High jewellery, or haute joaillerie, is truly something to behold. Akin to the haute couture of the jewellery world, high jewellery caters to discerning, well-heeled clientele wishing to distinguish themselves from the masses. Utilising precious metals, diamonds, and precious and semi-precious coloured gemstones, high jewellery brands differentiate themselves through its impeccable craftsmanship, with master craftspeople employing intricate techniques such as plique-à-jour and grisaille enameling, gem setting, marquetry, and guilloché.
Fine jewellery vs high jewellery
Fine jewellery can be compared to ready-to-wear garments from luxury fashion houses in that while they’re crafted from precious materials and take on an elevated tone, these pieces are relatively easily accessible and can be produced on a larger scale. Fine jewellery pieces such as those from Van Cleef & Arpels’ Sweet Alhambra, Tiffany & Co.’s HardWear, and Cartier’s Love are easily recognisable and priced based on a combination of raw material cost and brand reputation. In contrast, high jewellery is akin to haute couture, with pieces available in singular or highly limited quantities, completely bespoke or made-to-order, and often exclusively available to select clientele. While fine jewellery is able to be emulated, high jewellery often utilises scarce gemstones and inimitable techniques.
High jewellery commands a far higher price point than fine jewellery; here’s it’s not just brand recognition and material cost that come into play, it’s the artistry and innovation behind the design, the rarity and size of the diamonds and coloured gemstones used, the craftsmanship and labour that goes into creating each piece, and the overall rarity of the piece.
While some fine jewellery pieces by smaller independent brands may be completely handmade, most of the time fine jewellery by larger jewellery houses incorporates elements of—or solely use—machine production to satisfy high demand. High jewellery sets itself apart by being predominantly—or completely—crafted by hand, from using lost wax casting to create the mould for a piece of jewellery to creating each setting by hand, cutting each gemstone, and polishing the piece between steps. High jewellery pieces often pass through the hands of many experienced specialists (designers, metal casters, lapidaries, and polishers) and undergo several hundred hours of labour from the inception to completion of each design.
Collecting and investing in high jewellery
In addition to their obvious aesthetic appeal, high jewellery is also appealing to collectors for their potential to appreciate in value over time. While it’s best to collect jewellery because you genuinely love it rather than potential financial benefit, high jewellery may increase in value due to a combination of the precious and rare materials used and the craftsmanship that goes into a piece. It’s worth noting that the potential for appreciation in high jewellery isn’t simply attributed to the value of the raw materials (i.e. the gemstones used or the melt-down value of the gold), but to the techniques used and craftsmanship that goes into each piece. Certain high jewellery brands and/or designers hold additional cachet, with a maker’s mark having the potential to increase the value of a piece of jewellery.
The stories behind a piece of high jewellery can also influence its investment potential. For example, the Tiffany & Co. Tiffany Yellow Diamond necklace designed by Jean Schlumberger and worn by Audrey Hepburn in the publicity shots for the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s has increased in desirability and value (well beyond the direct value of the 128.54-carat diamond it features) thanks to its celebrity endorsement and iconic designer. On that note, most pieces designed by French jewellery designer Jean Schlumberger have appreciated in value since their creation; if you’re able to predict the talented designers of this era who will become the legends of the next, you’re likely to be able to buy high jewellery that will increase in financial value.
The best high jewellery brands
There’s no shortage of demi-fine, designer, and fine jewellery brands on the market. However, to this day, the world of high jewellery remains a rarified space, with only a handful of brands producing it. The best high jewellery brands are predominantly established players with several decades or even centuries of heritage. However, there are also some newer players entering the market — these emerging high jewellery brands are interesting and worth watching as they’re often run by the designer behind the pieces, as opposed to established brands which tend to enlist creative directors to design their high jewellery collections.
From lauded jewellery houses to up-and-coming designers, these are the best high jewellery brands to know about.
