2024’s Haute Joaillerie Showstoppers: 4 Must-See Trends Rocking the Jewelry World

The highly anticipated new releases in the haute joaillerie circle have finally come to a close, with major brands once again contributing spectacular masterpieces and foreshadowing the new trends for the year. What themes are most “in” this year? Besides the “classic trio,” which gemstones have successfully risen to prominence? Let’s take an early look at the latest trends sweeping the jewelry world!

Each year, haute joaillerie releases bring some “new nobility” to the gemstone circle. Apart from diamonds and the “classic trio” of rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, major brands aim to present something fresh. In their eyes, while the rarity of gemstones is undoubtedly important, innovation and the integrity of the piece are equally crucial.

Thus, many niche gemstones have the opportunity to “debut” and become the “new nobility” of the jewelry world. Which gemstones have stood out this summer?

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Who Takes Center Stage Among Blue Gemstones?

Cool-toned gemstones often dominate summer haute joaillerie releases. Sapphires, of course, assert their status, from Bulgari’s use of Sri Lankan sapphires to Chanel’s Kashmiri sapphires, and Tiffany’s star sapphires – all showcasing their brand prestige. But who else is stealing the spotlight? Likely the visually more refreshing Paraiba tourmalines and aquamarines.

Aquamarine is a frequent guest in haute joaillerie, as these large-carat, high-clarity blue gemstones offer designers great creative freedom.

For instance, this year, Boucheron’s creative director Claire Choisne used 24 aquamarines to create the Cristaux necklace in their latest high jewelry collection. Known for her material innovations, she frosted the crystal, almost completely concealing the white gold structure, creating a magical effect of aquamarines “frozen” within the crystal, showcasing her fantastic imagination of Iceland’s blue glaciers.

The Celestun necklace from Cartier’s Nature Sauvage high jewelry collection features a stunning 38.50-carat aquamarine. This bib necklace depicts a scene where emeralds form reeds, and aquamarines create a shallow bay. Hidden within is a flamingo crafted from black lacquer, rose gold, and diamonds. The aquamarine pendant serves as the pièce de résistance of this poetic tableau.

Gucci’s Labirinti high jewelry collection directly pairs Paraiba tourmalines with Santa Maria aquamarines, fully embracing the clear and cool aesthetic. The two shades of blue blend like the merging of sea and sky.

While pairing Paraiba tourmalines with gemstones of similar colors is common, some brands prefer to challenge themselves with more complex designs. For instance, Bulgari’s Mosaic of Time necklace from this year’s Aeterna high jewelry collection employs an intricate technique to highlight the unique electric blue of Paraiba tourmalines.

This necklace perfectly links 150 individual components, creating a mosaic effect rich in color and texture variations using pink tourmaline, emerald, turquoise, agate, mother-of-pearl, and diamonds. Five teardrop-shaped Paraiba tourmalines of gradually increasing size serve as the centerpiece, fully showcasing Bulgari’s expertise in colored gemstone combinations.

Pomellato’s The Dualism of Milan high jewelry collection this year also features Paraiba tourmalines. This Italian brand, known for its love of colored gemstones, presents a rainbow necklace.

The Barocco necklace creates a kaleidoscope-like color effect, using unique baroque cuts to process these seven-colored gemstones: aquamarine, red tourmaline, tsavorite, tanzanite, spessartite garnet, green tourmaline, and blue natural zircon, forming a magnificent rainbow.

At the center is a nearly 34-carat Paraiba tourmaline, undoubtedly the star of the show.

Tourmalines have indeed become a “real hit” this season, with almost every brand featuring them in their new creations. Like diamonds, they have become an indispensable element in this haute joaillerie showcase.

Besides the always-center-stage Paraiba tourmalines, other blue and green tourmalines are also ubiquitous. Additionally, red varieties, especially the rubellites that rival rubies in their vibrancy, are particularly popular.

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New Faces This Season

Speaking of which, we should also introduce a “new face” in the haute joaillerie circle this season – natural zircon. Yes, not only did Pomellato use it, but Tiffany also incorporated it in their Tiffany Céleste high jewelry collection this year. Chief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille used aquamarines, diamonds, mother-of-pearl, and natural zircons to interpret dreamy celestial bodies.

