Story | Connie Li Photography | John Taylor, Dianne Dubler
Frédéric Zaavy (Oct 9, 1964-Sept 15, 2011), was a high jewellery designer from France and the first master of the Russian royal jewellery house Fabergé when it reopened in 2009. The Iris brooch, the Nympheas bracelet, the Seahorse brooch, the Space ring, the Ribbon Series and The Legend Series, were just some of his masterpieces.
Lisa Chen was Frédéric Zaavy’s professional and personal partner.They met in the U.S. in 1992 through their mutual interest in gemstones. Zaavy returned to Paris in 1993, but maintained the relationship by shuttling between Paris and Taiwan. In 1999, their son was born.
The artistic journey of renowned French jewellery designer Frédéric Zaavy is finally told in Stardust, a new book by Gilles Hertzog, John Taylor and Dianne Dubler. EliteGen recently spoke to the late designer’s professional and life partner, Lisa Chen, to find out more about Zaavy’s legendary works.
Zaavy once said: “To me there are two very important things: colour and light. The connection between colour and light is impression. I want to create examples of impressionism.” No surprise that his Nymphéa bracelet was inspired by Monet’s famous impressionistic Water Lilies paintings. Osther vivid designs like his Iris bracelet and Millennium flower brooch have had lasting impact.
The Nymphéas bracelet (right), inspired by Monet’s Water Lilies series, has 5,000 stones, including multi-coloured diamonds and sapphires, alexandrite, fire opal, aquamarine, moonstone, ruby, matural padparadscha, tsavorite, demantoid, platinum, yellow gold and silver.
“This is where impressionism comes to work,” Zaavy once said. “To me, stones are impressions. Every stone has its importance. Stones bring oxygen to a piece. This is totally about impressionism—about my impression towards the piece and towards my world.”
Fascinated by nature
Zaavy, a third generation Paris diamond merchant who lost his battle with cancer in 2011 at the age of 46, travelled around the world to stay close to nature and absorb the essence of cultural heritage. Chen says Zaavy loved flowers and drew endless inspiration from delicate blooms, nature and impressionist paintings. Zaavy knew full well that his designs did not connect with trendy, contemporary jewellery designs of the day. but he was fine with that, paying tribute to the art of the French royal court and it’s regal jewellery of the 18th and 19th centuries.
Magma ring Spinel, white diamond, pink diamond, coloured stone, gold
From the quality of the gems to the cutting, Zaavy settled for nothing less than perfection. Each stone was like a paint from his artistic palette. using gemstones to achieve the desired colour profile is a long, drawn-out process, beginning with sourcing and collecting the right gems. Chen says Zaavy would sometimes “brutally” cut right into the raw stone to release its beautiful light. She is proud that his works were a hallmark of a tireless pursuit of the highest form of artistry.
Opal Legend ring Diamond, spessartite, paraiba, coloured stone
Master setters often had to use 30X zoom to pave every surface of a design, even on miniscule claws. On some pieces, only two claws were required to tightly and evenly set a stone, or two stones were set together on a 90-degree angle.
A secret that remains with the masters
Minimizing the number of claws created more room for paving gemstones smoothly at various angles or curvatures. This feat remains a trade secret of the masters.
Seahorse brooch Diamond, yellow diamond, alexandrite, amethyst, aquamarine, demantoid, Paraiba, coloured sapphire, tsavorite, hauyne, gold and silver
“Our masterpiece, the Nymphéas bracelet, was inspired by a Monet painting,” Chen says. “The gemstones are as small as 0.6mm. They are tiny, yet through colours and light, they feel like threecentimetre stones on the surface of the bracelet.”
Zaavy wanted the bracelet to be worn on either side so he invited a Swiss artisan to resolve the technical issues. They spent more than a year working on it. What they eventually came up with was a bracelet constructed link by link that draped perfectly on the wrist.
Peony ring Diamond, coloured diamond, ruby, coloured sapphire, gold and silver
“another piece takes the form of a blossoming peony,” Chen says. “Each petal is paved with precious stones. To make sure the gemstones in the base did not crush one another, different settings and designs were applied to the upper and lower sides. This piece took seven years to finish.”
Zaavy perceived jewellery as an art form that expressed and completed one’s self. yet he didn’t overlook the fact that jewellery is not only to be admired, but also to be worn. and it must dazzle in artistic brilliance and sparkle with vibrancy.
Ribbon ring White diamond, grey diamond, pink diamond and gold
Fabergé artistic director Katharina Flohr describes Zaavy’s works this way: “It was his dedication to perfection and the sensitivity seen through the eye of a painter who painted with stones. It was—and indeed still is—the emotional engagement that you have when you hold a piece of his work in your hands.”
Ribbon ring White diamond, grey diamond, pink diamond and goldSays Chen: “Zaavy always said, ‘I want to be famous.’ He wanted to submerge himself in brilliance, the glory of gemstones and of reputation.”
Striving for honour and recognition, Zaavy insisted throughout his life to pursue artistic value. That, he certainly accomplished.