1. Cartier
Founded in Paris in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, Cartier is today as well known for its watches as it is for its jewellery. However, the Parisian luxury house is one of the few that can boast over a century of expertise in the art of haute joaillerie, with the maison known for sourcing the most exquisite—and often rare and difficult to find—diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, and rubies. In addition to being handcrafted by master jewellers and employing traditional jewellery making techniques, Cartier’s high jewellery pieces stand out for their singular creative direction. In 1933, Jeanne Toussaint, who had been with the maison since 1920, took over the role of creative director from Louis Cartier and was responsible for the creation of pieces like the ‘Caged Bird’ and ‘Liberated Bird’—both of which were emblematic of France’s political state—not to mention refining and popularising the iconic Panthère collection, which remains a mainstay to this day.
Flora and fauna feature prominently throughout Cartier’s high jewellery pieces, whether it’s the aforementioned Panthère or actress María Félix’s inimitable crocodile necklace, executed in yellow gold and set with diamonds, rubies, and emeralds.
Cartier has been at the forefront of several key jewellery eras. The maison is credited with creating the first bracelet with engraved sapphires, emeralds and rubies cut into plant-like shapes, with this style later coming to be known as Tutti Frutti jewellery. In 1925, the maison participated in the seminal International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, which would come to define the Art Deco movement.
Naturally, Cartier’s preeminence in high jewellery design and craftsmanship has resulted in the mansion receiving commissions from royalty, celebrities, and collectors. A notable example of this is the Patiala Necklace commissioned by Bhupinder Singh, the Maharaja of Patiala. Placed in 1925 and delivered in 1928, the necklace was part of the largest single order ever placed with Cartier, with the total order costing €2.2 billion in today’s terms.
Established in: 1847
Founder: Louis-François Cartier
Headquarters: Paris, France
2. Bulgari
You can’t miss a Bulgari piece. The Roman jeweller has an unmistakable design style that is imbued within every piece it creates. However, this wasn’t always the case. Bulgari was founded by silversmith Sotirio Bulgari in 1884 and began producing high jewellery in the 1920s, joined by his sons Costantino and Giorgio. Initially, Sotirio Bulgari crafted pieces in classic French styles, drawing from the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels, Cartier, and Boucheron and using platinum and diamonds with the geometric Art Deco lines of the time. Following Sotirio Bulgari’s passing in 1932, his two sons took over the business and were joined by Giorgio’s three sons—Gianni, Paolo, and Nicola—with this era coming to shape the distinctive Bulgari style we know today.
During the 1940s, Bulgari began to embrace its Italian heritage, swapping silver and platinum for yellow gold and creating pieces that would come to shape the style we know today, including the iconic Serpenti and the flexible Tubogas design.
The following decade, Bulgari began to embrace the vibrant colours and cabochon gemstones now synonymous with the brand, with the 1960s seeing the Roman jewellery lean into designs inspired by its home city. Rome serves as the inspiration for many iconic Bulgari designs, with the luxury house incorporating elements of the eternal city’s architecture, art, and heritage into its pieces. Take the Diva’s Dream collection, with its fan-shaped patterns inspired by the vibrant mosaics of the Roman Caracalla Baths. Or the Monete collection, which features real ancient Roman coins.
Today, Bulgari jewellery is defined by its use of volumes and sculptural details, as well as an unashamed embrace of colour, expressed through the skillful use of gemstones. The maison often employs cabochon cuts for its gemstones, which showcase the saturated hue of each stone.
Established in: 1884
Founder: Sotirio Bulgari
Headquarters: Rome, Italy
3. Van Cleef & Arpels
A discussion around high jewellery brands would be woefully incomplete without Van Cleef & Arpels. Founded in 1906 by newlyweds Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels, Van Cleef & Arpels is a brand born out of love. This sense of romanticism carries through to the Parisian jewellery house’s designs, which are characterised by a sense of lightness and whimsy.
The maison draws inspiration from the worlds of nature, art, fairy tales, and couture, to create emotive designs that convey lightness and movement. Highlights include the maison’s ballerina clips, Zip necklace, and of course, the iconic Alhambra four-leaf clover design. A constant across Van Cleef & Arpels’ high jewellery collections is a commitment to craftsmanship and savoir-faire. Attention to detail is present in each design, with joints and hinges crafted to ensure flexibility and comfort, clasps concealed for a seamless effect, and many pieces able to be used multi-functionally. The aforementioned Zip necklace is an example of this, with the piece able to be transformed into a bracelet.
