Blooming marvellous

Each woman has her own preference when it comes to flowers and her choice reveals more about her personality.

In the Victorian era, flowers had specific meanings because the selection was limited. They were used as symbols and gestures to communicate more than words.

Roses come to mind as the flower of love, peonies signify healing, sunflowers are adoration and orchids mean delicate beauty.

So it's no surprise that floral designs are perennial blooms in jewellery design. Women receive flowers from amorous suitors, so why not the glittering variety that last forever?

Every summer Graff Diamonds presents its latest collection to jetset celebrities and socialites in Monaco and this year was no exception, except that this time the pieces were presented for the first time in Hong Kong at its boutique in The Peninsula.

One of the highlights was a dazzling double-flower diamond brooch that blends classic design with unrivalled craftsmanship. The brilliant piece has a total of 61.31 carats and on the main flower. The centre spins like a pinwheel, making it even more mesmerising.

Piaget's Limelight Garden Party continues to revel in the verdant Eden. An ivy necklace in white gold is composed of emerald and diamond-paved leaves encircled around the wearer's neck matched with a cushion-cut emerald for another striking lush green piece.

The ivy theme continues with a gorgeous necklace themed with the leaves outlined in diamonds and some oval and pear-shaped emeralds adding colour.

The French design house also has jewellery inspired by roses, one as a pendant, the other a giant rose-shaped cocktail ring.

Chanel is synonymous with the camellia and this year the fashion house presents a number of pieces around the fragrant bloom.

The outline creates a delicate embroidered effect that produces an elegant look as necklaces, cuffs, bracelets and rings.

For colourful flowers, look no further than Bulgari with its Mediterranean Eden collection. Some of the rings in yellow gold have petals of different coloured gemstones in purple, pink, turquoise and lime green with a pave of diamonds.

Dior reveals some fantastic pieces that conjure feelings of romance and beauty.

Designer Victoire de Castellane pays homage to Christian Dior's favourite flower and says the rose 'was the personification of the couture house's first clients; women looking for unique dresses to go to the most extravagant balls'.

As a result, she has created pieces where 'the petals of these Dior roses are delicate fabrics with all the softness of satin, while the stones in which they are set are the glorious embroideries embellishing them'.

In the Bal de L'Opera necklace, there is a gorgeous flower of red and pink spinels, rubellites and rubies hanging from a stem and leaves of diamonds.

Finally, Georg Jensen takes the floral theme to a fruity level with a bunch of grapes as the Scandinavian brand's inspiration for its latest collection.

The idea came from the early 1900s, when Jensen travelled to Italy and was entranced by the antique grape motifs found on Roman silver bowls.

All the pieces are made of sterling silver with either amethyst or black agate accents on its cocktail rings, pendants, necklaces and earrings.