A celestial experience with Chanel’s high jewellery

GROUNDBREAKING, extravagant pieces that not only pioneered how jewellery was designed and worn but also set tongues wagging – that was what Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel did when she exhibited her first and only high jewellery collection in November 1932.

The backstory? It was the Great Depression, and the London Diamond Corporation commissioned Gabrielle Chanel, a visionary female fashion designer, to bring glory back to the diamond market.

It worked like a dream.

In “Bijoux de Diamants”, she applied the principles of haute couture to high jewellery, making such an impact that it catapulted the Diamond Corporation’s shares in a matter of days, and transformed the industry.

Her collection – many pieces of which were transformable – was designed for women who were confident, feminine, and free to wear jewellery in ways that allowed creativity, individuality and movement.

Such was the reception to the designs by a couturiére – a mere dressmaker – that outraged jewellers demanded the jewellery be broken up and the stones returned. So, apart from the pieces that were sold on the first day of the collection’s exhibition, the rest are no longer in existence.

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But all is not lost.

The publicity, press coverage and Gabrielle Chanel’s savvy archiving of her collection meant that decades later, the maison that bears her name was able to re-create those legendary pieces for posterity.

Better still, to mark 90 years since her high jewellery’s appearance, Patrice Leguéreau, director of the Chanel Fine Jewellery Creation Studio, has created a 77-piece collection called “1932”, which has just arrived in Singapore.

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A starry Christmas

Inspired by the modern spirit of “Bijoux de Diamants”, the new high jewellery collection plays on the celestial theme, with the comet, moon and sun becoming key symbols on necklaces, bracelets, brooches, earrings and rings.

The masterpiece of the collection is the Allure Céleste necklace, which features all three heavenly bodies – with a stunning 55.55-carat intense blue sapphire playing the part of the moon. As the piece has been sold (apparently to a collector in America, The Business Times understands), the mainly white gold and diamond piece won’t make an appearance here. However, you may want to pay close attention to other one-off creations from “1932”.

The most valuable is the Comète Constellation necklace and ring set in white gold and diamonds, which will set you back by some S$11.5 million. Impressive in volume, the necklace has a very condensed back, with a rich yet airy front. The multi-tiered necklace has two cushion-cut diamonds of 10.08 carats each sitting as centrestones. But as a transformable creation, the two diamonds can be detached to be placed on the ring, which sports two star motifs, and vice versa.

Next up is the Comète Volute necklace and bracelet in white gold and diamonds, both one-offs and sold separately at approximately S$9.6 million and S$3.3 million respectively.

The necklace illustrates a swirling comet seemingly in flight, thanks to a combination of white gold in paved and openwork style and baguette-cut diamond chevrons and round diamonds. At the centre of the piece is an oval-cut diamond of 19.32 (get it?) carats.

Meanwhile, a comet on the bracelet swirls up the wrist, and features an intense yellow oval diamond – also weighing 19.32 carats – as its centrestone.

Whatever catches your fancy, the constellations of “1932”, along with Gabrielle Chanel’s original pieces, tell a fascinating story of a woman well ahead of her time, and whose inventiveness has gifted the maison ideas for years to come.

The “1932” high jewellery collection is available for viewing from Apr 1 to 10 at the Chanel boutique at The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, 2 Bayfront Avenue, L1-59 & B1-133