|Objects| Cartier Miraggio necklace featuring sapphire, emeralds and onyx, cartier.com Haute Heritage Crafting truly exceptional – and very collectable – high-jewellery pieces is a balancing act between tradition and innovation, says Avril Groom PHOTO IRIS VELGHE / CARTIER H igh jewellery is one of the glories of the decorative arts, a potent combination of colour, sparkle, craftsmanship and rarity that humans find irresistible. Why else would we queue to trundle on a travelator past the British Crown Jewels in the Tower of London, or mob exhibitions from the 17th-century Cheapside Hoard in 2013 to last year’s Chaumet exhibition of botanical jewellery and art in Paris? Jewellery has always been about power and display, and showing you can afford something very, very special. As Elizabeth Taylor once said, “Jewellery has the power to be the one little thing that makes you feel unique,” and she was generous in showing her collection to friends and fans. Today’s collectors appear to think differently. Security issues around collections and standout gemstones and the rapidly increasing investment value of major jewellery make the process far more closed. Houses negotiate with good clients before key pieces are finished, launches don’t happen because most items are pre-sold, and exquisite jewels languish in private vaults, lost to the wider world. This is tough on aspirational clients who want to learn in order eventually to buy wisely. However, there is a path to follow. Every house worth its reputation has key markers of style and technique that form CENTURION-MAGAZINE.COM 45