Proving classicism can still be striking, Van Cleef & Arpels experiment with materials, weaving stories through coloured gemstones, diamonds, and precious metals. Pieces often feature an interplay of colour, with deftly set gemstones using concealed prongs, mystery settings, and fluid, sculpted forms contribute to the maison’s poetic aestheticism.
Established in: 1906
Founders: Alfred Van Cleef and Estelle Arpels
Headquarters: Paris, France
4. Fabergé
It’s not all eggs at Fabergé! While the Russian luxury heritage brand is best known for its eponymous eggs crafted from precious metals, diamonds, and gemstones, Fabergé was initially founded as a jeweller by goldsmith Gustav Fabergé (born Gustav Faberge, but added an acute accent later in life — a wise branding choice), who opened up shop in St. Petersburg’s fashionable Bolshaya Morskaya street. It was Gustav Fabergé’s son, Peter Carl Fabergé, who began producing objets d’art that incorporated traditional goldsmithing and jewellery techniques, and led to the brand being commissioned by Tzar Alexander III to make an easter egg for his wife Tsarina Maria Feodorovna.
Since its inception almost two centuries ago, Fabergé has undergone no small amount of strife, thanks to both the war and some international branding issues. However, in September 2009, Fabergé relaunched with a high jewellery collection. Today, Fabergé’s high jewellery collections blend its quintessentially Russian heritage with western tastes, with pieces that dually showcase the maison’s prowess with gemstones, while paying homage to its illustrious history by transforming its iconic eggs into wearable works of art. It’s worth noting that this considered approach to design means that even the brand’s fine jewellery—particularly the Heritage collection—is unique enough that it boasts a high jewellery feel.
Established in: 1842
Founder: Gustav Fabergé
Headquarters: London, England (originally St. Petersburg, Russia)
5. Tiffany & Co.
A veritable household name thanks to its iconic Return to Tiffany collection which has captured hearts—and clavicle real estate—of young women the world over, it’s Tiffany & Co.’s high jewellery prowess that made the brand what it is today. Founded by Charles Lewis Tiffany and partner J.B. Young in 1837 as Tiffany & Young, the brand got its start as a ‘fancy goods’ store on Broadway in New York. In 1845, Tiffany & Young released the first direct mail catalogue, the ‘Blue Book Collection’, which showcases its offerings to a wider audience and has remained a mainstay to this day. After assuming full ownership of the brand in 1953, Charles Lewis Tiffany renamed the business Tiffany & Co. and began to shape it into the luxury house we know today.
Tiffany & Co. introduced gold fashion jewellery in 1868, but it wasn’t until setting up shop in New York’s Union Square two years later that it started to make strides with the city’s affluent elite. The started to shape its distinct design identity, gaining traction for its Japonesque-style and diamond jewellery, the latter of which earned Charles Lewis Tiffany the appellation of the “King of Diamonds.” This designation was later solidified by the luxury American jeweller’s acquisition of the now-iconic 128.54-carat cushion-shaped yellow diamond in 1978, which was later dubbed the ‘Tiffany Diamond’.
Throughout its almost two-century tenure, Tiffany & Co. has collaborated with some of the most talented jewellery designers in the world. The likes of Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti, Paloma Picasso, Donald Claflin, and Angela Cummings have designed whimsical, sculptural, minimalist, and quirky pieces that have come to shape Tiffany & Co.’s identity as a multifaceted jeweller, with many designs transcending time and remaining in the maison’s lineup to this day.
Today, Tiffany & Co.’s fine jewellery offering errs on the side of sculptural minimalism, seen in collections like Tiffany HardWear and Lock by Tiffany. However, the high jewellery collections—including the annual Blue Book Collections—remain a way for the maison to show off its savoir-faire with coloured gemstones and intricately cast and sculpted precious metal. These collections often draw inspiration from the work of Jean Schlumberger, with collections emulating the designer’s reverence for celestial and oceanic themes.
