88 JEWELLERY & WATCHES
LE JARDIN DE CHAUMET
Since its creation more than two centuries ago , the Maison ’ s story has been written in complete harmony with nature .
The High Jewellery collection Le Jardin de Chaumet perpetuates this inspired exchange through a highly evocative and poetic promenade . Devised as four chapters , Le Jardin de Chaumet invites one to ramble through the undergrowth , walk between the flowers and out into the fields , while giving the imagination free rein to wander before bouquets from around the world .
No sooner had he established his workshop , in 1780 , than Marie-Étienne Nitot started signing his letters with the words “ naturalist jeweller ”. An indelible aspect of the Maison ’ s identity ever since ,
this deep and intimate connection has continued to imbue High Jewellery pieces with a unanimously acknowledged poetry . To compose this unique garden , the design studio gathered species from all over the world in a fusion of landscapes and seasons . Rich in a fascination for the faraway , the collection cultivates a creativity shaped by tireless curiosity .
Abounding in new challenges for the 12 Vendôme workshop , the sixty-eight pieces in the Le Jardin de Chaumet collection root plants within the graceful realms of High Jewellery . Exceptional stones adorn the various parures in homage to this nature , which is as inspiring as it is a source of gems . Meticulously chosen for the emotion it expresses , each one is enhanced by the elegance of a large-facet French cut . Taking their cues from heritage styles , some diamonds feature an 8 / 8 cut with 17 facets , which can be considered the ancestor to the brilliant cut . In honour of these remarkable stones , the craftspeople have redoubled their inventiveness , sculpting gold into lace or graphic petals , combining the most daring settings and conceiving clasps that are as clever as they are invisible . This new testament to savoir-faire affirms a Chaumet signature : transformable pieces . Continuously created throughout the Maison ’ s history , these examples correspond to contemporary desires , and can be worn in a wide variety of ways . In Le Jardin de Chaumet , the pieces ’ narrative expression plays with volume . With a realism taken from life , the plants exude a vibrant and majestic reading of nature . The collection ’ s naturalistic precision is matched only by its lightness , with pieces that look as if they are being caressed by the wind .
CHAPTER 1 - WOODS & UNDERGROWTH
The journey begins in the woods and their lush undergrowth where the humblest species , such as mistletoe and fern , rub shoulders with majestic trees . In this first chapter , the symbolism of these memory-imbued plants merges with the meticulousness of the Maison ’ s renowned botanical perspective .
Gui Composed of seven pieces , the parure delicately distils the powerful symbolism of the mistletoe . A necklace formed of a
THE ART OF LUXURY Issue 60 2023