PENCIL TO PAPER
After a process of research and inspiration gathering, the High Jewellery Artistic Director sketches his vision for each piece of the collection, refining the theme with watercolours.
18 place vendôme
Gabrielle Chanel lived out her existence within a few Parisian blocks - the townhouse at 29 Faubourg Saint-Honoré, the boutique at 31 rue Cambon, her suite at the Ritz hotel overlooking Place Vendôme, and now, occupying 18 Place Vendôme - the home of CHANEL High Jewellery.
PENCIL TO PAPER
THE FINAL SKETCH
THE FINAL SKETCH
The design of the jewellery piece is finalised on tracing paper, down to the most intricate detail. This becomes the blueprint from the creative studio for the craftspeople of the High Jewellery atelier, who will handcraft the pieces with carefully selected techniques chosen to service the artistic vision.
HANDCRAFTED OBJECTS
HANDCRAFTED OBJECTS
Within the High Jewellery atelier at 18 Place Vendôme, the jewellers create a model made of precious metal that reflects the original gouache rendering. The model is carved, pierced, sanded and modified down to the smallest detail, then cast in the furnace to give the metal a sculptor's volume. Age-old techniques create beadwork, each delicate bead crafted by hand.
GABRIELLE CHANEL'S HIGH JEWELLERY CODES
The size and quality of gemstones are of primary focus, underscoring Gabrielle Chanel’s emphasis on stones, with her original codes imbued in every detail. The emerald-cut diamond represents Place Vendôme, the form of the Navette personifies an ear of wheat, and the round-cut diamond, the heart of the iconic camellia.