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Special Report - Jewellery

Harwell Godfrey beaded necklace with pendant. Photo: Handout

How colourful Y2K beaded jewellery is making a sophisticated comeback

Taylor Swift brought back the friendship bracelet, which millennials will remember from the playground – now, designers are creating luxe versions of the playful, nostalgic baubles.

Bring on the bling: 8 jewellery watches guaranteed to turn heads

Rise of the machines: how robots are changing the way jewellery is made

Maximum impact: how bold, colourful high jewellery is brightening the season

From sea anemones to the four seasons to the birth of planet Earth, the natural world is providing inspiration for maximalist jewellery pieces, with Boucheron and Piaget joining the trend

Boucheron’s More is More collection. Photos: Handout

From Harry Styles to Pharrell, all these men have worn women’s jewellery with pride

Bucking a trend of more than 200 years – which saw men eschew beautiful adornments – brands like Dior, Hermès and Versace are embracing feminine jewellery for men

High jewellery in 2024: the trends, products and predictions you should know

In a word, elegance – from classy pearls by Van Cleef & Arpels and Annoushka Ducas, to maximalist Tiffany & Co. and Boucheron cuffs, and glamorous Harry Winston and Chaumet cocktail rings

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Why the top high jewellery maisons can’t shake their fascination with nature

From Gucci’s embrace of the four seasons and Graff’s Classic Butterfly to Chanel’s iconic camellias, designers are still spellbound by natural wonder

Where the wild things are: high jewellery creations inspired by elements of the natural world – from Gucci’s four seasons and Graff’s Classic Butterfly to Chanel’s iconic lions and camellias, and Cindy Chao The Art Jewel 2023 Black Label Masterpiece, Amour Butterfly (pictured). Photo: Handout

Divas to disco: how retro culture is driving today’s high jewellery designs

Boucheron cites the 80s Rubik’s Cube and New Wave, Stephen Webster channels New Romantic pop, Tiffany & Co. and Piaget are inspired by 70s disco, while Chanel looks back to its 30s Jazz Age collection

Is modular jewellery the future of fashion? 2023’s best detachable pieces

This year Chanel, Boucheron, Chaumet and De Beers all unveiled ingenious detachable pieces that prove once and for all that luxury and versatility can go hand in hand

All choked up: how neck jewellery evolved, from ancient Egypt to Kendall Jenner

Spring/summer 2024 sees chokers everywhere – from Christian Dior to Vivienne Westwood – on models including Kendall Jenner, with neck jewellery also increasingly being worn by men

From Princess Diana to Kendall Jenner, chokers and neck jewellery have endured to this day, with a history dating back to the ancient Egyptians and Vikings, through Anne Boleyn to Princess Diana and the fashion runways and high streets of the 21st century. Photos: Getty

Cuffing season: high jewellery artists make bold statements with diamond cuffs

Encrusted with white diamonds, fancy coloured diamonds and other precious gems – set in 18k gold – high jewellery cuffs, bracelets and bangles might be the ultimate maximalist style statement

Cuffing season: high jewellery artists – including at De Beers, Buccellati and Cindy Chao The Art Jewel – make bold statements with diamond-studded bracelets and cuffs. Pictured: Metamorphosis by De Beers collection, Summer Bracelet. Photos: Handout

Ear candy: stunning high jewellery earrings that stole the spotlight in 2023

From Dior’s Les Jardins de la Couture floral bouquets and Gucci’s Allegoria jacket design to Tweed de Chanel’s tribute to Scotland, high jewellery earrings were bolder and more ornate than ever in 2023

Why silver and gold may still be the safest investment there is

As precious metals surge in value, Van Cleef & Arpels is creating new silhouettes in gold, Tiffany & Co. debuted a collection in blackened sterling silver, and Monica Vinader has seen sales of silver pieces go up by 26%

Would you wear a lab-grown diamond as your engagement ring?

