deco diamonds and its ubiquitous panther motif (sometimes just onyx spots) yet its style ranges further, from fluid 19th-century garland style to the tutti-frutti motifs of classic coloured gemstones, Indian in origin and shared with houses such as Boucheron and Bulgari, to mid-century textured gold pieces that inspire quirky recent collections like Cactus or Grain de Café. Art Deco is now reinterpreted in tightly geometric, modern designs that are incredibly hard to execute by hand. These themes come together in Cartier’s latest high-jewellery collection, Le Voyage Recommencé, Above, clockwise from top left: Tiffany & Co Star Urchin brooch in platinum and yellow gold with diamonds and handcarved carnelians tiffany.com Van Cleef & Arpels white-gold Regina Montium necklace with detachable pendant featuring blue-green tourmalines, sapphires, aquamarines, tanzanites and diamonds, vancleefarpels.com Chanel yellow-gold Tweed Byzance bracelet set with beryls and diamonds, chanel.com; below: Chopard earrings in titanium with graduated pink sapphires and diamonds, chopard.com celebrating exotic places, from the Dohara necklace of diamonds and rock crystal that reverses to lacquers in the colours of classic Mughal gems, to the geometry of Miraggio, with oval Sri Lankan sapphires set on a layered grid of diamonds, emeralds and onyx – Art Deco for right now. Van Cleef & Arpels is famed for its Mystery setting technique, which creates a smooth “pavement” of minuscule coloured gems, set so closely that no metal appears, with a velvety glow especially when in fluidlooking draped form. The house is also well known for its ethereal dancer or fairy brooches, each with a tiny, pear-shaped diamond face. It has a freer style but many strengths requiring huge craft discipline, like pictorial bracelets in gems and engraved gold, apparently seamless yet articulated, or necklaces with perfectly matched stones that take years to collect, both featured in 2023’s high-jewellery collection, Le Grand Tour, where designs evoke the atmosphere of Europe’s most treasured cities. The great Italian rival to these two is Bulgari, which, despite roots in Greece, now symbolises Rome, la dolce vita and the Italian Mediterranean. Last year’s high-jewellery collection was titled Mediterranea, an outsize cascade of aquatic and floral motifs in brilliant gems, hardstones and handengraved gold. Defining motifs include the Serpenti snake, wound round wrists, necks and waists, Monete which includes original Roman coins, some of great PHOTOS CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TIFFANY & CO. STUDIO, © VAN & CLEEF & ARPELS, © CHOPARD, © CHANEL 60 CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM
