Chaumet's Skies – a jewellery collection

The House of Chaumet, established in 1780, has launched a new collection of fine jewellery, called “Chaumet's Skies.” The curators explain the collection ‘from Van Gogh's swirling suns to Turner's flaking skies, to the wading birds of Japanese prints, the sky has always inspired the most beautiful creations.’ The jewellery has images of the sun, stars, crescent moon, rays of light, and birds.

The four-chapter celebration includes: (1) the whims of the sky, (2) the colours of the sky, (3) the flashes of the sky, and (4) the inhabitants of the sky.

The whims of the sky: ‘In the stormy sky, the rays pass through the clouds and offer, for a moment, a unique colour to the landscape. Inspired by this changing wind-swept sky, the Storm Lights necklace blends the colours of sapphires, amethysts, tanzanites and an exceptional imperial 37.68-carat topaz. The storm passes, the clouds are gold, revealing the brightness of Sri Lanka's golden yellow sapphires.’

The colour of the sky: ‘Sun of fire, the colours of heaven reveal the many facets of the king of the stars. The piece, Soleil de Feu, recreates the intensity of the sun, showing all the shades of the spinels of Tanzania and Vietnam ranging from blue to red, through to greens and yellows.’

The flashes of the sky: ‘The Fulgurances of Heaven has a motif that has been present for more than 200 years in the House of Chaumet's creations—the star. The star is designed with diamonds like a star-studded waterfall. Australia's exceptional black opals and trails of pastel tourmalines also adorn one piece of jewellery.’

The inhabitants of the sky: ‘Rare birds embody an aerial grace and make the imagination come alive with tsavorite green garnets from Africa like birds of paradise, swallows, and swifts like a haiku poem. Their ballet is enhanced by pink or yellow diamonds and sapphires in a tribute to Japanese prints.’

MARTINA NICOLLSis an international aid and development consultant, and the authorof:- Similar But Different in the Animal Kingdom(2017), The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).

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