https://www.scmp.com/rss/514205/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com The luxury jewellery industry may most often celebrate the continued use of time-honoured craftsmanship, but 3D design and printing technologies are becoming commonplace too. Boucheron’s forward-thinking Contemplation collection, for example, included an extraordinary necklace that used a mathematical algorithm to suspend diamonds in a cloudlike structure. Contemplation was followed by the maison’s rainbow-inspired Holographique line, influenced by Icelandic-Danish artist Olafur Eliasson and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3205435/3d-printing-next-big-thing-high-jewellery-tiffany-co-lvmh-owned-bulgari-boucheron-and-boghossian?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3205435/3d-printing-next-big-thing-high-jewellery-tiffany-co-lvmh-owned-bulgari-boucheron-and-boghossian?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 03 Jan 2023 09:48:40 +0000 New jewellery pieces start out as personal treasures, chosen for personal reasons. Only certain of them may they be passed down to the next generation, having become especially loved or meaningful. But while a prospective heirloom doesn’t have to be a high jewellery item for it be cherished, it can be a savvy move to see a piece also as an asset to invest in for the next generation. “If something is to be considered an heirloom, it should possess sentimental value, the actual value is less... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3204945/how-choose-jewellery-pass-next-generation-rarity-sentimental-value-and-provenance-are-important?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3204945/how-choose-jewellery-pass-next-generation-rarity-sentimental-value-and-provenance-are-important?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 01 Jan 2023 08:00:13 +0000 If you own luxury jewellery, chances are you have a signature piece – an Alhambra necklace from Van Cleef & Arpels, a Cartier Love bangle or a Trinity ring – and brands are careful to keep freshening up these icons for the next generation. The panther has been Cartier’s spirit animal for close to a century. Over the years, Cartier has captured the feline in various poses using gold and an array of precious stones. One of the most iconic pieces of panther jewellery from the house was a brooch... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3204931/how-most-iconic-jewellery-brands-reinvent-signature-pieces-chanels-new-lion-necklace-and-cartiers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3204931/how-most-iconic-jewellery-brands-reinvent-signature-pieces-chanels-new-lion-necklace-and-cartiers?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 31 Dec 2022 08:00:11 +0000 Couture is an endless source of inspiration for jewellery designers: beautiful laces, feminine bows, drapery and sassy fringes that bring lots of movement to a jewel are as integral a part of the designers’ language as the natural world. Unsurprisingly, it is the heritage that plays a key influence on the high jewellery collections from couture maisons Dior and Chanel, especially for Victoire de Castellane, director of Dior Joaillerie. In her last few high jewellery collections, she explored... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3204781/how-haute-couture-inspiring-new-high-jewellery-collections-dior-and-chanel-van-cleef-arpels-legends?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3204781/how-haute-couture-inspiring-new-high-jewellery-collections-dior-and-chanel-van-cleef-arpels-legends?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Dec 2022 02:00:09 +0000 Oval-, pear- or square-cut gems seem clear enough, but what would you expect from a trilliant, trapezoid or tapered baguette cut? These are just three of the lesser-known treatments being applied to stones by designers looking to amp up and differentiate their work. High jewellery collections unveiled during the summer revealed plenty of familiar shapes. But we also saw a revival for the vintage marquise, a cut that dates back to the 18th century, with a beautiful elliptical shape and less... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3204371/bored-oval-and-pear-shaped-diamonds-high-jewellery-houses-cartier-and-chaumet-are-going-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3204371/bored-oval-and-pear-shaped-diamonds-high-jewellery-houses-cartier-and-chaumet-are-going-beyond?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Dec 2022 02:00:11 +0000 For centuries, the crafting of jewellery has remained consistent. The wooden work bench with the leather pouch to catch a straying gemstone and the various specialist tools would be as familiar to a Renaissance or Georgian-era jeweller as they are to someone working in the ateliers of Place Vendôme today. Similarly, the gemstones themselves are the same, but when it comes to other materials used, there’s a quiet technical revolution going on in the use of new metal alloys, colourful coatings and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3203800/gold-getting-old-how-high-jewellers-fell-cheaper-metals-and-bolder-colours-titanium-chopard-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3203800/gold-getting-old-how-high-jewellers-fell-cheaper-metals-and-bolder-colours-titanium-chopard-and?