Latest news with #Chaumet
South China Morning Post
5 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Into the blue: why brands from Dior to Chaumet and Giorgio B are falling for tanzanite, a gemstone from the hills of Mount Kilimanjaro first made famous by Tiffany & Co. in the 60s
A precious, deep blue gemstone is increasingly captivating jewellery designers. Tanzanite was first discovered in 1967 by Maasai herders in Tanzania's Merelani Hills near Mount Kilimanjaro and is still the world's only known source, meaning the stone remains very rare. Tanzanite was given its name by Tiffany & Co. – the first jeweller to market it – and the brand commanded a monopoly on the stone until the 1980s. Now, this vivid, blue-violet hued gem is animating collections from Dior to Chaumet, Pomellato to Mouawad, and even those of avant-garde creators Hemmerle and Giorgio B. Mouawad's Venus bangle features a tanzanite and pearl on a band of diamond-set white gold. Photo: Handout Advertisement Part of its allure is its more affordable price compared to sapphire, but the clarity and large carat sizes in which the stones are available add to their appeal. The price of unheated Kashmir and Sri Lankan sapphires is rising inexorably. A polished royal blue sapphire from Sri Lanka costs just under US$5,000 per carat, whereas a loose stone or a Kashmiri gem are too rare to consider for most. A necklace set with a lot of sapphires has suddenly become a very expensive item – and jewellers are rethinking their options. Dior's new high jewellery collection, Diorexquis, features a tanzanite parure with a 7.58-carat oval-cut tanzanite centre stone on a floral necklace and 4.84-carat tanzanite ring. There are also several voluminous tanzanite rings in Chaumet's high jewellery range; Pomellato has added it to their Nudo collection; and Mouawad's Venus collection pairs the stone with a pearl on a bangle, ring and earrings. Hemmerle earrings featuring tanzanite set in amaranth wood and anodised aluminium. Photo: Handout Meanwhile, Tanzanite's electrifying hue and volume brings a fresh energy to Munich-based Hemmerle's time-honoured metalwork, mounted in tonally complementary amaranth wood and anodised aluminium earrings for a very contemporary look. 'High quality tanzanite typically offers excellent clarity, enabling bold cuts that showcase its depth of colour,' explains Yasmin Hemmerle, who co-designs the collection with her husband Christian. 'Beyond its physical beauty, tanzanite carries a narrative of discovery, wonder and emotional resonance that aligns with Hemmerle's ethos of crafting intimate and contemporary heirlooms to be enjoyed every day.' After setting a 19.52 carat tanzanite in a curvaceous bombé ring last year, Giorgio Bulgari – founder of Geneva's Giorgio B and scion of the Bulgari jewellery family – became so bewitched by the stone's midnight blue colour that he spent months trying to create the perfect blue in titanium to match the gem. 'I couldn't find a metal to set it in that would look good, there was too much of a contrast, and then I started anodising titanium until I found a colour that would match the tanzanite tone on tone,' he says. This one-of-a-kind ring sparked an equally rare addition to Giorgio B's Palma collection, a show-stopping ring of blue titanium set with an emerald cut tanzanite that debuts this month. Advertisement
The Star
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Make the right choice – the right jewellery can elevate your entire look
Consisting of a lightweight range of pieces, the Venetian Princess Titanium collection blends modernity with grace. Photo: Roberto Coin The finishing touch to every ensemble is the jewellery, and the right pieces can elevate your entire look. Whether it's for a swanky dinner party or daily wear, have a gander at these gorgeous selections. The Bee de Chaumet bracelet from Chaumet in yellow gold with pave, brilliant-cut diamonds is the perfect choice for an evening soiree. Its finish contributes to the realistic look of the insect, with the bee's body meticulously engraved to showcase the motif and evoke its fluffy coat. Featuring a fixed infinity symbol and heart pendant, this jewellery symbolises the power of unbreakable bonds. Photo: Pandora Burberry's EKD Sphere Bracelet features a B charm and spheres engraved with the Equestrian Knight design and Burberry lettering. A great choice for daily wear, the chain-link bracelet is made from brass with gold plating. Pandora's Sparkling Infinity Heart Collier Necklace has two variations: gold plated and sterling silver. With an openwork heart with stones along the edge of the motif and an asymmetrical infinity symbol, this piece symbolises the power of unbreakable bonds. Read more: If you've got it, flaunt it! Statement collars are certainly in fashion Roberto Coin's Venetian Princess from the Titanium collection blends modernity and grace with bold titanium petals softened with accents of gold and diamonds. This range of lightweight pieces have been produced in shades of gold with an array of different decorations. Pure white petals are crafted in mother-of-pearl, black, shiny petals are made of black jade, while green petals come from malachite and the others are decorated with the blue of lapis lazuli. The first chapter of Chopard's Insofu Collection debuted last year, and in 2025, its new chapter features 15 exquisite pieces, with each jewel reflecting a different facet of the Insofu Emerald's character. Art Deco-inspired chokers, long necklaces, statement cuffs, rings, and earrings are created from an uncut emerald, which shows the brand's commitment to traceability and its collaboration with the initial stages of the supply chain.
