Already renowned for her Haute Couture creations and fanciful jewelry, the legendary designer who considerated diamonds as “the highest value in the smallest volume”, set her sights on them in the 30s. “Bijoux de Diamants”; thus was christened, in November 1932, the first High Jewelry collection created by Gabrielle Chanel, who was utterly avant-garde and possessed the gift of understanding women so perfectly.
Presented at the hotel Rohan-Montbazon at 29 rue du Faubourg-Saint-Honoré in Paris, the heavens came to earth that day in the form of precious stones – a volume that at times reached 79 carats – dazzling in the unity of its colors, the simplicity of its shapes, and able to be admired on wax mannequins. Yet another revolution set off by Coco Chanel. On the menu were majestic pieces including a necklace with no closing fastener- Comète– destined to encircle many a neck. A new gateway to freedom, coinciding perfectly with Chanel’s vision of woman: emancipated, freed, liberated.
Unfortunately, the world wasn’t prepared for a couturier creating High Jewelry in such an unseen environment of economic crisis, and the exposition caused a scandal. Mademoiselle Chanel was forced to renounce her art and desert her jeweled creations one by one. And to think, all she ever wanted was simply to “cover women in constellations. In stars! In stars of all dimensions”. Stars taken from the Parisian night sky and brought right down to the Champs Elysées.
80 years later: 80 astral pieces. The collection “Bijoux de Diamants”, revisited by the double-C design House and rechristened 1932 just for the occasion, is once more pushing the boundaries of indescribable. Sticking with the same theme, 1932‘s creations are available in a variety of shapes: comets, ribbons, suns, stars. The Comète necklace has been reborn as the Étoile filante, with 85.5 carats of diamonds composing long chains attached to a single central star. Detachable, sparkling with purity, it hangs down wherever your heart desires. Fluidity, flexibility, simplicity: in short, creations that border on perfection. One thing is certain: Leo the Lion, Gabrielle’s zodiac sign, favorite animal and latest addition to this dreamy collection, is watching over you. Ready to unleash its roar.
Leave a Reply