Established in: 1837
Founder: Charles Lewis Tiffany
Headquarters: New York, United States
6. Piaget
Founded as a movement manufacture in 1847 by 19-year-old watchmaker Georges-Édouard Piaget, Piaget has long been committed to excellence. Under the helm of Timothée Piaget, Georges-Édouard’s son, Piaget evolved from solely creating movements to producing luxury wristwatches and pocket watches, with the Piaget trademark being registered in 1943 and setting the tone for the brand we know today. Under the eyes of the third generation of the Piaget family, Gérald and Valentin Piaget, the Swiss maison began to pursue ultra-thin watchmaking, releasing the (then) thinnest movement in the world in 1957, the mechanical hand-wound calibre 9P.
In 1959, Piaget released its first high jewellery collection, which was shortly followed by a collection of the first watches with stone dials. The maison’s ability to seamlessly fuse haute joaillerie and haute horlogerie design codes as well as its daring in designing vibrant, playful pieces that dually showcased its unique design perspective and mastery of savoir-faire came to define the Piaget brand.
One of the best high jewellery brands, Piaget is known for sophisticated extravagance, proving thoughtful maximalism isn’t an oxymoron. Collections like the Essence of Extraleganza, Piaget Rose, and the lineup of watch sautoirs and cuffs showcase the maison’s bold style which utilises precious metals and gems in interesting cuts and novel silhouettes.
Established in: 1847
Founder: Georges-Édouard Piaget
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
7. Graff
One of the newer heritage houses (yes, a bit of an oxymoron, we know), Graff was founded by Laurence Graff in 1960. Graff jewellery is known for its unique approach to diamond and gem settings, with a young Laurence Graff’s first major design being a 19-stone cluster diamond ring — a marked deviation from the single-diamond rings popular at the time.
Today, Graff high jewellery is known for the exceptional cut and clarity of its diamonds, with the house having handled some of the most significant and rare diamonds in history. The house often pairs its diamonds with equally resplendent coloured gemstones like emeralds, sapphires, and rubies to create bold designs that are defined by their striking settings and lines. When it comes to high jewellery, Graff’s designs run the gamut from architecturally inspired pieces with strong lines and geometric gemstone placement to designs that draw from the natural world, like the peacock brooch which comprises 120.81 carats of diamonds and an array of floral themed pieces.
Established in: 1960
Founder: Laurence Graff
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
8. Boucheron
When it comes to heritage high jewellery brands, Boucheron is something of an anomaly. Founded in the mid-19th century, the Parisian jewellery brand has made a name for itself with its avant-garde, more is more approach to jewellery. Characterised by innovation and daring, founder Frédéric Boucheron was the first to combine rock crystal with diamonds, showing how these seemingly incompatible materials could complement each other. Another seminal Boucheron jewellery design was the Point d’Interrogation (‘Question Mark’ in French) necklace, a curved, claspless style named for its resemblance to its namesake punctuation mark.
Boucheron’s pioneering spirit lives on over a century and a half later, with high jewellery that pushes the boundaries of convention while showcasing the maison’s peerless craftsmanship and savoir-faire. Recent highlights include the Power of Couture collection which translates key details of ceremonial attire into jewellery form, and the Like A Queen collection, which reimagines Art Deco designs for the modern era.
Established in: 1858
Founder: Frédéric Boucheron
Headquarters: Paris, France
9. Chopard
The history of high jewellery and watch brand Chopard is a tale of two families. While Chopard was founded by Louis-Ulysse Chopard in 1840, as a high-precision watch manufacture specialising in pocket watches and chronometers, it’s the acquisition of the maison by Karl Scheufele III (grandson of Karl Scheufele I who launched his eponymous company specialising in jewellery watches and Art Nouveau jewellery in gold, diamonds, and pearls) that laid the groundwork for Chopard’s high jewellery creations. It wasn’t until 1985 that Chopard released its first high jewellery collection, thanks to Caroline Scheufele, daughter of Karin and Karl Scheufele III.
