The inspiration for Hermès’ new high jewellery collection exists within the structure and mechanisms of the human anatomy, resulting in a range of pieces that form a luxurious second skin on different parts of the body. Lignes Sensibles is the sixth in a series of novel concepts envisioned by Pierre Hardy, creative director of jewellery for the French maison. He last created a stir in the jewellery world in 2019 with the Enchaînements Libres collection, comprising bold, chain-themed pieces that the designer imagined as a metaphorical link with one’s body. With his latest set of jewellery creations for Hermès, Hardy has now made a direct, intimate connection. “The whole collection resembles a caress,” he says. “The necklaces are as soft as arms around the neck. I wanted the rings, too, to be one with the body, and not simply a gemstone placed on a finger.” Lignes Sensibles, which translates from French as “sensitive lines”, is divided into five parts. The pieces are made with gems that match skin tones and eye colours, and lines that emulate the forms and systems of the body. “I love that the body holds so much symmetry; it is a wealth of mechanisms and articulations,” Hardy says. “The jewellery that I create attempts to bring to the surface these inherent facets of the human body, and to exalt them.” Here’s how that vision took shape in each part of the collection. À l’écoute The distinctive necklace from this line resembles a stethoscope. Hardy drew inspiration from objects used to listen to the body as he sought a way to translate the inner workings of the human anatomy. “I like the idea that you can choose a different anatomy, reinvent an intimate sensory system, like a wave that is made visible and given form by jewellery,” he says. The À l’écoute necklace is made of rose gold set with pavé diamonds, which accent a blue-grey sapphire cabochon, a trio of green-yellow prehnites, tourmalines in varied colours and sizes, and two brilliant-cut diamonds. Other highlights of the line include statement pieces for the hand. A prominent ring with a 33.5-carat green-yellow prehnite cabochon is surrounded by light brown and white diamonds, in pavé-set rose gold. The uniquely designed hand jewellery piece is both a ring and a bracelet, linked together by a diamond-studded chain. Gemstones including black jade, blue and green tourmalines, and a yellow-orange citrine are set on a rose-gold frame that slips over the back of the hand like a glove. Ondes Miroirs This line is defined by brown diamonds, a favourite colour for Hermès jewellery pieces. The statement necklace is a rose-gold, pavé-set collar with black rhodium plating and accents of yellow-orange topaz and cream moonstone, which unfurls into long chains of brown diamonds around a black jade cabochon. Another necklace features a 76.4-carat cream moonstone cabochon that can be detached to wear as a brooch. It is paired with a black jade teardrop and is again in pavé-set rose gold with black rhodium plating, which adds extra definition to the piece. A matching cream moonstone ring completes the set. Hermès Réseau Lumière While rose gold is predominantly used across the Lignes Sensibles collection, the Hermès Reseau Lumiere line brightens the palette with white gold and luminous white diamonds. The colourful necklace is reminiscent of the circulatory system, with flowing lines of gems comprising 356 sapphires in graduated shades of green-blue, purple, yellow-orange and pastel pink. A pavé diamond solo earring forms a glimmering outline of the ear’s contours, leading down to two dangling pear-cut white diamonds. The white quartz cabochon brooch emulates a badge of honour, accented by a chain of diamonds, a grey moonstone and a light brown diamond. The line also includes a statement ring featuring a two-carat, brilliant-cut brown diamond paired with a one-carat, cushion-cut pink diamond and a smaller brown-pink diamond, all set on a framework of white gold set with pavé white and light brown diamonds. Contre la Peau This part of the collection is defined by one dramatic jewellery piece – a collar necklace made with 867 brilliant-cut white diamonds totalling 45.3 carats, set in a rose gold latticework. The intricate design was made to lie on the skin like a shimmering lace fabric, settling into the contours of the neck and collarbones. “By working with meshing, we sought to create a fabric in metal,” Hardy explains. “And we discovered that we had created the microscopic structure of skin, with its triangular micro-wrinkles. … It just happened by feeling, the sense of a second skin.” Hermès Faire Corps The cuff shape serves as a theme for the Hermès Faire Corps line. Its centrepiece is a cuff bracelet made of satin-brushed rose gold set with a trio of rutilated quartz cabochons, pink quartz and an orange moonstone. While this bracelet looks heavy, it sits lightly on the wrist, with an organic design that complements the bone structure. Another version of this jewellery piece is covered in pavé brown diamonds. The rings have been designed as miniature versions of the bracelet, made to gently hug the finger with pavé-set brown diamonds in rose gold. One ring is set with a nine-carat black jade cabochon, while another features a 5.75-carat pink quartz cabochon. The resulting aesthetic is strength infused with elegance.