The creations of quintessentially Parisian jewellery maker Chaumet may have been fit for an empress in the late 18th century when the company was founded. But the jeweller aspires to be equally at home with the modern woman around the world. CEO Jean-Marc Mansvelt tells Irene Bellucci how they make the new out of the old

Jean-Marc Mansvelt

“For me, luxury is about craftsmanship and excellence. But it’s more than functionality – it’s also about emotion. And luxury transcends fashion, too; it takes time to invent, create and make.

Follow LUX on Instagram: luxthemagazine

“Chaumet’s founder Marie-Etienne Nitot trained under the jeweller to Marie Antoinette, and after the Revolution became Napoleon Bonaparte’s official jeweller in 1805. This led to numerous commissions from the great and the good, including jewels for Empress Joséphine, after whom one of our most iconic collections is named. The brand’s tiaras went on to be worn by queens and rulers across the globe.

Laurel Leaf Tiara by Joseph Chaumet (1920)

“Yet, our history isn’t enough to sustain us in the 21st century; consumers’ tastes have changed as has the function of jewellery itself. Nowadays, a tiara is not really worn beyond special and rare occasions, so in 2010 we reinvented them by moving them from head to finger for our Joséphine ring collection. Once they were crowns expressing power, but now we have brought them into the modern era in a more delicate and wearable form.

“But not all of our pieces are reinventions. We try to mix tradition and contemporary art; we also like to look to the world of music for ideas. In referring just to the past, the risk is that we will repeat ourselves – we need to inject new elements into the process.”

View the collections: chaumet.com

This article was originally published in the Spring 2020 Issue

The ‘Black Hawk’ high jewellery collection by Messika

Valérie Messika grew up playing with precious stones. Her father, Andre, was renowned in the diamond industry for decades, but at the age of 25, Valérie discovered a niche in the market: everyday, wearable diamonds. She founded her eponymous brand around this ethos and Messika has since become a favourite amongst celebrities with stores across the globe. Here, we speak to the designer about fashion, Parisian style and designing for men

Valérie Messika by David Ferrura

1. What’s your most cherish piece of jewellery?

When I was young, my grandmother, who is one of the most amazing women I have ever met, gave me one of her rings. It is a pear shaped 9.30 carat diamond, it is my favourite piece of jewellery.

Follow LUX on Instagram: the.official.lux.magazine

2. How much attention do you pay to trends?

I am a real fashion lover! I get my inspiration from a lot of things, at all times– but fashion and haute couture are one of my biggest sources of inspiration. I find inspiration by walking the streets in Paris and looking at people’s attitude and style. I admire the Parisiennes; they look so chic but always in a very minimal and trendy way.

Pieces from the ‘Desert Bloom’ high jewellery collection by Messika

3. What makes a piece of jewellery timeless?

To be timeless, a piece of jewellery must be a mix between classic and contemporary, but always with a twist of modernity.

4. Do you approach designing for men and women differently?

I get my inspiration from people that surround me such as my two daughters, my husband and my father. I also take into consideration feedback from my clients, this is important to me.

Creating for men was about how I see men. Forging a bond between men and women’s jewellery was a real challenge. I have created a masculine interpretation of my iconic collection Move, that combines both power and lightness. The motif of the three moving diamonds is deeply imprinted in me and lies very close to my heart, it stands for the ‘love of yesterday, today and tomorrow’.

Read more: 6 mountain restaurants to stir your soul this summer

5. When you get dressed in the morning, which do you choose first: clothes or jewellery?

I am very lucky as I can change my jewellery every day. I always associate my jewels with my clothes. What I like is stacking bangles by mixing my signature collections, Move and Skinny. I adore wearing jewellery as fashion accessories.

Messika pieces are created to be worn on an everyday basis. Diamonds can be worn every day with a pair of jeans, your favourite sneakers or your favourite jumper!

‘Wild Moon’ earrings by Messika

6. What’s your favourite jewel other than a diamond?

This is a tricky question as diamonds are in my DNA. This passion is my heritage. But I always have my Audemars Piguet watch that I consider to be like a piece of jewellery.

Discover Messika’s collections: messika.com

Backstage image of a Chaumet tiara being fitted on a model

Tiaras are the cult jewel of maison Chaumet, and their latest exhibition ‘Chaumet in Majesty’ at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco offers a rare insight into the iconic jewel’s history

Since 1780 Chaumet has been the jeweller to sovereigns. This latest exhibition at Grimaldi Forum recounts the lives of the brand’s royal customers and delves into the history of the jewels themselves, highlighting tiaras as symbolic of timeless feminine power.