Under the creative direction of Caroline Scheufele, the maison has bolstered its high jewellery offering. Collections like the Haute Joaillerie Animal World—released in 2010 to celebrate the maison’s 150th anniversary— showcase the maison’s artistic view of the natural world, as well as its dedication to sustainably sourcing the most exquisite gemstones, while the Caroline’s Dreams collection draws upon the personality of its creative director. As the official partner of the Cannes Film Festival since 1998, Chopard’s high jewellery collections are regular features on the necks and limbs of silver screen talent.
While a comparatively new player in the jewellery realm, Chopard’s high jewellery stands out for its resplendent gemstones (such as the 6225-carat emerald, Infosu), intricate metalwork, and unique settings.
Established in: 1840 (Chopard), 1940 (Karl Scheufele)
Founders: Louis-Ulysse Chopard (Chopard), Karl Scheufele I (Karl Scheufele)
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
10. Chaumet
One of the oldest heritage high jewellery houses in the world, Chaumet is closely intertwined with the history of France itself, with the maison having been the official jeweller to Empress Joséphine. In 1780, Marie-Étienne Nitot founded his eponymous brand, which would later come to be known as Chaumet, thanks to the guidance of visionary Joseph Chaumet, who served as the maison’s creative director from 1885 to 1928.
Throughout its long tenure, Chaumet has lived through many eras, including the romantic, Belle Époque (Joseph Chaumet’s specialty), and Art Deco periods, with its clientele expanding from Parisian royals and high society to encompass rulers of other nations with a penchant for fine things, including the Maharajah of Indore.
While the brand continues to evolve for the modern era, nature remains a constant source of inspiration — influenced by Empress Joséphine’s passion for botany. The Bamboo collection takes a modern approach to flora, with its linear forms and graphic leaves crafted from gold and set with precious stones echoing the forms of the bamboo plant. Meanwhile Le Jardin de Chaumet takes a more traditional poetic tone, with its curved forms looking to fields, flowers, and woodlands for inspiration.
Established in: 1780
Founder: Marie-Étienne Nitot
Headquarters: Paris, France
11. Fred
Despite having been around for almost a century, Fred is imbued with a sense of exuberance and modernity. The luxury French jewellery house was founded in 1936 by Fred Samuel, who grew up in a family that dealt with precious gemstones and drew inspiration for his own jewellery from the energy of the French Riviera and the beauty of the sunlight that played over his childhood summers in Argentina.
Many of Fred’s high jewellery collections are inspired by light; light being essential to admire the beauty of diamonds and coloured gemstones. The maison’s Ideal Light high jewellery collection evokes sunshine itself, with unique settings and gemstone configurations employed to glimmer and sparkle as they meet the light. A material palette of Australian opals, Tanzanian spinels, Colombian emeralds, Sri Lankan sapphires, colourless diamonds, and precious metals combine to create geometric, energetic designs inspired by the maison’s founder’s heritage.
One of Fred’s signatures is the Force 10 collection. Inspired by a braided sailing cable secured with a metal carabiner that the founder’s son gave to his wife, the Fred Force 10 collection offers an elevated take on the impromptu souvenir by pairing intricate braided gold or steel stables with gold buckles in the shape of a carabiner. While the carabiner motif is most commonly seen across the maison’s fine jewellery, it also makes its way into high jewellery. The Inner Light collection featured a bracelet set with diamond, aquamarine, turquoise, lapis lazuli, chrysocolla, dickite, sodalite and mother-of-pearl stones, secured with an oversized gem set carabiner.
Defined by a sense of lightness—both literal and figurative—Fred high jewellery toes the line between classic and contemporary, with styles destined to suit any kind of collector.
Established in: 1936
Founder: Fred Samuel
Headquarters: Paris, France
12. Louis Vuitton
While Louis Vuitton doesn’t have a storied history in high jewellery—the maison launched its first high jewellery collection in 2008—it’s been ramping up its offerings over the past decade. Although the French luxury fashion house is well known for its prowess in trunk and handbag craftsmanship, its jewellery offering was primarily of the costume or designer variety, utilising gold-toned metal and faux pearls and gemstones. That kind of ingrained perception is difficult to shake, even for an LVMH-owned brand.