It’s important not to confuse this natural zircon, also known as “hyacinth stone,” with the cubic zirconia (zirconium dioxide) commonly seen in costume jewelry, often referred to as “rhinestones.”

Natural zircon has actually been used in jewelry design for a long time. It’s the birthstone for December and comes in many colors. Colorless zircon can be mistaken for diamonds due to its brilliant fire, but in fact, blue natural zircon was a very popular jewelry material in the Victorian era.

Tiffany and Pomellato may have chosen this “retro” approach because the color better suits their creative vision.

Two other gemstones that have rarely been seen in haute joaillerie circles have also made a splash this year, thanks to the unique creativity of jewelry designers. The first is obsidian, used by Boucheron this year.

In the latest Carte Blanche, Or Bleu high jewelry collection, Creative Director Claire Choisne created a pattern of inky waves using 3D-carved obsidian, forming a striking black and white contrast with pavé-set diamonds. This design evokes the mystery and grandeur of Iceland’s dark seas.

The second is the gray spinel introduced by Pomellato. Creative Director Vincenzo Castaldo truly loved spinels this season, not only launching the Spinelli di Fuoco collection composed of spinels in all colors but also creating the Galleria collection specifically with rare gray spinels.

This collection draws inspiration from the soaring glass and ironwork structure of Milan’s iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The designer aimed to evoke a glass dome under the night sky by combining velvety gray spinels with brilliant pavé-set diamonds.

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Every year, high jewelry collections from major brands inevitably carry a sense of “nostalgia.” After all, these renowned brands often have histories spanning over a hundred years. Whenever they apply their proprietary techniques or classic elements, they instinctively begin to “pay homage.” This is the culture and heritage of these jewelry houses, and another proof that jewelry as an art form can transcend time.

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Anniversary Celebrations Shine Bright

This year, two major brands are celebrating anniversaries. One is Piaget, commemorating its 150th birthday. This jewelry and watch brand, which started with timepieces, pays tribute to its history through legendary metalworking techniques in its latest high jewelry collection. Indeed, although Piaget began as a watch brand, they possess exceptional goldsmithing skills.

As early as 1957, Piaget decided to use only precious metals like gold and platinum for their watches.

Over these 150 years, Piaget has accumulated more than 100 goldsmithing techniques. Therefore, this year’s Essence of Extraleganza high jewelry collection focuses on gold as the protagonist, showcasing the brand’s signature palace-style motifs, Milanese mesh bracelets, and hand-twisted gold chains.

Bulgari is also celebrating its 140th anniversary, and this year’s high jewelry collection is truly dazzling beyond compare. The brand’s most iconic Serpenti jewelry, in particular, is presented in various creative ways. Interestingly, despite being renowned for colored gemstones, their highlight piece this year is an all-diamond Serpenti Aeterna necklace.

Bulgari meticulously cut a rough diamond of over 200 carats into seven D-color, flawless pear-shaped diamonds, totaling approximately 140.00 carats, to honor the brand’s 140 years of glorious history.

The all-diamond necklace forms a sinuous, intertwined serpent with its head and tail connected. Creative Director Lucia Silvestri states that this necklace is both a tribute to history and a representation of new challenges for the future.

Of course, in the realm of colored gemstones where Bulgari excels, they present various Serpenti necklaces with diverse characters. Large, rare gemstones are incorporated, perfectly demonstrating Bulgari’s ultimate mastery of color.

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Paying Homage to Classic Designs

Some brands choose to pay tribute to the design masters who established their brand style. For instance, Tiffany’s newly appointed Chief Artistic Officer Nathalie Verdeille once again pays homage to her predecessor Jean Schlumberger.

Inspired by his vintage jewelry, she introduces the Tiffany Céleste high jewelry collection, offering a unique perspective and innovative interpretation of Jean Schlumberger’s understanding of the sun, moon, stars, distant galaxies, and the fantastic universe.

