Chaumet draws on its heritage as a naturalist jeweller with a new high jewellery collection encompassing natural motifs in precious materials. The pieces, divided into four chapters, look to flowers, fields and undergrowth, and around the world.
The first chapter, Woods and Undergrowth, marries botanical themes with twisting ribbons of diamonds. Ferns in white gold form layers in a play on texture, while articulation is considered in pairs of earrings that can be taken apart and worn several ways. A necklace featuring a spectacular opal had each vein individually modelled, in a faithful rendition of the naturalist tradition.
Fields, the second chapter, rethinks the wheat motif, famously loved by Empress Joséphine. Here, it is drawn in coppery yellow gold, its richly drawn form juxtaposed against an Asscher-cut diamond, imbuing traditional pieces with a contemporary edge.
A realistic pansy flower tiara created in the 19th century by Jean-Baptiste Fossin is the inspiration for the third chapter, Flowers. Subtle graduations of diamonds and blue, pink and Padparadscha sapphires create an exquisitely drawn tiara and brooch; elsewhere, the tulip blooms in bold red spinels.
Chaumet revisits its goldsmithing heritage in the fourth and final chapter, Bouquets of the World, with gold petals interspersed with diamonds on a graphic necklace. In a necklace, earrings and ring suite, pink chalcedony is teased into petals, curling around graphic cushion-cut Ceylon sapphires.