However, the appointment of Francesca Amfitheatrof, a Tiffany & Co alumnus who served as artistic director of jewellery and watches at Louis Vuitton from 2018 to March 2025, has been instrumental in cementing the maison as one to watch in the high jewellery space. Under Amfitheatrof’s direction, each of Louis Vuitton’s high jewellery collections has a clear and distinct visual story, conveyed through strong technicality and exacting craftsmanship. Like many of Louis Vuitton’s ventures, symbols of the brand are incorporated throughout its high jewellery collections, however it’s more subtle than the all-over LV monograms or damier insignias.
The recent Awakened Hands, Awakened Minds collection was inspired by the golden era of French artisanship and craftsmanship of the 19th century, when this was considered the byword in luxury the world over. The massive 220-piece collection paid homage to the ornate craftsmanship of an imperial bed with its lace-like floral patterns and low-relief woodwork, executed through an LV Monogram Flower motif necklace with over a hundred rubies surrounded by a woven mesh of delicately carved golden flowers. Elsewhere, the brocade, jacquard, and tassel work of the time is referenced through a dramatic platinum and yellow gold necklace with cord- and rope-like detailing, set with a Zambian emerald.
Similarly, the new Deep Time collection illustrates the evolution of the planet and the gemstones that have been growing for millennia within it. The multi-act collection showcases an evocative dialogue between diamonds and gemstones through curved high-collar necklaces, multi-tiered stones and chains, and graphic openwork details. The sheer power of the LVMH group’s resources are on full display here, with only the most exemplary gemstones and diamonds put into the hands of the maison’s skilled craftspeople.
Established in: 1854 (high jewellery since 2008)
Founder: Louis Vuitton
Headquarters: Paris, France
13. Harry Winston
The son of a jeweller, Harry Winston was exposed to the industry from a young age and founded his eponymous brand in 1932. Known as the ‘King of Diamonds’ (a sobriquet a few other gentlemen on this list of high jewellery brands have also laid claim to), Winston was renowned for his eye for sourcing unique and exceptional diamonds and gemstones and transforming them into designs that appealed to contemporary consumers. Harry Winston was notable for a diamond and gemstone first approach to jewellery, with many of the brand’s creations designed to suit the stone, rather than the other way around.
One of the most iconic Harry Winston designs is the Winston Cluster, which was inspired by the shimmering frost on the leaves of a holly wreath that the high jewellery brand’s eponymous founder observed on a chilly December evening. Released in the 1940s, the innovative setting featured pear, marquise, and round cut diamonds of varying sizes hand-set in clusters to resemble the organic beauty of nature. It’s a setting that’s proven timeless and remains a mainstay in the American jewellery house’s lineup to this day.
One of the most high-profile high jewellery brands, Harry Winston has been commissioned to create pieces for the likes of Maharajah of Indore and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. Harry Winston’s high jewellery has also been sported by numerous Hollywood starlets, including Elizabeth Taylor, Jennifer Jones, and Helen Mirren. Gwyneth Paltrow notably wore a Harry Winston necklace and earrings when she won her Best Actress Academy Award for Shakespeare in Love in 1999 — an achievement her father celebrated by purchasing said necklace for her.
Today, Harry Winston jewellery continues to showcase the boundless beauty of its diamonds and coloured gemstones through designs that unite classic design principles with technical mastery. Expect to see the famous Winston Cluster setting take centre stage, executed with coloured gemstones for a fresh take on the timeless style.
