Following the tradition the “Biennale des antiquaries”, taking place in Paris every two years, shares the exhibition space under glass arches of Grand Palais with the leading jewelry houses of the world. Items, which Place Vendome residents present to avid customers and other lovers of fine jewelry, combine the best pieces from the latest collections with pieces that were created exclusively for the Biennale.
Unlike cloths, high jewelry fashion is less volatile and, in this sense, is more conservative. Along with the patented unique technologies of cut and setting zealously preserved and passed from generation to generation, it is based on recognizable symbols specific to each House. Thus, a bracelet in the shape of a panther immediately evokes an association with Cartier. One must not necessarily be an expert to recognize a best-seller of Van Cleef & Arpels in an original necklace in the form of a zipper. A combination of big precious stones of a variety of colors gives up Mediterranean roots of Bvlgari founder, while in fantasy motifs inspired by the legendary curves of the “new look” silhouette is easily guessed the signature of Dior.
The modern Golden Age of jewelry fell on the twenties of the last century and was born in unaffected by The First World War New York. Strict geometry of streets of the capital of the American Dream with its theatrical Broadway and defying the sky spire of Empire State Building had served as an inexhaustible source of inspiration for fashion designers and jewelers of the next two decades. The era of universal “movable feast “, emancipation of women in manners and, as a consequence, in clothes, the time of new bourgeoisie and new money will never cede to inspire creators of luxury captured in statics of gems.
Fine jewelry house “Chanel High Jewellery” which celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2012 succeeded at earning the trust of connoisseurs of impeccable style, which the brand of the creator of the best-selling in the history of perfume fragrance Chanel N5, is famous for. The name of the latest collection «Café Society», eponymous with the described above epoch, speaks for itself. Clear lines, color minimalism, the usage of classic materials along with innovative elements – the most avant-garde of the French houses sets the tone in fashion jewelry. In addition to the pieces of the «Café Society» the craftsmen of the Chanel’s atelier also presented several exclusive sets, created especially for the exhibition and inspired by the symbolism of the style of Coco Chanel. Comets, camellias, a lion’s head, the magical for Coco number “five”, along with the dearest to couturier Place Vendome’s square and sea views of Deauville are reflected in rings, necklaces and brooches the creativity of which prevails over the investment value without diminishing it. Certainly the key exhibit of the Chanel booth is a cage with parrots. A masterpiece of fine jewelry, it reproduces an element of the décor of the famous Mademoiselle’s apartment on the street Cambon. In addition to white diamonds and white gold, masters used rose quartz to create camellia flowers and original clocks, while the figures of birds made of moonstone and the base of the cage is inlaid with precious mother of pearl.
The oldest of the fashion houses of France and probably of the world, founded at the reign of the Emperor Napoleon, legendary Chaumet does not necessary need to follow any transient trends. An official court jeweler of first French and then the English royal court, Chaumet rightfully occupies the top of Mount Olympus of fine jewelry, embodying in its pieces dreams of a perfect beauty. Created especially for the exhibition, the “Light of Water” («Lumière d’Eau») collection combines twelve sets able to stun the most satiated imagination. “12” is the signature number of the jewelry house; 12, Place Vendome is the permanent since 1780 address of studio Chaumet.
An incredible play of blue sapphire halftones transits into gentle yellow, as if challenging icy shine of icebergs. Turquoise emeralds framed in diamonds rings remind circles on the water. Rich blue lapis lazuli pendants on necklaces immerse us in mysterious depths of the ocean, while the milky opal embodies the shine of the northern dawn. Pear-cut diamonds in the earrings resemble dewdrops, trembling on a petal and ready to fall any second. Rock crystals represent the water frozen in winter sleep and turned into transparent icicles. The collection cannot go without the Chaumet signature – a diamond tiara inspired by forms of stalactites, which master jewelers recreated from the sketches of 1904 model.
Another French jewelry house with more than a century history Van Cleef & Arpels continues to be inspired by fairy-tale characters. At this time the jewelers turned to the heroes of a fairy tale “Donkeyskin” («Peau d’Ane»), creating an eponymous jewelry collection, which was supplemented for the Biennale with the pieces from the «Pierres de caractère» series.
