Luminous, Light-as-air Precious Lace Collection By Chopard

With its intricate all-diamond jewels, Chopard‘s Precious Lace Collection is a fascinating dialogue between strength and fragility, substance and delicacy; between the eternal brilliance of the diamond and the ethereal weightlessness of a lace-like jewel floating over the skin, hovering between Haute Couture and Haute Joaillerie. This jewellery line is light, lyrical and supremely feminine, as well as unmistakably Chopard in its effortless design and mastery of craft skills.

Just as the collection plays with diamond light and lightness, with shape and form and space, so the theme itself plays with concepts of preciousness, and with the fusion of jewels and fabric, as well as the relationship between Haute Joaillerie and Haute Couture. The art of lacemaking was perfected in 16th century Venice, from where it spread across Europe to centres in Belgium, France, Spain and England, taking on different characteristics, in different styles. Lace, so meticulously and skilfully hand-made, was prized as a rich adornment to costume, for collars, cuffs, caps and ruffles, worn by royalty and nobility. It was thus regarded as a much-treasured, valuable possession particularly by the great Renaissance rulers, including Elizabeth I. Like jewels and gems, lace thus became a symbol of status and power.

In these jewels, the effect of exquisite hand-made lace is re-created by the interplay of pear-shaped and round brilliant-cut diamonds, using their shapes and their silhouettes within the openwork space in each design, to bring a lilting rhythm, playful fluidity and contemporary stylisation to the essential classicism of the theme.

With the new Precious Lace jewels, all hand-crafted in Chopard’s Haute Joaillerie ateliers using ethical gold and diamonds sourced from Responsible Jewellery Council certified members. The designs echo the floral patterns, scrolls, swirls and scalloped edges of fine antique lace. The central design feature of the Precious Lace Collection – a rhythmic, undulating gold and diamond-set curl enclosing an unfurling line of pear-shaped diamonds – is now presented in miniaturised form through four designs.

The first is a “Vague” motif whose proportions evoke foaming sea billows and is interpreted as a pair of earrings, a pendant and a ring.

“Vague” ring in ethical 18-carat gold set with pear-shaped and brilliant-cut diamonds (totalling 1.32ct).

The stylised flower pattern named “Mini-Froufrou”, with its scalloped borders and pear-shaped diamond petals on an airy openwork background, adorns a ring, earrings, pendant and bangle.