Consumers are increasingly turning to synthetic diamonds – including when it comes to their wedding day – due to ethical and environmental concerns around the mining of natural diamonds

Would you accept a lab-grown diamond for your engagement ring? De Beers sees reduced demand for natural diamonds, while bridal designers like Monique Lhuillier are incorporating synthetic stones into their creations. Photos: Handout

EmRata’s name necklace for son Sylvester is sparking a personalised jewellery trend

Queen Victoria had a bracelet with nine lockets containing strands of hair from each of her nine children – and who can forget Angelina Jolie and Billy Bob Thornton’s ‘romantic’ vials of blood?

Model Emily Ratajkowski wears a necklace spelling out her son’s name – as well as a “mama” necklace. Whether they feature a thumbprint, hieroglyphs or Morse code, super-personalised pieces make jewellery even more meaningful to the wearer. Photos: Handouts

Wearable art? Brooches offer high jewellery designers the ultimate freedom

High jewellery brooches by artists such as Cindy Chao remain in the ascendancy, with fans including Michelle Yeoh – Hong Kong collectors can view pieces by Hemmerle at The Upper House from November 20

Why investors are crazy for coloured gems at Hong Kong’s jewellery auctions

Jadeite, pink and blue diamonds are trending at Hong Kong’s Sotheby’s and Phillips autumn auctions – so is now the time to invest, or has the bubble burst?

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Is 3D printing the next big thing in high jewellery?

As high jewellery designers flirt with 3D technology, there is a fear that it will infringe upon age-old techniques … here’s what you need to know

The thrill of hi-tech tools: luxury jewellery designers like Boucheron, Boghossian and Tiffany & Co. flirt with 3D technology. Photo: Bulgari

Generational gems: the dos and don’ts of choosing heirloom jewellery

Buying a piece of jewellery you hope to pass on to future generations can be a significant investment, so its financial value and versatility are crucial – as is the nature of the piece

How the world’s most iconic jewellery brands reinvent signature pieces

From the jeweller’s sketchbook in 1906, to the wrist of Kate Middleton in 2022, the spirit of Van Cleef & Arpels is kept alive by its iconic four leaf clover – and the maison is not the only one

How haute couture is inspiring dazzling new high jewellery collections

Dress to impress: these are the luxury brands blurring the lines between haute couture and jewellery, from Dior and Chopard to Van Cleef & Arpels and Cindy Chao

Houses like Van Cleef & Arpels are featuring couture in their new high jewellery collections. Photo: Van Cleef & Arpels

All in the cut: the jewellery designers ditching the oval and pear stones of old

Over oval diamonds? Try trilliant, trapezoid and tapered baguette cuts – now in vogue as houses like Cartier and Chaumet seek fresh perspectives on traditional designs

Metamorphosis butterfly with trapezoid diamonds and marquise brown diamonds, on display at TEFAF 2022. Photo: Handout

Is gold getting old? How high jewellers fell for cheaper, colourful metals

Forget traditional gold and platinum – the high jewellery world is turning to space tech, anodised alloys and colourful finishes to complement gem settings

Rosy and rare: why are pink diamonds so popular lately?

Diamonds are forever, but these extremely rare pink-coloured rocks, in great demand for centuries, are also safe investments when global markets are volatile – here’s what you need to know

What’s Hong Kong’s jewellery sales outlook for 2023, after a shining 2022?

Sotheby’s and Christie’s saw record highs for gemstones this year in Hong Kong, but how does 2023 look for the city’s jewellery industry?

Christie’s jewellery department head Rahul Kadakia holds the hammer during the sale of The Pink Legacy, an 18.96-carat diamond once owned by the Oppenheimer family, in Geneva, in 2018. Photo: AFP

Glitz and glam: how high jewellery became a permanent fixture in Hollywood

In Hollywood, it’s not just the stars that glitter as the jewellery they wear in films can leave a mark – here’s how luxury brands have paid tribute to the silver screen

The diamond and onyx Action! necklace depicts a reel of film. Photo: Bulgari

All that glitters: inside the history between crown jewels and luxury brands

From Cartier and Chaumet to Garrard and Boucheron, how do luxury maisons work with royals to create new wonders for some of the world’s finest crown jewels?

Outside the box: colourful gems to wear in an alternative engagement ring

If the classic white diamond doesn’t quite tell your love story, how about a blue cocktail ring from Piaget or yellow diamond from Ronald Abram?

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Special Report - Jewellery
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Special Report - Jewellery. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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