Bejewelled ballerinas and animals are brought to life this month
Tatler Asia
Above Owl watch in white gold set with sapphires and diamonds by Chopard (Image: Chopard)

1. Chopard

Chopard and the Cannes Film Festival have been linked since 1998, and Chopard first unveiled its Red Carpet high jewellery collection of 60 designs there in 2007. This year, the maison has released 73 high jewels to connote the number of years that the film festival has been held. Inspired by nature, animals in whitewashed winter colours are brought to life with brilliant-cut pavé diamonds, cabochon-cut sapphires and plenty of onyx. We particularly love the bejewelled owl watch in white gold, which is set with multicoloured sapphires and diamonds.

(Related: Chopard Steals the Show in Hit Korean Drama, Crash Landing On You)

Tatler Asia
Above Garden Party earrings in yellow gold set with diamonds by Annoushka (Image: Annoushka)

2. Annoushka

Inspired by her own whimsical garden in West Sussex, England, Annoushka Ducas's new Garden Party collection features tiered earrings and bracelets that are anchored with diamonds instead of plant pots. There’s a trendy Seventies feel to this playful collection. Textured bars of yellow gold that are unexpectedly coated with black rhodium add extra depth.

Tatler Asia
Above Caravan necklace in yellow gold set with jasper, emeralds, moonstones, tsavorites, sapphires and diamonds by Lydia Courteille (Image: Lydia Courteille)

3. Lydia Courteille

Inspired by the Silk Road, Parisian-born gemmologist and antique jewellery expert Lydia Courteille has unveiled her latest high jewellery collection: Caravan. Her folksy creations map the route starting from Turkey and on through civilisations including Little Armenia, Mesopotamia and Samarkand. The sculptural collection includes 13 rings, six earrings, four necklaces and two bracelets.

(Related: 10 Stunning High Jewellery Instagram Accounts You Should Follow)

Tatler Asia
Above From top: Sylphide ballerina clip in white and yellow gold set with pink and yellow sapphires and diamonds; Pas de Deux transformable clip in white gold set with yellow sapphires, white and golden mother-of-pearl and diamonds; Sacre du Printemps ballerina clip in white and rose gold set with sapphires and diamonds, all by Van Cleef & Arpels (Image: Affa Chan/Tatler Hong Kong)

4. Van Cleef & Arpels

Caught in a variety of dance poses, Van Cleef & Arpels’ breathtaking ballerina clips were first designed in the early 1940s. A 1941 brooch depicts a playful Spanish dancer with a fan, while another made in 1942 was inspired by an 18th-century French dancer, Marie Anne de Capuis de Camargo, who was famous for shortening her skirt to calf length. Rendered in gold and set with sparkling gemstones, each clip bursts with personality. Which one would you wear?

Tatler Asia
Above Nuage en Apesanteur necklace in titanium and white gold set with glass beads and diamonds by Boucheron (Image: Boucheron)

5. Boucheron

Boucheron's creative director Claire Choisne has outdone herself once again. The brand’s new high jewellery collection, Contemplation, has been in development since Choisne visited Naoshima, an island town filled with conceptual artworks in Japan, three years ago. James Turrell’s Open Sky at the Chichu Art Museum there invites viewers to gaze at the changing atmosphere as seen through a large hole in the ceiling, which gave Choisne a calming feeling that she wanted to transfer into jewellery. A pared-back palette of white, greys and blues defines this collection of 67 pieces, as does its weightlessness. Spray-painted mother-of-pearl, sparkling moonstones and elongated aquamarines add to Contemplation’s unearthly feel.

Tatler Asia
Above Image: Christie's

6. Christie's

With sales postponed and auction houses closed, auctioneers are moving jewellery sales online. And Christie’s has subsequently announced that it has auctioned off the most expensive jewel ever sold virtually. Set on a platinum band, the 28.86-carat diamond broke the world record at US$2.1 million.

Tatler Asia
Above 2020 Black Label Masterpiece VI “Reflection Bangle” in white and yellow gold set with sapphires and diamonds by Cindy Chao (Photo: Courtesy of Cindy Chao)

7. Cindy Chao

Despite the pandemic, Cindy Chao has already had a busy year. She participated in TEFAF Maastricht, the last international live art fair held this year, and in January, Tatler Asia reported that her first Butterfly brooch was inducted into the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (MAD) in Paris, as part of its permanent collection. Now, Chao has unveiled her 2020 high jewellery collection of one-of-a-kind pieces that are, quite simply, exceptional. We particularly love her “Reflection Bangle”, which is inspired by Chinese landscape paintings. 

(Related: Jewellery Artist Cindy Chao On What It Took To Achieve Her Brand’s Success)

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