Follow LUX on Instagram: the.official.lux.magazine

Portrait of Edwina, Countess Mountbatten of Burma, last Vicereine of India, wearing her Chaumet tiara for George VI’s coronation. Photographie de Yevonde, 1937. © Madame Yevonde/Mary Evans Picture Library

As Chaumet demonstrates, a tiara is not just a decorative jewel, but one which has an important functionality, specifically designed to imbue its wearer with virtuous qualities and authority. For example, The Briar Rose Bud tiara (1922) features fauna motif referring back to the power and prestige of classical laurel wreaths whilst the material qualities of the pearls evoke wisdom and diamonds are traditionally associated with timeless elegance and strength. The Pearl and Mircomosaic Parer (1811) also projects an image of its imperial court. The tiara depicts scenes of Roman landscapes through mosaic techniques to lend the piece and its wearer an air of romanticism and grandeur.

‘Chaumet in Majesty’ exhibition at the Grimaldi Forum, Monaco: displaying the tiara with florets of Edwina Countess Mountbatten of Burma, last Vice-Queen of India created by Marcel Chaumet (1886-1964) in 1934 in the workshop of Maison Chaumet. The tiara was entrusted to another Maison who sold it to Lady Edwina Mountbatten. Private collection

Read more: Why we love Cartier’s high jewellery collection ‘Magnitude’

The exhibition brings together 250 pieces of jewellery, some of which are being seen publicly for the first time, sourced from the collections of Prince Albert II of Monaco, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and museum collections from all over the world. In the exhibition we see the heritage of the maison’s forms and the quality and beauty of their pieces, but more importantly, we can begin to appreciate jewellery’s role in signifying women’s power throughout the ages.

‘Chaumet in Majesty’ runs until 28 August 2019 at the Grimaldi Forum in Monaco. For more information visit: chaumet.com 

Rosie Ellison-Balaam

The Équinoxe necklace with an octagonal yellow sapphire at the centre

Move over minimalism, Cartier’s latest high jewellery collection is an adventurous exploration of magnified dimensions

Magnitude by Cartier is as much a statement of size as the collection’s name suggests. At the centre of each piece sits a remarkably large stone in its original form, showcasing unconventional, semi-precious crystals alongside more traditional jewels and diamonds.

Follow LUX on Instagram: the.official.lux.magazine

The most striking example of this adventurous new design approach for the French maison is the Zemia cuff bracelet, featuring an immense 77.27-carat matrix opal circled by violet sapphires, spessartite garnets, and brilliant-cut diamonds. The 68.85-carat rutilated quartz of the Aphélie necklace possesses similarly impressive proportions, set in a pink gold pendant with cascading morganite beads, orange and white diamonds, and flashes of coral and onyx.

Model wearing the Zemia cuff bracelet from Cartier’s Magnitude collection

The Aphélie necklace

Whilst working with a variety of sizeable and seemingly unrefined stones, the collection retains the subtlety and elegance of the wider Cartier portfolio in the smaller, surrounding details of contrasting yet complementary colours and textures. For example, electric blue beads of lapis lazuli are interlaced in an openwork constellation design of the Équinoxe necklace with an octagonal yellow sapphire at the heart.

Read more: Ruinart x Jonathan Anderson’s pop-up hotel in Notting Hill

An overall talismanic effect is achieved through the earthy tones and natural aesthetic of the rudimentary colouring of each centrepiece, reminiscent of Cartier’s earlier work with ornamental stones in decorative objects during the Art Deco period.

Chloe Frost-Smith

For more information visit: cartier.co.uk

Bvlgari’s Cinemagia High Jewellery collection is inspired by old age Hollywood glamour

Bvlgari brings back Hollywood decadence with their latest high jewellery collection inspired by 1950s cinema

Long defined by its unconventional colour combinations of precious stones, Bvlgari’s latest collection reimagines the brand’s colour palette in statement pieces that pay homage to various aspects of cinema.

Follow LUX on Instagram: the.official.lux.magazine

The highly unusual monochromatic Action! necklace, for example, celebrates the invention of celluloid roll film with thirty-two carats of pavé diamonds and black zirconium, the latest innovation from the Roman maison which is surprisingly practical in design. A complex spring construction is incorporated to ensure the perfect fit whilst allowing the necklace to return to its original shape after each wear. When rotated, the round film element centre reproduces the sound of old movie projectors, adding an intriguing sensory dimension to this unique piece.

Read more: In conversation with the world’s oldest model

The Action! necklace features thirty-two carats of pavé diamonds and black zirconium

The Fairy Wings necklace with coloured gemstones and diamond butterflies

The Emerald Affair necklace is a contemporary reworking one of the brand’s most iconic pieces, featuring a brilliant green, octagonal step-cut jewel, whilst the Fairy Wings necklace playfully mixes eight coloured oval gemstones, each set on a delicate diamond butterfly.

The Emerald Affair necklace features a brilliant green, octagonal step-cut jewel

Other pieces in the collection incorporate vibrant shades and a variety of gemstones

Other pieces in the collection feature varying shades associated with the days of La Dolce Vita, including pink sapphires, mandarin garnets, and citrine quartz. For a more versatile look, selected pendant pieces can be turned around and styled backwards for wearers to fully embrace Bvlgari’s rule-breaking approach to both colour and design.

Chloe Frost-Smith

Find out more: bulgari.com