TRUE BL UE
The intense blue of lapis lazuli is one of the new year’s sizzling shades. Charlene Co highlights some spectacular pieces that showcase the stone’s hue
Colour authority Pantone has spoken: lapis blue is among the year’s hottest hues. Finally, the often-overlooked lapis lazuli—with its gorgeous deep blue and golden pyrite inclusions—has its time to shine. Chaumet uses this opaque stone beautifully in its water-inspired high jewellery collection Lumières d’eau, which presents water in its various states—from pounding waves to delicate dripping icicles. The Lumières d’eau long necklace, in particular, is quite the stunner. Chaumet’s craftsmen have set it with diamonds, sapphires, spinel, tanzanite and cascading lapis lazuli beads. Van Cleef & Arpels, meanwhile, renders a few pieces for its 60-piece clip collection, L’arche de Noé, in lapis lazuli. One, the perroquets clip, features carefully cut lapis lazuli and turquoise as feathers. Lapis lazuli is also used to make the body of the L’arche de Noé elephant clip, which is set with diamonds and buff-topped round sapphires. Piaget’s 18k white gold earrings feature lapis lazuli plates complemented by pearshaped paraiba tourmalines and 138 brilliantcut diamonds, and will frame your face beautifully. Hong Kong jewellery brand Niin’s Zayah statement ring has lapis lazuli as the centre stone, set on brushed gold-plated sterling silver. Watchmakers likewise could not resist the opaque gemstone, seeing it as the perfect material to create a dramatic dial. Chopard, for instance, opts for a lapis lazuli dial on one of its iconic Happy Diamonds watches, providing a striking contrast against its 18k white gold case and five moving diamonds. Dior, meanwhile, renders an eye-catching, elegant piece using lapis lazuli for the dial of its La D de Dior Granville, framed with spessartite garnets and diamonds. This is a case of the blues you wouldn’t mind having.