Fine-jewelry house Chaumet shares a rich history with its home country of France, having made a name for itself in the late 18th century when the founder of the brand, Marie-Etienne Nitot, created special pieces for the wedding of Napoleon and Joséphine de Beauharnais. Today, Chaumet is widely recognized as one of the most innovative and prestigious jewelers of our time.
For its latest high-jewelry collection, Chaumet turned to our planet’s most prized possession for inspiration: water. Celebrating the treasured element in all of its forms – frozen, cascading, and flowing – the 53-piece ‘Lumières d’Eau’ collection comprises stunning necklaces, rings, timepieces, earrings, brooches, and more. Watch the video below to see how Claire Dévé-Rakoff, the Creative Director of Chaumet, translates this inspiration into designs for the new collection.
Once the intricate paintings have been completed, they are passed on to the craftsmen who bring the jewelry to life. The renowned jewelry maison has passed on its expert savoir-faire from one artisan to another since 1780. The process of creating a high-jewelry collection of this size is a colossal undertaking. Just one necklace takes approximately 600 to 800 hours of work to be completed. In the video below, 12th Workshop Master Pascal Bourdariat talks us through the elaborate steps involved in the making of the ‘Lumières d’Eau’ collection.
Photos and Videos: Courtesy of Chaumet