Established in: 1932
Founder: Harry Winston
Headquarters: New York, United States
14. Chanel
Chanel’s wide range of costume jewellery currently on offer may have somewhat diluted its precious metal offerings, but it’s worth noting that the luxury French fashion house is far from a new player in the high jewellery space. To truly appreciate Chanel’s high jewellery offering, it’s necessary to take a trip back to 1932. Until that point, high jewellery was the domain of dedicated jewellery designers; most of them men. Released in the midst of the Great Depression, Gabrielle Chanel’s Bijoux de Diamants collection broke with convention, marking the first high jewellery collection by a fashion house. This showed in the presentation of the collection; inspired by celestial bodies, the Bijoux de Diamants collection was the first to be presented on the human body and designed with this intent in mind, rather than designed as works of art first and wearable goods second.
Contemporary Chanel high jewellery tends to draw from the maison’s archives, reimagining motifs like the number 5, celestial symbols, and quilted and tweed patterns in jewellery form. One of the most memorable Chanel high jewellery offerings was the N°5 collection, which paid homage to the anniversary of the maison’s iconic fragrance by distilling its core elements into wearable art. At the heart of the collection was the 55.55 necklace, which was crafted as a tribute to the design of the Chanel N°5 bottle and had a 55.55-carat diamond at its centre.
More recently, Chanel has taken a playful approach to its high jewellery. Under the helm of Patrice Leguéreau, director of fine jewellery at Chanel, the maison released its Haute Joaillerie Sport collection. A graphic, statement-making collection, it brought a unique vision to the world of high jewellery, imbuing it with a athleticism — think diamonds and baguette-cut rubies arranged in pure, clean lines to form the chevron motif and evoke a sense of speed and dynamism, and accentuated with a 10.15-carat cushion-cut sapphire from Kashmir.
Established in: 1910
Founder: Gabrielle Chanel
Headquarters: Paris, France
15. De Beers
Best known for its role in marketing diamonds as an instrumental component of a successful marriage with its 1947 “A Diamond is Forever” campaign, De Beers has been a key player in the diamond industry since 1888. However, the diamond company only made its foray into fine and high jewellery at the turn of the millennium; previously De Beers solely sourced and supplied diamonds.
Each De Beers high jewellery collection places the company’s exquisite diamonds front and centre, with creative collections that not only showcase the beauty of the gemstones but display a finely honed artistic vision and aesthetic point of view. Introduced in 2005, the Talisman collection featured natural rough diamonds alongside traditional polished diamonds, displaying the raw beauty of these gemstones. Meanwhile, the Metamorphosis collection tells the story of the four seasons and nature’s constant evolution through a combination of colourless and fancy coloured diamonds, sculpted precious metal, and grand feu enamel.
Established in: 1888
Founder: Cecil Rhodes
Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
16. Buccellati
Founded in Milan in 1919 by Mario Buccellati, this Italian jewellery house offers a distinct aesthetic viewpoint. Inspired by Renaissance-era goldsmithing techniques, Buccellati jewellery often draws from the world of couture, with its high jewellery style characterised by intricate engraving and gold- and silverwork that resembled fine fabrics such as lace and tulle. One of Mario Buccellati’s earliest—and greatest—achievements is transposing lace weaving onto gold plates using an openworked technique known as ‘honeycombing’, resulting in metal with an appearance similar to tulle; a style which has carried through over a century later.
The Italian high jewellery brand has several engraving craftsmanship techniques that are unique to the house, including ‘rigato’, of engraving consisting of many fine lines parallel to one another, which creates a sheen reminiscent of finely wound threads of silk; ‘segrinato’, which uses multidirectional engraving to create a dense weave texture with a light luminosity and velvety texture; and ‘telato’ which uses cross-hatched lines to create an effect similar to that of the texture of linen and canvas.
Aside from its peerless craftsmanship—with high jewellery pieces requiring hundreds of hours of skilled work to craft—Buccellati is famed for its ability to reimagine Italian Renaissance and Baroque influences and design for the modern era. The Opera High Jewellery collection is one of the maison’s most renowned, combining motifs seen in ancient opera theatres with techniques like the aforementioned rigato engraving. Meanwhile, the Mosaico collection looks to the Byzantine era, with bib and rivière necklaces rendered in white and yellow gold and adorned with emeralds, diamonds, and beads.
Established in: 1919
Founder: Mario Buccellati
Headquarters: Milan, Italy
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Words by T. Angel