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Dec 2022 05:45:08 +0000 Stone cutting is one of the most intricate crafts in jewellery making. The job of a cutter is to identify a gem’s imperfections and choose a cut that will maximise the 4Cs: cut, clarity, colour and carats. A good gem cutter can both minimise a stone’s flaws and enhance the intensity of its sparkle by strategically placing facets. Even the slightest mistake can impact the value and beauty of a stone. The value of a gemstone is not defined solely by its carats – recutting an old mine or vintage... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3203569/inside-intricate-craft-stone-cutting-every-high-jewellery-house-fancies-different-cut-graffs-love?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3203569/inside-intricate-craft-stone-cutting-every-high-jewellery-house-fancies-different-cut-graffs-love?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Dec 2022 08:17:12 +0000 Pink diamonds have long been associated with love, romance and femininity. This, plus their great rarity, has given them revered status in the world of fancy coloured diamonds – just consider the flurry of bids from around the world when one appeared at auction in Hong Kong this autumn. It didn’t hurt that it was the Williamson Pink Star, “one of the purest, pinkest diamonds”, according to Sotheby’s. The 11.15-carat stone fetched an eye-watering US$57.7 million in October. But no one seemed... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3201704/why-are-pink-diamonds-so-popular-multimillion-dollar-sales-sothebys-williamson-pink-star-and-harry?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3201704/why-are-pink-diamonds-so-popular-multimillion-dollar-sales-sothebys-williamson-pink-star-and-harry?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 02 Dec 2022 01:00:14 +0000 David Ho David Ho In October, a bidding frenzy at Sotheby’s Hong Kong saw one of the purest and most saturated pink diamonds in the world sell for a price of US$57.7 million (HK$453.2 million). The well-attended live auction for the 11.15-carat Williamson Pink Star set a record price per carat for any diamond or gemstone at auction, according to Sotheby’s. It is also the second most valuable jewel or gemstone ever sold at an auction. “Coloured diamonds continue to see a robust performance this year due to their... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3201657/what-hong-kongs-jewellery-investment-outlook-2023-williamson-pink-star-and-de-beers-blue-sold?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3201657/what-hong-kongs-jewellery-investment-outlook-2023-williamson-pink-star-and-de-beers-blue-sold?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 01 Dec 2022 06:27:07 +0000 Hollywood is awash with glitz and glamour, only heightened by the ornate high jewellery with its dazzling diamonds and other precious gemstones. Perhaps the most famous association between the silver screen and the world of high jewellery was established in 1961 with the release of Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Audrey Hepburn wore the now-iconic Tiffany Diamond in the film’s promotional images, the 128.54-carat yellow diamond set into a necklace. Hepburn is one of just four women to have worn the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3201389/how-high-jewellery-became-permanent-fixture-hollywood-beyonce-and-lady-gaga-have-worn-audrey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3201389/how-high-jewellery-became-permanent-fixture-hollywood-beyonce-and-lady-gaga-have-worn-audrey?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Nov 2022 08:19:42 +0000 Crown jewels are the pinnacle of craftsmanship and the maisons lucky enough to be commissioned to create new wonders delve deep into their archives for sufficiently glorious inspiration. “The Windsor motif is a repeated pattern of round and geometric diamonds, which is seen in several of our signature collections, including Albemarle and Fanfare,” said Sara Prentice, creative director of Garrard. The motif, she added, was inspired by the Girls of Great Britain and Ireland tiara, one of the most... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3200822/inside-history-between-crown-jewels-and-luxury-brands-queen-elizabeth-and-princess-diana-inspired?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3200822/inside-history-between-crown-jewels-and-luxury-brands-queen-elizabeth-and-princess-diana-inspired?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Nov 2022 08:00:15 +0000 Feel the traditional white diamond engagement ring is a touch staid? If a colourless stone just doesn’t capture your colourful personalities, there’s no reason you can’t go against convention and go for a gemstone that better hews to your style. You’ll find high jewellery brands are now more creative than ever, with a smorgasbord of choices outside the conventional engagement ring category that could be just the thing to grace your loved ones finger. “We see coloured gems becoming more popular... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3200724/colourful-gems-wear-alternative-engagement-ring-skip-traditional-white-diamonds-unique-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3200724/colourful-gems-wear-alternative-engagement-ring-skip-traditional-white-diamonds-unique-wedding?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 23 Nov 2022 09:42:36 +0000