Designers walk on the wild side
The animal kingdom is an endless source of inspiration for jewellery design. Not only does it spur designers to use interesting and colourful materials but it also presents technical challenges that can lead to innovations in the field.
To mark its 150th anniversary, Chopard launched its high jewellery Animal World collection featuring frogs, koalas, antelopes, monkeys, polar bears and turtles.
The response was so enthusiastic that the brand is continuing its wild theme this year by adding new pieces. They include a bear cub in brown diamonds set on rose gold, and a yellow duck shaped like a rubber ring for swimming that combines sparkling yellow diamonds and orange diamonds set against a blue topaz stone.
Dior jewellery designer Victoire de Castellane also incorporates animals into her Coffret de Victoire collection of one-of-a-kind pieces. One features a rabbit among flowers and leaves, using fire opal, pink tourmaline, demantoid garnet and orange and yellow sapphires.
Another has tortoises on it, wandering around a pond of jade, and features diamonds, aquamarines, Paraiba tourmalines, tsavorite garnet and orange sapphires, while another ring has a bright orange fish under a lime green stone complete with rubies, pink and yellow sapphires, black and red spinels and lacquer.
At BaselWorld 2011, Chopard unveiled its latest addition to its Animal World collection - a diamond and gemstone bracelet designed by the company's co-president and artistic director Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele.
'Throughout different cultures, the peacock features represent pride, nobility and glory,' says marketing and public relations manager Prerna Balani. 'Peacocks are also known as a symbol of immortality.' The 18k white gold cuff features the magnificent bird and its long tail wrapped around the wearer's arm. It is intricately detailed with black, brown, grey and white diamonds, emeralds, Paraiba tourmalines, blue sapphires, tsavorites, lazulites and lapis lazuli.
Graff also presented a peacock brooch this year with plumage in fantasy colours. It has more than 46 carats of diamonds that include white and yellow for the body, dark-blue-grey in the breast and a series of pastel colours ranging from deep-purple-pink to vivid orange.
British jeweller Boodles also struts out with its own peacock-inspired piece. The sixth-generation family-run business has brought its collections to Lane Crawford and is having a trunk show at the IFC Mall location that showcases some of its signature pieces.
One of the highlights of the trunk show is the peacock opal necklace, with feathers that gracefully encircle the wearer's neck and show off an impressive trio of oval-cut opals and briolette and brilliant-cut diamonds.
Inspired by the tail feather of the flightless bird, the peacock opal necklace is hardly a stiff piece, as it moves with the wearer to create co-ordinated comfort and beauty.