Divided into three parts, “Childhood” («L’enfance»), «Forest» («La forêt») and «Love» («L’amour»), the “Donkeyskin” collection tells us the story of a beautiful princess who has to flee, hidden under a donkey skin, from her father’s castle. After long wanderings and misadventures the girl meets a handsome prince, and they play a wedding in the royal palace.
The key element of the jewelry fairy tale is the “Emerald in all its glory” («Emeraude en majesté») necklace refers to the episode with a ring that the princess baked in a cake, prepared for the prince, hoping that thanks to it her beloved would find her. Consisting of 29 unique in their purity and size Colombian emeralds, weighing in total 195.11 carats, the necklace can be transformed into five different variations, allowing its happy owner to “play” with the length of the piece. Mentioning happy owners: as the representatives of Van Cleef & Arpels explained to us, most of the items presented at the Paris Biennale are already sold.
Apart from the «Emeraude en majesté», the exhibition also features no less interesting fabulous sets, such as a “Dress of the colors of time” («Robe couleur du temps»), in which pale blue aquamarines framed with sapphires and tourmalines and set in white gold recreate the sky hue of a wonderful princess dress. Or a series of incredible in their beauty brooches: “Donkeyskin” showing the princess at the time of her escape from the palace. The original combination of pink and gray diamonds makes the piece exquisitely feminine, and a pair of donkey ears peeking out from the girl’s back adds intriguing playfulness. In the brooch “Red Prince” («Prince Rouge») the prince’s vest is made of coral and in his hands the young man holds an emerald weighing 2.25 carats, symbolizing a wedding gift to the bride.
A world leader, without whose name the list of participants of the 27th Biennnale would not be complete; an innovator who transformed at the beginning of the last century a wristwatch into a fine jewelry piece and became a precursor of Art Deco, Cartier needs no introduction. The first part of the excellent collection presented at the exhibition is devoted to the stones. Majestic, noble, collected by gemologists of Cartier from all over the world, they share distinctive character, exclusivity, perfection, color and famous origin. Uniqueness of each stone is revealed thanks to the exceptional craftsmanship of jewelers. Rubies of Maharaja Navanagara, emeralds of Barbara Hutton, and diamonds of Elizabeth Taylor – Cartier invites us to admire the beauty of these incredibly spectacular stones.
In addition to minerals, after Queen Cleopatra, Elizabeth I, Marie de Medici, Charles I, Henry III, and other monarchs Cartier jewelers invite us to admire the mystique beauty of natural pearls. The «Salon des Perles» (“Pearl Hall”) in the historic Cartier boutique in Paris on the rue de la Paix was of a great importance and brought half of the income to the House until the late 1920s.
Royal Pearl of a perfect teardrop shape and silvery hue that Cartier presented at the Biennale is classified as exceptional. Found in the Persian Gulf, the pearl weights 166.18 grains (8.3 grams) and has an impressive size (21.82 mm × 17,6 mm × 16,4 mm). It has become a central element of the transformer jewelry: a clever removable system allows wearing the piece made of diamonds and pearls as a tiara or as a necklace.
Diamonds, which in the last century were not acceptable to wear before nine o’clock in the evening, turn into everyday jewelry that does not require a special occasion. Along with white, traditionally set in white gold, jewelers are increasingly turning their attention to the stones of the original yellow and pink shades.
The classic yellow gold, which until recently gave way to white and rose, is back in fashion. At the forefront is creativity. Along with the traditional multi-carat gems the masters use more semi-precious stones, such as the incredibly on high demand nowadays moonstone, rock crystal and rose quartz.
Times are changing, fashion passes and only beauty carved in stone is not subject to centuries. Combining in themselves investment and aesthetic values, masterpieces of fine jewelry continue to captivate the hearts of people who are ready for any follies for the exclusive right to possess magical gifts of the Earth’s depths turned into precious adornments.