Marks of Excellence
Louis Vuitton celebrates its world famous monogram with the unveiling of its Idylle Blossom collection
Louis Vuitton celebrates its world famous monogram with the unveiling of its Idylle Blossom collection
The Louis Vuitton monogram is now legendary in the worlds of fashion and beauty: a symbol of European style and haute luxe beloved by royalty and celebrities alike. You might have the monogrammed luggage already—but what about the jewellery? Help is at hand in the form of Louis Vuitton’s Idylle Blossom collection, in which the two iconic LV initials meet the delicately designed flowers of the range to recreate the legendary monogram motif in dazzling diamond form.
Dating back to 1896, the monogram was first designed by Georges-louis Vuitton in memory of his late father, who founded the brand. Its roots might be personal and handcrafted, but this signature rapidly grew to become a symbol of the international jet set, proudly branded on luggage and handbags around the world. The LV monogram canvas represents innovation, design and timelessness combined with a nod to the house’s savoir-faire.
The Idylle Blossom jewellery line is no different, with creations that appeal to the free-spirited Louis Vuitton woman with attitude. Glamorous, confident, feminine and playful, the bracelets, necklaces and ear studs represent the ideal of modern womanhood.
For each of the pieces, the iconic Louis Vuitton monogram is remade in 18K yellow gold and adorned with diamonds. Designed to be worn every day, this jewellery can brighten up a simple outfit of jeans and a blouse—or provide the perfect accent for a little black dress.
The rings and bracelets are slim fitting and can be worn alone for a clean, elegant look, or stacked up, one on top of each other, for a
Designed to be worn every day, this jewellery can brighten up a simple outfit of jeans and a blouse
more dramatic aesthetic. Each of the monogrammed flowers comes in a slightly different colour according to the type of diamond selected—pink, yellow or white. Piled up together on the wrist, they represent a delightful burst of ice-cream colour against the skin.
The mono-chain earring, meanwhile, feels wonderfully modern, designed to be worn alone on one ear, in a nod to many of the more daring looks to have been debuted on the catwalk over the past few seasons. Sparkling with carefully chosen diamonds, they lift the complexion instantly.
But the most striking piece is arguably the long pendant, which comes in either white or yellow gold and can be worn as a single or double turn. With memorable, almost Cubist lines encircling the monogrammed flower, it is a wonderfully dramatic piece that immediately draws the eye. Worn either over bare skin or on top of a high-necked top, it is a piece of jewellery that will never go out of style—much like the beloved Louis Vuitton monogram itself.
Endless beaches, timeless ruins and teacarpeted hills are what makes Sri Lanka so inescapably beautiful, along with the country’s characterful sunrises, which have inspired Gübelin Jewellery’s latest collection, Aurora. Smatterings of lilac, soft pink and warm gold run seamlessly through this unique range of jewels, which have been carefully created by the brand’s impressive roster of experienced goldsmiths, jewel setters and gem polishers.
Defined by exceptional levels of design and craftsmanship, Gübelin Jewellery is further elevated by its instantly recognisable aesthetic, which is achieved using what the brand calls its ‘Deeply Inspired’ philosophy. Real beauty, Gübelin Jewellery believes, lies not on the surface but deep inside. The elegance of each coloured gemstone is magnified using intricate designs that highlight each jewel’s features, no matter how small, so that each piece can be admired on different levels.
This outlook is something that has been honed over time, ever since the Swiss family-owned firm was founded in 1854. Fast-forward to today, and Gübelin Jewellery is now known as one of the world’s leading gemstone experts. The brand is additionally revered for its horological expertise. “As a member of the sixth generation of our family-owned company, I am very proud of the way in which we combine beauty, knowledge and artisanship,” says Raphael Gübelin, the brand’s president, who first became inspired by Sri Lanka in 2018. “My wife and I travelled together with Helen Molesworth of the Gübelin Academy to Sri Lanka. There we visited mines and discovered the land known for its precious gem deposits.” The Gübelin Academy offers professional training for companies in the jewellery and gemstone sectors, and the team were drawn to Sri Lanka because of its longstanding mining history that spans over 2,500 years. Aurora showcases the country’s most superb
“As a member of the sixth generation of our family-owned company, I am very proud of the way in which we combine beauty, knowledge and artisanship”
—Raphael Gübelin
gemstones, including the Padparadscha sapphire in shades of peach, blush and rose. Within the collection are several pieces that portray nature in the most exquisite detail, such as the Rising Lotus—a glamorous statement ring that depicts a lotus flower in full bloom. The piece features a cushionshaped Padparadscha sapphire weighing 14.25 carats, which is surrounded by 14 cabochon-cut sapphires that are bordered by more than 550 brilliant-cut diamonds. These diamonds reflect the light in such a way that, when worn, the ring looks as though dew drops are clinging to each of its petals.
Achieving something so stunning isn’t easy: to cast the ring’s intertwining components, in-house artisans painstakingly arrange each stone by hand over hundreds of hours in Gübelin Jewellery’s ateliers in Lucerne, Switzerland. A single ruby—the house’s design signature—is fixed onto the structure, making it instantly recognisable as a Gübelin Jewellery masterpiece.
Its Splendid Feather creations pay tribute to Sri Lankan birds and are also mesmerising jewels from the brand’s Aurora collection. An apt inspiration, considering the Padparadscha sapphire has fine shapes and structures within it known to gemmologists as ‘feathers.’ Splendid Feather bracelets, earrings and pendants play with various shades of candyfloss pink and lilac, as well as sea-blue and crimson. Clusters of brilliant-cut white diamonds and round sapphires are simultaneously timeless and modern, while the more romantic red gold wing designs set with oval multicoloured Padparadscha sapphires suit those with more traditional tastes.
Artisans set each Splendid Feather jewel with brilliant-cut diamonds and diamond baguettes, which are custom-made for the delicate setting of each piece. In another nod to Sri Lanka’s feathered creatures, designers chose to use marquise-shaped gems with convex sides that are known as ‘wings,’ which are reminiscent of the award-winning Gübelin Jewellery designs from the 1960s and ’70s. An everlasting example of both beauty and artisanship, the size, hue and texture of these extraordinary pieces secure Gübelin Jewellery, once again, as a master of wearable art.