Fashion United
21-05-2025
- Business
- Fashion United
Chaumet commits to gold traceability
As a source of inspiration, fertile ground for creativity, and provider of treasures, nature has been at the heart of French jewellery house Chaumet's identity since its founding over 240 years ago. Having benefited from its wealth, the house is proud to return the favour by investing in nature conservation and continuously deepening its commitment to this cause. Focused on the present and attentive to the challenges of tomorrow, it has increased its initiatives over the years, registering its social and environmental responsibility policy in the LIFE 360 programme, driven by the LVMH group. Credits: Chaumet These initiatives include a partnership with the organisation Reforest'Action, transporting boutique decor by boat, and managing the house's carbon footprint, especially through installing smart meters and low-energy light bulbs in all boutiques. Furthermore, Chaumet is committed to adopting a responsible approach to the sourcing and traceability of its raw materials, while continuing its efforts to reduce the carbon impact of its packaging and actively incorporating environmental stewardship into its facilities through ISO 14001 certification. Ambitious and confident, these initiatives demonstrate how Chaumet's meaningful items are much more than jewellery, and how people and nature are at the heart of all its projects and creations. Credits: Chaumet Latest initiative: guaranteeing gold traceability in all its collections, starting in 2025 with a new Bee de Chaumet pendant.
Indian Express
30-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
The story of Golconda Blue, and of India's once-legendary diamonds in Golconda
Christie's has pulled the 23.24 carat Golconda Blue, 'the largest Fancy Vivid Blue Diamond ever to be offered at auction' after 'the owners…made the decision to pursue a sale of the diamond to a family member'. The diamond, according to the British auction house 'among the rarest and most important…ever discovered throughout history', had been expected to fetch $35 million to $50 million at an auction in Geneva on May 14. Diamonds, the hardest of naturally occurring substances, are composed entirely of carbon, and formed under great heat and pressure below the Earth's surface. Their rarity, difficulty in extracting them, and the skill required to cut and polish them for jewellery, have historically made diamonds exclusive and expensive. What is the Golconda Blue? According to Christie's, the blue diamond belonged to Yeshwant Rao Holkar (1908-62), the Maharaja of Indore, who, along with his wife Sanyogitabai Devi, often collected paintings, jewellery, and other fine goods in Europe. In 1923, Yeshwant Rao's father visited the French luxury jewellery company Chaumet to commission a diamond bracelet set with the 23-carat, pear-shaped Golconda Blue. A decade later, Yeshwant Rao commissioned the French brand Mauboussin to set the gem in a necklace that was later worn by his wife. In 1947, the American jeweller Harry Winston bought the blue diamond, sold it briefly to the Maharaja of Baroda, reacquired it, and sold it to the current owner, whom Christie's did not name. The gems of India Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, listed other Golconda diamonds auctioned by them, such as the 78.54 carat Archduke Joseph. Some of the world's most famous diamonds, such as the Koh-i-Noor and the pale pink Darya-i-Nur, were mined in Golconda. According to Christie's, the West's enduring fascination with diamonds began after Alexander brought back the gems to Europe from India in 327 BC. The Venetian Marco Polo wrote in 1292: 'No country but India produces diamonds. Those which are brought to our part of the world are only the refuse, as it were, of the finer and larger stones… In truth they (India) possess all the treasures of the world.' In his book, Diamonds: An Early History of the King of Gems (2018), the British jewellery historian Jack Ogden wrote that until the 1600s, India was by far the most important, if not the only, source of diamonds for the Mediterranean and European worlds. It is difficult to ascertain the exact date when the Golconda trade began, but there are records of