When Chaumet reinvents its imperial Russia

Feb 10, 2018

If there is one house that can draw tirelessly on its archives, it is Chaumet, whose heritage is one of the richest on the Place Vendôme. For this month of January, the house invites us to go with it to Russia and follow it into the snowy woods and icy steppes. If the theme was worked on in a very audacious way in July by Boucheron, the eleven pieces unveiled at the end of January invite us to plunge into the history of one of the oldest jewellery houses in the Place Vendôme and offer jewels with subtle details, adorned with diamonds, illuminated in their centres by remarkable blue sapphires and rare padparadscha sapphires from Ceylon and Madagascar, including an imposing pear of more than 16 carats.

chaumet promenades impériales

White gold and rose gold ring set with a 3.11-carat cushion-cut Padparadscha sapphire from Ceylon, and navette and brilliant-cut diamonds. Photo : Chaumet

chaumet promenades impériales

White gold brooch set with a 2.45 carat Ceylon cushion-cut sapphire, a 0.70 carat D VVS2 brilliant-cut diamond, and navette and brilliant-cut diamonds. Photo: Chaumet

Known for its airy sets that offer great finesse in execution, the house does not disappoint with these new models that inaugurate its new opus “Les Mondes de Chaumet”. Conceived as a triptych, the January collection “Promenades Impériales” heralds a remarkable heritage exhibition to be held in Tokyo in June, but also reveals the beginnings of a journey that will end in style in July at Paris Fashion Week.

chaumet promenades impériales

Design project for the Youssoupoff tiara. Courtesy of Chaumet

chaumet promenades impériales

Princess Youssoupoff wearing the Chaumet tiara. Courtesy of Chaumet

chaumet promenades impériales

Project for the front of the bodice for Princess Youssoupoff. Courtesy of Chaumet

Choosing Russia was an obvious choice for this house, which has always counted among its clients members of the most illustrious European royal families. The Russian revolution brought many of its citizens to France, who found a delicate and refined execution in the jewellery houses, and particularly in Chaumet. This led to the creation of remarkable pieces in a “Russian” taste. This new collection is naturally intended as a tribute to Princess Youssoupoff or Prince Demidoff, to name but two. A remarkable starting point was needed, and it was an element inseparable from Russian ceremonial dress: the Kokochnik, this imposing headdress, richly decorated with jewels or pearls, which dressed the women of the best society. Miniaturised here into brooches, pendants and rings, the result is truly magnificent on both the front and back of the pieces. Not a single spot has escaped the meticulous care of the jewellers, setters and polishers to bring the brilliance and light that creep in everywhere, in the smallest interstices, revealing the complexity of the manufacture of these jewels. An important technical point, the different elements of the pieces are linked together by what is known as the “knife wire”, a very particular triangular wire that is a signature of Chaumet jewellery. A journey…

chaumet promenades impériales

Bracelet in white and pink gold, set with a 7.07 carat oval Padparadscha sapphire from Ceylon,
and navette and brilliant-cut diamonds. Photo : Chaumet

chaumet promenades impériales

White gold ring, set with a 5.82-carat oval E VVS1 diamond and navette and brilliant-cut diamonds. Photo: Chaumet

chaumet promenades impériales

Earrings in white and pink gold, set with a 1.71-carat oval Padparadscha sapphire from Madagascar, a 1.52-carat oval Padparadscha sapphire from Ceylon, 0.57-carat E VVS2 brilliant-cut diamonds and navette and brilliant-cut diamonds. Photo: Chaumet

chaumet promenades impériales

White gold ring set with a 5.01 carat Ceylon cushion-cut sapphire and navette and brilliant-cut diamonds. Photo : Chaumet

chaumet promenades impériales chaumet promenades impériales

The centrepiece of the collection is this transformable necklace in white and rose gold, set witha 16.31-carat pear-shaped Ceylon Padparadscha sapphire, a 9.03-carat cabochon of Ceylon Padparadscha sapphire, a 1.13-carat oval D VVS1 diamond, a 0.45-carat brilliant-cut D VVS2 diamond and navette and brilliant-cut diamonds .Photo: Chaumet

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ABOUT ME

marie chabrol

Hello my name Is Marie. Speaker, consultant & teacher, I write with passion about the world of jewelry.

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