Simply Abu Dhabi XXVII

6 6 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I by Ivan Allegranti CHAUMET ‘Chaumet est une fête’ – translating to ‘Chaumet is a feast’ – is the title of the new high jewellery collection from the House of Chaumet, which was founded in 1780 in Paris by Marie-Étienne Nitot. The collection celebrates joie de vivre, as well as embracing luxury at its finest, emotion, music and passion for living a full and varied life. All these are the feelings expressed by looking beyond the immediate environs of Paris, to faraway lands of England, Italy, New York and Austria. What unites these places is music, a pure and magical way of expressing emotions to their uppermost levels: from opera to symphonies, music is a universal way of communicating emotions just as jewellery is a universally understood expression of beauty. The Chaumet collection is divided into four themes: Pastorale Anglaise, Aria Passionata, Rhapsodie Transatlantique and Valses d’Hiver. Pastorale Anglaise is a tribute to the Glyndebourne music festival and has been interpreted with a fanciful twist: emeralds that depict the English gardens are embellished with sapphires and rubies, while diamonds adorn a brooch, a transformable necklace, a ring, earrings and a high jewellery wristwatch. Aria Passionata celebrates Milan’s La Scala and Giuseppe Verdi operas such as “La Traviata”, turning the emotions of this grand music into sumptuous pieces such as a transformable necklace, a brooch, two pairs of earrings, three rings, a bracelet and three tourbillion watches. All these unique pieces are made with garnets, rubies and tourmalines that evoke La Scala’s stage. Rhapsodie Transatlantique is an tribute to New York’s Metropolitan Opera House and here diamonds, umba garnets, pink tourmalines, sapphires, violet padparadsha and yellow-green sapphires, morganites, tanzanites, imperial topazes and champagne and cognac diamonds create a symphony of colours in the parure (a set of jewels designed to be worn together), which includes a necklace mounted on the fils couteau setting, three rings and a set of three brooches and three pairs of earrings. Chaumet’s journey comes to an end with Valses d'Hiver, an homage to Vienna, Strauss (father and son) and their waltzes. Pearls and diamonds are the true protagonists, encrusting a tiara, a transformable necklace, a brooch, a bracelet, a jewellery watch, four rings and four pairs of earrings. A glorious collection that is entirely expected from such a reputable house. s s BOUCHERON Boucheron’s latest haute joallerie collection, Hiver Impérial, is inspired by the Far East’s vast stretches of snow and by Russia and its Tsars. In 1897, the Maison opened its first shop in Moscow as the first French jeweller in the city. Boucheron’s history is, then, a perfect mix between its native France and imperial Russia and its Slavic heritage. Three main themes mark this collection: nature, couture and architecture. Lumière de Nuit depicts the aesthetic of the North’s stunningly unique nature, famous for its brilliant white polar landscape. Femmes Boréales celebrates the strength and beauty of women in wintry climates, contemporary empresses and queens, wrapped in pearls and precious stones. L’Anneau d’Or offers a panoramic view of the rooftops, cupolas and domes of Russia’s ancient princely towns. The Baikal imperial bodice is an astonishing piece in the collection – a superlative necklace that features more than 2000 Akoya pearls and, at its centre, a huge 78.33-carat oval Santa Maria aquamarine. It took almost two years to create this necklace, and the result is simply stunning. This arresting piece mixes aquamarine with pearls, moonstones and diamonds that recall the beauty and magnificence of the Baikal lake, one of nature’s marvels. Despite the imposing scale the piece is remarkably comfortable, and to adjust the necklace Boucheron’s master jewellers have created a ribbon of aquamarine beads on the reverse. It’s an incredible piece that looks perfect for a modern-day ice empress. HAUTE JOAL LER I E This season’s high jewellery collections S imply J ewe l l ery