Chanel has likely capitalized on the buzz surrounding the Paris Olympics, choosing sports as this year’s theme. Of course, this also pays homage to the design philosophy of the brand’s founder, Coco Chanel.

When Chanel established her brand in 1921, she aimed to create clothing that liberated women’s bodies. She was the first designer to use sportswear fabrics in women’s fashion, and her enduring aesthetic principle has always been elegant lines and freedom of movement.

Chanel’s Director of the Fine Jewelry Creation Studio, Patrice Leguéreau, has seized upon this concept, presenting a distinctively styled high jewelry collection this season. Colorful jewels trace vibrant lines on diamonds; the font of a stopwatch is used to display Chanel’s famous “5”; stars become symbols of victory, while Coco Chanel’s beloved lion is transformed into a sports club emblem.

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Dreaming of Palace Style

Some brands opt for a vintage style. For instance, Mikimoto and Tasaki, two Japanese brands specializing in pearls, have both coincidentally chosen a retro style this year.

Mikimoto’s theme this year is the bow, representative of the 18th-century Rococo style, creating large pearl jewelry pieces with an extremely romantic and beautiful palace style. As if part of Versailles court attire, it presents magnificent moments across time and space in the form of pearls, diamonds, and gemstones.

This collection also showcases Mikimoto’s mastery in handling pearls. The white gold framework is exquisitely crafted, forming adorable bows together with diamonds, adorned with vibrantly colored gemstones. A large number of pearls can be elegantly and comfortably worn on the model in graceful designs.

Tasaki draws inspiration from the Ritz Paris hotel, with its opulent decorations and its historically glamorous clientele – from King Edward VII, Coco Chanel, and Ernest Hemingway to F. Scott Fitzgerald, Maria Callas, and Audrey Hepburn – all becoming sources of creativity for Tasaki.

They use yellow diamonds, white diamonds, and the brand’s signature Akoya pearls to compose the glorious moments of Parisian high society in the first half of the 20th century.

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Animal themes have always been a significant presence in the jewelry world. Although not featured every year, when they do appear, they tend to dominate the scene, perhaps due to their inherent vitality.

This year, many brands have presented outstanding animal-themed jewelry pieces, ranging from fierce to adorable to elegant, each piece tempting you to take it home.

Cartier undoubtedly leads this animal jewelry trend, with their high jewelry collection aptly named “Nature Sauvage” (Wild Nature).

Besides the familiar panther, zebras, flamingos, turtles, and serpents all make an appearance, cleverly hidden within abstract lines. Indeed, Jewelry Studio Director Alexa Abitbol has utilized optical illusions to conceal the animals among geometric shapes and arrangements, allowing us to glimpse the wild beauty of nature amidst dazzling brilliance.

Many of these pieces are designed as multifunctional jewelry that can be worn in various ways, with hidden mechanisms. For instance, the Mocelys necklace may initially captivate you with its 71.90-carat red tourmaline, but hidden within the scale pattern formed by diamonds and red tourmaline is a turtle that can transform into a brooch. This is a detachable piece, and even without the turtle, the necklace remains magnificent.

Another brand pursuing the wild beauty of animals is De Beers. They drew inspiration from eight of Africa’s most vibrant animals to create their “Forces of Nature” high jewelry collection.

Remember the eight “Jacket Rings” they released earlier this year? They precisely captured the characteristic features of antelopes, lions, elephants, and other “African natives.” By summer, they had released 58 pieces, with these works being more abstract and exuding greater presence and power.

They transform an elephant’s trunk into curled curves, and convert the black and white stripes of a zebra into bold chokers and collage-like earrings and brooches. While you might not capture the exact likeness of a lion, the magnificent mane formed by golden tassel chains still conveys the aura of the king of beasts.

In contrast to the wild and powerful designs of Cartier and De Beers, Chopard’s animal jewelry is more endearing and whimsical, as their Red Carpet high jewelry collection this time focuses on the “world of fairy tales.”

From cute and romantic frogs, birds, butterflies, and whales to imaginary creatures like dragons and unicorns, Chopard paints a fairy tale kingdom with the most luxurious brushstrokes. This high jewelry collection showcases the precious innocence of childhood and the romance that people pursue throughout their lives.

