JEWELLERY NEWS Words:
Zoe Gunn and Annabel Harrison
Tiaras and Maharajahs
Déferlante tiara POA, chaumet.com
The traditional home of high jewellery, the Place Vendôme is also the address of choice for the select few houses capable of crafting creations worthy of the title. Featuring the finest craftsmanship and most flawless stones, many of these typically-unique designs are snapped up within days of being released (despite sixfigure price tags). Building on the success of 2021’s Torsade de Chaumet collection, the Déferlante collection takes its cues from the Wavescroll tiara, designed by founder Joseph Chaumet, circa 1900. The highlight of the eight-piece collection is a dazzling tiara (above), which features 1,600 brilliant and step-cut diamonds in a design based on an archival drawing of a fountain. Just as couture collections often hark back to signature silhouettes and fabrics of a fashion house, so too do designers delve into the history of jewellery maisons. In 1928, Bhupinder Singh, the Maharajah of Patiala, visited Paris, taking over 35 suites at The Ritz. Jewellers waited with bated breath to see which boutique he would favour before he stepped into Boucheron and placed the largest order in the Place Vendôme’s history: 149 custom pieces to be exact. With the New Maharajahs collection, centred around diamonds, emeralds and pearls, Boucheron pays homage to this remarkable moment. New Maharajahs Padma earring, POA, boucheron.com
