Jewellery magic

THIS SEASON, DON'T DO things in half measures. Instead, follow Gucci's lead, and show what it means to be dripping in gems - with magical beasts, fl owers and symbols of nature beckoning in all their sparkling, bejewelled splendour.

The Hortus Deliciarum ("Garden of Delights" in Latin) is the Italian luxury fashion house's second collection of high jewellery, and an extravagant ode to the majesty, wonder and beauty of the natural world.

Drawing heavily on the symbolic motifs that are dear to creator Alessandro Michele, as well as Gucci's large iconography, the 130-plus pieces of jewellery - mostly one-of-a-kind - fall into four chapters, each inspired by diff erent elements of Mother Nature.

The first chapter pays homage to the majestic beauty of natural landscapes, with natural features such as waterfalls and softly windblown forestry re-created in miniature - cascades of diamonds conjure up images of a waterfall, while quivering en tremblant Victoriana leaves and stars bring to mind shooting meteors and the delicate harmony of nature.

Michele channels the Roaring Twenties from a century ago, with fringe and tassel necklaces and chandelier earrings set in a modern context. Violet and plum-coloured spinels fl oat amidst dangling drops of diamonds, while lagoon-like tourmalines evoke the bright azure of the ocean.

In the second chapter, the saturated, hypnotic hues of the sunset sky serve as inspiration. The fl eeting magic of nightfall is translated into highly romantic, bold (and a touch gothic) settings - with opals and topazes sitting alongside spessartite garnets and tourmalines in a mix of rich, warm colours on a stunning necklace where an 8-carat opal takes pride of place. Michele describes the gems' ever-so-slightly mismatched colours as "discordant symmetry" - to channel the transcendent ephemerality of a sky's rapidly-changing colours as day passes into night.

The romanticism of a rose garden is what drives the third chapter - the most delicate and feminine of the four. Rococo bows and talismanic sautoirs pay homage to botanicals, and suggest renewal and love. Each gemstone is carefully picked for its delicate, light colour, such as the sunset-hued pinkish-orange Padparadscha sapphire, which resembles a rose petal on the cusp of blooming, and the deep indigo of the indicolite tourmalines, which is as inky as a night sky. Some necklaces are also designed with detachable pendants to be worn separately.

Finally, the fourth chapter revisits the animal kingdom, evoking mythic beasts and ancient fauna. Here, the symbolic strength of the lion, the courage of the tiger, and the magical mysticism of Dionysus come powerfully into play. Sky-blue tanzanites encircle the neck, clasped by roaring, diamond-encrusted lion heads and paired with serpentine opals and verdant tsavorites.

In short, this is bold, lavish jewellery.

And frankly, we can't think of a more unabashed way of bidding farewell to a lacklustre year and saying a loud "hello" to a better one ahead.