Chinese, Filipino, Arab, and Jewish traders looking to India for the gems. Indian diamond markets included Ahmedabad and Goa, and although the stone was also mined in places such as the Panna diamond belt in Madhya Pradesh, Golconda remained the major trading centre, mentioned by travellers throughout history. The French merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier (1605-89) wrote that diamond mining in the Golconda district grew at an explosive rate in the mid-17th century. At the Kollur mine, 60,000 diggers and washers were employed. The French traveller Jean de Thévenot (1633-77) noted there was no uniformity in diamond prices, and the king at the time established a monopoly in mining. 'The French Catholic physician Gabriel Dellon, who traveled to India in the late 1660s, noted, 'Suratte (Surat) is a place of great Commerce; Their Diamonds are brought thither out of the Kingdom of Golconda',' Ogden wrote. Dimming allure The discovery of diamonds in Brazil in the 18th century eclipsed India's industry, Ogden wrote. 'It is noted that the output of Indian diamonds in the century or so prior to the discovery of the diamonds in Brazil has been estimated at anything between about 5,000 and 50,000 carats a year. The 1731 fleet from Brazil to Portugal is supposed to have carried no less than 100,000 carats; two years later it was 300,000,' he said. Today, Africa, Australia, and Russia are some of the key players in the diamond industry. In the world of jewellery, gold is seen as a better alternative with value as a long-term investment. 'Blood diamonds', mined in conflict zones or using child labour, have dimmed their shine. Lab-grown diamonds have emerged as a cheaper and more ethical alternative. And yet, as Christie's noted: 'It is Golconda diamonds — with their incomparable quality, mystery and romance, sought by royal houses all over the world — which still reign supreme among gem connoisseurs.'
Indian Express
28-04-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
The Golconda Blue Diamond withdrawn from auction
Days before it was to come under the hammer at a Christie's sale in Geneva on May 14, the Golconda Blue — the largest known vivid blue diamond, with Indian origins — has been withdrawn from the auction. Its owner has, reportedly, decided to sell it within the family. The highlight of the Christie's Magnificent Jewels sale, the 23.24 carat pear-shaped diamond, once belonged to Yeshwant Rao Holkar, the Maharaja of Indore. In 1923, his father had commissioned the French luxury jewellery house Chaumet to set it in a diamond bracelet. In the '30s, Yeshwant Rao appointed jewellery company Mauboussin to put it in a necklace with Indore Pears, a piece that was also worn by the Maharani of Indore for a portrait by French artist Bernard Boutet. Sanyogitabai Devi of Indore (1914-1937), H.H. The Maharani of Indore painted by Bernard Boutet de Monvel in 1934 (courtesy: Christie's) In the 1940s, American luxury jeweller Harry Winston purchased the diamond and reportedly set it with another 23-carat white diamond in a brooch and sold it to the then Maharaja of Baroda, from whom he bought it back and resold it to its current owner, who has now set it in a ring by jewellery designer Joel Arthur Rosenthal (known as 'JAR'). According to a release issued by Christie's, 'The legacy of Golconda diamonds begins with a reference found in a 4th-century Sanskrit manuscript. In 327 BC, Alexander the Great brought diamonds from India to Europe, sparking the West's enduring fascination with these rare gems. By 1292 AD, Marco Polo famously chronicled the captivating beauty of Indian diamonds in his travel writings. The Golgonda Blue, a Fancy vivid blue pear shaped diamond of 23.24 carats, setting by JAR, estimate $35- 50 million (courtesy: Christie's) In the release, Rahul Kadakia, Christie's International Head of Jewellery, states: 'Exceptional noble gems of this calibre come to market once in a lifetime. Throughout its 259-year history, Christie's has offered some of the world's most important Golconda diamonds, including the Archduke Joseph, the Princie, and the Wittelsbach. With its royal heritage, extraordinary colour, and exceptional size, The Golconda Blue is truly one of the rarest blue diamonds in the world.'
