Jewellery APRIL 2019 : ISSUE 95
A Sacred Allure Indicative of its high jewellery prowess, the Guarani collection by Akillis is a gateway to understanding the maison’s avant-garde energy
T
he Paraíba tourmaline is a cultural gem of South America – a rare and enigmatic Brazilian find – and when Caroline Gaspard was renewing her vows on honeymoon in the region, she also had her heart captured by this particular gift from nature. “We went on a world tour, getting re-married eight times,” the founder of jewellery maison Akillis explains. “I’m fascinated with tribal jewels and I wanted to add an ethnic stone to our high jewellery collection.” The resulting suite – created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Gaspard’s jewellery house, which she formed in 2008 – is the Guarani collection, inspired by the Amazonian art of the Guarani tribe. Its focal point is a supple tribal necklace bejwelled with 180 lagoon blue Paraíba stones that, when mounted on white gold with white diamonds, evoke a ‘floating’ effect. “The suite is the perfect addition to the Akillis family,” explains Gaspard. “Not only is the Paraíba tourmaline known for its beauty, it’s one of the most sought-after gems in the world, due to its rarity. The necklace I created is very pure and you have the impression that every circular row is literally flying in weightlessness on the skin.” For the maison, sources of inspiration can often be historic (even the name itself is influenced
by Greek mythology, and Achilles). Yet at just over a decade old, it is relatively young; Gaspard herself was born in 1981. As the majestic, totem-esque Guarani collection implies with its distinctive colour and cut, this is not your grandmother’s antique-producing company. “High jewellery is becoming more accessible and wearable, and we have steered away from ‘jewellery in a safety box’, only to be worn for special occasions scenario that we used to see so often,” Gaspard enlightens. “Jewellery buyers are younger and are looking for bolder designs, that still represent luxury and beauty. New generations are looking for smaller pieces that you can wear and accumulate every day.” Young, feminine, successful… the brand, then, is somewhat forged in her own image. “As part of this segment myself, I created Akillis because I wanted to provide something that catered to this request, and to my vision of how high jewellery should look,” she adds. Gaspard’s fascination with gems and jewellery was ingrained from a young age. “As a child, I was somewhat surrounded by jewellery. First of all, my mother always had a real passion for precious stones, and a family friend worked in the diamond industry and always brought beautiful stones to our home. It became the perfect game
All images: The Guarani high jewellery collection 39