Of course, the animals in fairy tales always have stories to tell. Therefore, rather than simply depicting the animals’ appearances, Chopard focuses more on constructing scenes.

For example, the ring inspired by “The Frog Prince” features a 17.70-carat red tourmaline as the main stone, but it’s not the protagonist of the story. The symmetrical small frogs on either side, crafted from deep green titanium and emeralds, are the focal point. They support the rubellite tourmaline crown, representing the prince’s status before the curse.

While the small animals in Dior’s high jewelry are also cute, they present a different style. This season’s Diorama & Diorigami high jewelry collection draws inspiration from Toile de Jouy, an 18th-century French fabric printing technique. The designs extract patterns depicting forest creatures from this ancient fabric.

The animals and plants living in the forest are transformed into poetic sprites in the high jewelry pieces. You can see diamond swans resting in a pond; adorable squirrels jumping between tree branches; a lively rabbit crafted into an ear cuff, as if a golden spirit rabbit is leaping into a diamond bush.

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In addition to figurative animal jewelry, geometricism is also in vogue. These rhythmic designs composed of minimalist lines can instantly satisfy your OCD tendencies, creating a distinct sense of space with just a few strokes, perfectly achieving the aesthetic principle of “Less is More.”

Louis Vuitton excels in this area, with Francesca Amfitheatrof, the Artistic Director of Watches and Jewelry, demonstrating masterful control over geometric lines. Although this season’s “Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds” high jewelry collection pays homage to 19th-century French craftsmanship, she uses design elements that push modernism to its limits.

This collection is Louis Vuitton’s largest high jewelry series to date, encompassing 13 themes and 220 pieces. From the few pieces revealed so far, it’s clear that they maintain the brand’s characteristically powerful presence.

Sometimes, one can’t help but admire Francesca Amfitheatrof’s ability to weave the simplest gold and silver into the most intricate patterns. They appear complex at first glance, but upon closer inspection, they are infinite variations of the most basic geometric elements.

For instance, the necklace paying tribute to the Eiffel Tower in Paris features a main body of interwoven metal lines, honoring the historical breakthroughs in materials and architectural structures of the 19th century.

Louis Vuitton has perfectly captured the essence, with Francesca Amfitheatrof firmly grasping the sense of lightness created by the delicate lines and the spatial structure formed by the interplay of three-dimensional and flat surfaces.

Chaumet’s high jewelry this year also embraces geometricism, drawing inspiration from three performing arts: music, dance, and magic. Rhythm is their chosen mode of expression. They transform the variations of points, lines, and planes into graceful melodies, fluid dance movements, and visual illusions of light and shadow, allowing you to “see” the charm of these three art forms.

Sounds intriguing? The pieces speak for themselves. Lines form musical scores, with large, sparkling gemstones representing the most dazzling notes.

Various fan and triangle shapes simulate spinning dance skirts, layered and flying. Is it elegant ballet or passionate flamenco?

The most magical piece is the Voltige tiara. Diamond-set lines constantly shift between long and short, thick and thin, creating a shimmering light and shadow effect.

Messika also adopts a geometric style, launching the second chapter of their Midnight Sun high jewelry collection. Brand founder and creative director Valérie Messika seeks a sense of silhouette, with large volumes and minimalist lines ensuring each piece commands attention.

While this collection appears to emphasize grandeur, a closer look reveals its beauty in the details. The sense of volume is achieved through exceptional diamond setting techniques.

The Lunar Diva necklace is fully set with diamonds using the snow-setting technique, creating a dazzling texture. The pendant features an emerald-cut puzzle diamond with a visual illusion effect. Valérie Messika masterfully balances boldness with refinement, achieving a “delicacy within boldness” effect.

Every summer is a celebration for the jewelry world, bringing together top experts, exceptional gemstones, and timeless craftsmanship to present the year’s most exciting jewelry creations. These masterpieces are sure to set jewelry trends for the coming year. Among the highlights the editor has outlined for you, which one interests you the most?

2024’s Haute Joaillerie Showstoppers: 4 Must-See Trends Rocking the Jewelry World

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